photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

The Lawrence dugout congratulate Lawrence pitcher Max Hidalgo after a clean seventh inning in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

Lawrence couldn’t take advantage of another strong defensive day as the Lions lost 2-1 to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday.

It was Lawrence’s third one-run loss in the last four games, and in the seven games Lawrence has played in April, the Lions have scored more than two runs twice.

“Our approach at the plate has to be better,” Lawrence coach Adam Green said. “One run is not going to win you games in the Sunflower League. We’ve got to get consecutive bats back-to-back. Until we do that, we’re going to struggle offensively.”

Green said the Lions are taking too many fastballs as strikes, leading to opposing pitchers getting ahead in the count.

“Hitting is already hard enough,” Green said. “If you make it more difficult by taking fastballs for strikes, then you’re opening up someone’s arsenal. We need to get more confident in our approach and not let somebody pitch with a fastball.”

To remedy the situation, Green said he wants to see his batters have confidence in their routines to the plate to be able to handle different situations better.

“Until you have something to rely on as a routine to handle the ups and downs of a season, you’re going to struggle,” Green said. “We have to draw on that and have to be confident because of that.”

On the positive side, the Lions had another good day on the mound. Brady Wollesen pitched six innings and threw six strikeouts against seven hits and two walks. Max Hidalgo pitched the final inning and didn’t allow a hit or walk, throwing eight strikes in 12 total pitches.

“We’re pitching the ball so well,” Green said. “I’m really happy with how we’re pitching. We’re keeping ourselves in games. At some positions we’re playing some really high-level defense.”

Wollesen started the game with two strikeouts before the Vikings got their first hit of the game. A groundout to second baseman Logan Harris ended the inning before any other Vikings could get on base. At the plate, the Vikings retired the first two batters before first baseman Hudson Hardesty singled. Wollesen walked in the next at-bat, but a strikeout left the two runners stranded.

Shawnee Mission West started the second inning with a double, but the Lawrence catcher Will Grimes picked off the runner at second base. A strikeout and a lineout ended the half inning. At the plate, Lawrence didn’t get anyone on base with two groundouts and a strikeout.

The Vikings singled with two outs in the third, but Hardesty got the third out on a groundout to first. Center fielder Jaxon Becker doubled on the second pitch of the bottom of the third, and Becker advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt on the next at-bat. Becker reached third on a fielder’s choice that didn’t result in an out, and Hardesty drove Becker home for the first run with an RBI single.

The next two batters were put out, ending the third inning with two runners in scoring position.

After a leadoff walk and a single in the top of the fourth, the Lions got the next three outs. Lawrence left fielder Saylor Jackson made an athletic grab for the second out, and third baseman Brandt Edmonds ran up to field a ground ball and got the out at first base for the final out.

Shawnee Mission West retired the side in order to finish the fourth inning. The Vikings singled with one out in the top of the fifth, but two fielder’s choices in the next at-bats stranded the runner.

Harris was hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, and Hardesty followed that up with a single to move Harris to second, but a flyout in the following at-bat left the two on the bases.

Hardesty finished with three hits in four at-bats, and nearly had a fourth hit to extend the game. He was the only Lion to have multiple hits, and Green said he’s been “consistently barrelling balls all season.”

“That’s what we expect out of him, and he did that three times tonight,” Green said. “We’ve got to have guys behind him do that. We leave runners on second and third with one out. We can’t do that. We can’t situationally hit.”

The Vikings got a free base to start the sixth after wearing a pitch. On the next play, the Vikings bunted to Wollesen, and Harris lost the ball in the sun on the throw to first, leading to an error that allowed two runners to score, giving the Vikings the lead. Lawrence eventually got three outs and left two runners stranded, but the Vikings got their game-winning runs.

Right fielder Greg Puza doubled in the bottom of the sixth with two outs, but a popout in the next at-bat ended the inning. Hidalgo came in to relieve Wollesen in the seventh, and the Lions retired the side with three flyouts.

The Vikings retired the first two batters of the bottom of the seventh. Harris singled to get the tying run on the bases, and Hardesty barrelled a ball deep to center field, but the Vikings made a play to end the game and win.

“We’ve got a bunch of kids that compete,” Green said. “We’ve been on the wrong side of three one-run games this year; we’ve been on the right side of two…It’s a tough way to lose. Our resilience will be tested on Saturday. It doesn’t get any easier.”

Lawrence will have Friday off before road trips to Blue Valley Southwest on Saturday and Gardner Edgerton on Monday.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence second baseman Logan Harris shuffles toward second base in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence second baseman Logan Harris is hit by a ball in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence second baseman Logan Harris throws to first in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence first baseman Hudson Hardesty tags a runner in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence third baseman Brandt Edmonds throws to first base in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence third baseman Brandt Edmonds catches a throw from left field in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

The Lawrence infield visits with pitcher Brady Wollesen in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence second baseman Logan Harris runs to first on a hit in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence second baseman Logan Harris eyes a ball in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence center fielder Jaxon Becker runs to first after a hit in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence pitcher Max Hidalgo throws in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence right fielder Gavin Puza runs to first after a hit in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence pitcher Brady Wollesen throws in a 2-1 loss to Shawnee Mission West on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Lawrence.