Teammates clear the bench to bump fists with Lawrence High runners Dorian Green (23) and Clint Pinnick (9) after the two scored on a fourth-inning single by Jack Bush in the first game of a doubleheader sweep of Leavenworth. The Lions won, 12-4 and 12-5, Friday at Ice Field.

Aaron Rea stood at third base during a break in the action of Lawrence High’s baseball doubleheader against Leavenworth High on Friday evening, and he was concerned.

Not about the score. Rea’s Lions already were well on their way to sweeping the Pioneers, 12-4 and 12-5, at Ice Field.

No, he had something much more pressing on his mind. It was the bottom of the fourth inning of Game Two, and his good buddy, Lions junior Clint Pinnick, strolled to the plate with the bases loaded and a 10-1 lead. Rea turned to Lawrence skipper Brad Stoll, who was coaching from the third-base box.

“He said, ‘Coach, I really don’t know if I can handle another home run from Clint,'” Stoll recalled of the conversation. “I don’t think Aaron could have listened to him talk about it.”

Pinnick finally flied out to left field to end the inning. But Rea’s mock distress should tell you something about Pinnick’s day, which was replete with so many ridiculous offensive numbers, he would have had reason to gloat for an entire season if he felt like it.

In Game One, Pinnick blasted a home run to center field, doubled, tallied four RBIs and scored all four times he had an at-bat.

His encore performance featured a two-run double in the first inning of Game Two, a solo home run to left field in the second and a three-run bomb to left in the third. Even when he grounded out to shortstop in his last at-bat he still managed to get another RBI. In total, Pinnick scored the first seven times he came to bat and finished with three homers, two doubles and 11 RBIs.

“I’ve never had a doubleheader like that,” Pinnick said. “I’ve never had any games like that. This whole week, I’ve been feeling my swing real well. I don’t know what it is. I’m just seeing the ball real well.”

Rea was less modest about Pinnick’s big day.

“I have never been a part of a team where I’ve had a guy do that,” Rea said. “Our team hadn’t been producing the runs we could, but Clint’s that kind of guy that can hit anywhere. When he gets going, he’s one of the best hitters around.”

Pinnick certainly led the way for the Lions, but he wasn’t alone in delivering the offensive onslaught against the Pioneers.

LHS right fielder Jack Bush smacked three hits on the day and four RBIs, Rea had four hits and scored four times, and catcher Chase Muder and first baseman Joe Kornbrust each banged out two hits while combining to score six times.

Lawrence was aided by the steady pitching of lefty Tom Schuh in Game One and sophomore Ben Wyatt – making his first start on the varsity team – in Game Two. The scores became so lopsided that Stoll was able to sub in most of his second-stringers by game’s end.

Stoll also chimed in on Pinnick’s productive plate appearances.

“We’re not going to let his head get too big,” he said. “However, he did have a monster night, and I’m very happy for him.”

The sweep came at a most opportune time for the Lions, who pulled within one game of .500 at 6-7 following a three-game losing streak.

The Lions have six regular-season games remaining and just one more at Ice Field. They will travel to Shawnee Mission South on Wednesday.