LHS baseball defeats No. 1 SM East

photo by: Mike Yoder

Lawrence High batter Reese Carmona lays down a bunt single that loaded the bases in the third inning Thursday, during the Lions' game against the Shawnee Mission East Lancers at LHS.

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Lawrence High junior Jacob Unruh hit a two-run, walk-off double to help his baseball team upset top-ranked Shawnee Mission East, 5-4, on Thursday at LHS.

Devin Lauts opened the seventh inning with a double before Parker Kirkpatrick hit a single, setting up Unruh’s heroics with a fly ball into left field.

“All night it was, ‘Hit opposite field, hit opposite field,'” Unruh said. “I was doing that. I was hitting ground balls and line drives at everybody. It finally clicked on for me to left field and it felt great.”

The Lancers (11-3) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh when Henry Miller stole home on an offspeed pitch. LHS sophomore right-hander Ethan Taylor allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings, which LHS coach Brad Stoll called a “really, really special” outing against a potent lineup.

During the first five innings, the Lions (8-7) scored three runs without a hit out of the infield.

“Man, the dugout had a lot of fire today and the kids just fought, fought and fought,” Stoll said. “To tie it up essentially without a ball ever leaving the infield doesn’t happen very often. But I was very proud of the resolve our boys had today.”

The Lions will go on the road to play Rockhurst (Mo.) at 4:30 p.m. Monday.


SM East 020 010 1 — 4 8 3

Lawrence 001 020 2 — 5 9 1

W — Brad Kincaid, 3-1. L — Jake Randa.

2B — Devin Lauts, Jacob Unruh, LHS; Jake Randa, SME. 3B — Spencer Mustoe, SME.

LHS highlights — Ethan Taylor, 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K; Alexander Guy, 2-for-3; Unruh, 1-for-4, 2 RBI; Parker Kirkpatrick 1-for-3, RBI, run.