photo by: Conner Becker

Junior Tyson Grammer throws a pitch in the seventh inning of Friday's game vs. Bishop O'Gorman on March 24, 2023 at Lawrence High School.

Despite some early-season rust, the Lawrence High baseball team hung on for a 5-4 home win over Bishop O’Gorman on Friday — its second opening-weekend win against visitors from South Dakota.

On Thursday, the Lions (2-0) opened their season with a 4-2 win over Sioux Falls Roosevelt. Friday’s game against O’Gorman was tighter, but LHS managed to pull just a little bit ahead, and the pitching staff saved the day from there.

Tyson Grammer was tasked with preserving a one-run lead in the seventh, and he picked up a strikeout and allowed just one hit.LHS coach Brad Stoll said he knew he could rely on Grammer’s experience as a closer to finish the job after senior reliever Jack Pfeifer kept the Knights off the board for consecutive innings.

“(Grammer) did a really good job last night, and he did it again today,” Stoll said. “Competitive kid that doesn’t get rattled — all the things you’d want in a closer.”

Junior Sammy Stoll, Brad Stoll’s son, was the starting pitcher for the Lions and finished with four strikeouts, two hits, three runs, and five walks through two innings. Pfeifer then threw four innings, striking out five batters, walking one batter, and giving up just one run on two hits.

O’Gorman challenged Sammy Stoll early on by getting three hits and three walks and crossing three runs right away. The Lions’ starter managed to strike out two batters and the LHS defense prevented any further damage, with senior Dominic Ostronic playing a key role.

Ostronic and Pfeifer led off the first LHS at-bat with hits, and LHS loaded the bases when Knights starting pitcher Bennett Dannenbring walked Sammy Stoll. But junior Brooks Jones bounced a ball right to Dannenbring, and the inning ended with no runs for the Lions.

LHS trimmed its deficit to a single run late in the second when Ostronic and senior River Lynch crossed on an RBI single by Sammy Stoll. Pfeifer took over pitching duties and kept the Knights off the board in the third, and then the Lions scored their game-tying run on a wild pitch to make it 3-3 heading into the fourth.

O’Gorman’s Sully Schlimgen then reclaimed a one-run lead with an RBI, bringing home teammate Charlie Hueners from second base. But Sammy Stoll quickly returned the favor, tying things at 4-4 with another RBI on a flyout to left field.

And in the bottom of the fifth, junior Connor Nowak gave LHS its first lead of the game with an RBI single. LHS couldn’t advance its remaining two baserunners for any insurance, though, and it entered the sixth with a 5-4 lead.

And that’s where the score would stay through the end of the game. Grammer held on for the save, and junior Koen Myers grabbed the game-winning flyout, preventing O’Gorman’s runners at third and first from advancing further.

In addition to the team’s successes on the mound, Brad Stoll said he was impressed by how well Sammy recovered from a shaky start.

“He’s just like his father; he’s a fiery soul,” Brad Stoll said. “Once he settled down, he was spinning his slider really well. Had some really good at-bats for us today. He’s a scrappy kid and a pretty tough player.”

LHS returns to action on Tuesday at Olathe North. The first pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE:

Bishop O’Gorman 300 100 0 – 4 5 3

Lawrence High 021 110 X – 5 5 6

W – Sammy Stoll; L – Bennett Dannenbring; Save – Tyson Grammer.

Highlights for LHS: Pfeifer 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K; Stoll 2 IP, 2 H, 3R, 5 BB, 4 K, RBI; Grammer 1-for-3, 1 BB; Nowak 1-for-1, RBI.