Lawrence High junior Austin Crawford celebrates with his teammates after crossing home plate during a 7-5 win over Southern Boone on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.

The Lawrence High baseball team hung on late for a 7-5 win over Southern Boone (Mo.) on the first day of the River City Baseball Festival on Thursday at Hoglund Ballpark.

LHS starting pitcher Jack Pfeifer allowed just two runs on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts through six innings on the hill. The senior helped the Chesty Lions (7-7) build a five-run lead on the Eagles entering the seventh.

Junior Kyan Guss relieved Pfeifer in the seventh, allowing three runs on three hits, two walks and a strikeout. Right fielder Brooks Jones caught the game-sealing pop-up by Boone’s Blaine Hargis, bailing out Guss.

“It probably didn’t go the way any of us wanted to go, and certainly not the way Kyan had it drawn up, but he kept battling,” LHS coach Brad Stoll said after the win.

Pfeifer and company stranded the Eagles’ first hit of the day, a single by Ryker Zimmerman, at third in the top of the first. Then, LHS seized the opportunity to jump out front, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on two RBI singles by juniors Sammy Stoll and Connor Nowak.

An RBI single by Carter Salter in the top of the second brought LHS’ lead down to one run before the side retired, but then LHS turned the power on. With one out and senior Dominic Ostronic waiting at second, three RBIs between senior Austin Crawford, junior Tyson Grammer and Sammy Stoll made it a 5-1 ballgame in the blink of an eye.

Things stayed quiet until the fourth, when Salter singled in another run, loading the bases for Southern Boone with one out. Jace Wren bunted in hopes of sneaking in a run, but LHS senior River Lynch was quick to make the grab in front of home plate, finding Sammy Stoll at first in time to set up the double play and end the inning.

LHS earned a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Grammer sailed a one-run bomb over the right field fence.

“He’s really got a quick swing,” Brad Stoll said. “A lot of raw power. We’re excited to, hopefully, get him rolling here.”

After that, junior Cale Paden doubled in the bottom of the fifth to give LHS a five-run lead entering the sixth. The Lions held onto that lead into the seventh, and Pfeifer finally took a seat after six innings of two-run baseball on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts. Taking his place, Guss mustered up the save.

LHS’ next game in the River City Baseball Festival is against Rockhurst on Friday at home.

BOX SCORE:

Southern Boone 010 100 3 – 5 8 0

Lawrence 230 110 X – 7 9 0

W – Pfeifer; L – Zimmerman; Save – Guss.

Highlights for LHS: Ostronic 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B; Crawford 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI; Grammer 1-for-1, HR, RBI, 1 R; Stoll 2-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI; Nowak 1-for-4, RBI; Paden 1-for-2, 1 R, RBI, 2B; Lynch 1-for-2, RBI; Pfeifer 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Guss 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K.