Lawrence High baseball coach Brad Stoll tries not to pay attention to his team’s record too much. He is more concerned with seeing improvement through each game.

Still, Stoll couldn’t help but be pleased for the players, as LHS improved to .500 for the first time all year with a 6-2 victory over Olathe East at home Tuesday. The Lions have won four consecutive games by an average margin of 4.5 runs.

“To steal a phrase from Bill Snyder, ‘You get better every day,'” Stoll said. “As a coach, that’s all I can ask for. I’m very proud of everything: the pace, the strike-throwing ability, our approach at the plate, and our defense. Really pleased with it all right now.”

After dropping five of the first six games, including three straight to start the season, Lawrence (5-5) has found a way to get back on track over the last couple weeks. Perhaps the biggest key has been the pitching staff, which has held the opposition to a total of seven runs over the recent stretch.

In preparation for the River City Festival this weekend, the Lions were forced to use five different pitchers to ensure they have enough arms to get through the three-game weekend.

Senior Gavin Greenwood began the game with two scoreless innings on a total of 22 pitches, in which he allowed just one hit. Greenwood started off the win streak with a one-run performance over seven full innings against Leavenworth.

“Gavin should have got out of the first inning with about six pitches,” Stoll said. “He kept pounding the zone and moving the barrel, pitching to contact. It all starts on the mound.”

Left-hander Hank Dobson also only allowed one hit over a pair of shutout frames. Neither of the first two pitchers even let a runner reach third base. Junior Devin Lauts then kept the Hawks off the board during the fifth and sixth inning, as he surrendered two hits.

Olathe East finally plated a pair of runs in the final frame off senior righty Joe Fritschen, to break the drought. Junior Austin Quick was asked to get the final out to avoid too much of a late push.

“We are starting to come together as a team more,” LHS senior Braden Solko said. “We know our roles. We are hitting the ball well, so that’s always good. “

The offense did more than enough to provide run support on the evening.

Dobson scored the game’s first run on an infield single in the second to score Solko. The Lions then broke the game open with a four-run outburst in the third frame, which was capped by a two-run single via sophomore Caleb Mondi. Solko later added another run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

As a team, LHS recorded nine hits against Olathe East, all of which were singles.

“For some reason, we tend to score in bunches,” Solko said. “We changed up our lineup this past week, a little more hitting lineup. It’s been working, so we will probably stick with it.”

Lawrence will play Rogers (Ark.) at 8:15 p.m. Friday at Hoglund Ballpark.

O-East 000 000 2 — 2 6 1

Lawrence 014 010 x — 6 9 1

W — Gavin Greenwood. L — Grayson Howell.

2B — Spencer Nelson (3), OE.

LHS highlights — Austin Quick, 2-for-3, run; Braden Solko 1-for-2, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Caleb Mondi, 1-for-3, 2 RBIs; Greenwood, 2 IP 1 H 0 R, 1 K.