Lions pay price for mistakes in 4-2 loss

When Lawrence High baseball players took the field against Topeka Seaman for their home opener Tuesday, they knew there wasn’t much margin for error.

Facing a team that’s qualified for the Class 5A state tournament for 13 straight seasons, the Lions paid the price for a couple of small mistakes in a 4-2 loss.

Lawrence led by two runs in the fifth inning and Seaman (1-0) loaded the bases with one out. On a ground ball up the middle, LHS shortstop Andrew Stewart and second baseman Sammy Hogsett tried to turn a double play, but the runner from second, Sam Payne, never stopped moving and scored when the throw to first was about a second behind Seaman batter Jordon Jensen.

In the sixth inning, Seaman added two more runs, scoring one on an errant relay throw from left field.

“That’s a little tough to swallow because I thought we pitched well, swung the bats well,” LHS coach Brad Stoll said. “We did a lot of good things. We ran the bases well. Shoot, but you just can’t do that against such a quality opponent like that.”

Lawrence junior Devin Lauts didn’t give up a hit in his first four innings pitched, allowing only two baserunners on a pair of walks. Each time, junior catcher Austin Quick, who missed all of last season because of a spinal cord injury, threw out the runners trying to steal second base — “That’s one of the strongest arms that we’ve ever had behind the plate,” Stoll said.

“I’ve been catching my whole life,” Quick said. “It’s all about staying relaxed. You see a guy running, just plop it down there and see what you can do.”

Lauts struck out two in five innings pitched, giving up only three hits with a consistent fastball and strong break on his curveball.

Then the LHS pitcher and catcher battery, who grew up playing together, added their own run support. Lauts hit a RBI single in the first inning, scoring junior Reese Carmona.

In the third inning, Lauts and Quick drilled back-to-back doubles into the right-center gap. Quick’s hit drove in Lauts’ courtesy runner, sophomore Payton Cummins.

But in the final four innings, the Lions (0-2) couldn’t produce any more runs with timely hits. Senior Joe Harms was stranded after smacking a double in the fourth inning, and the Lions left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.

“I told them in the (postgame) huddle, I’m really excited about what we can do,” Stoll said. “This team has a really, really high ceiling and I’m pumped to see what happens down the road.”

Lawrence will travel to Shawnee Mission South on Thursday.

Seaman 000 022 0 — 4 6 2

Lawrence 101 000 0 — 2 8 2

W — Kaden Henley, 1-0. L — Devin Lauts, 0-1.

2B — Lauts, Austin Quick, Joe Harms, LHS.

LHS highlights — Lauts, 2-for-4, RBI, 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K; Quick, 1-for-4, RBI, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K; Reese Carmona, 1-for-3, walk, run; Andrew Stewart, 2-for-3, HBP, stolen base.