BVNW rolls Tulsa Memorial, 11-0

The varsity baseball team defeated Tulsa Memorial High School by a score of 11-0 Thursday April 20. The game, which was a part of the River City Baseball Festival, was played at Free State High School. Junior Max Abramovich picked up his third victory of the season for the Huskies.

Gabe Swartz, Sports Editor

Through two innings of the varsity baseball matchup between the Blue Valley Northwest Huskies and Tulsa Memorial Chargers, BVNW junior Max Abramovich and Tulsa Memorial junior Dillon Harris were locked in a scoreless pitchers duel, having each allowed only one hit.

In the third inning, the Huskies were able to make Harris crack. A leadoff walk to senior Drake Marker was followed by a single from freshman Ryan Callahan. After the next two Husky batters were retired, senior Connor Ellefson delivered a 2-out, 2-run double to give the Huskies an early 2-0 lead.

With the Huskies leading 2-0, Abramovich toed the rubber in the bottom of the third inning with an early lead. After getting the first Chargers hitter to ground out, Abramovich allowed the next three batters to reach base via two walks and a single.

Unlike Harris, Abramovich found a way to wiggle his way out of the jam, catching a Tulsa Memorial batter looking for the second out of the inning, before getting the next to ground out to second base.

Junior Josh Fiene said Abramovich’s ability to maneuver his way out of trouble in the third inning was exactly why the team trusts him on the mound.

“That was big for us,” the Huskies third baseman, who finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBI said. “That’s why he’s on the mound. We trust him, that he’ll fill [the strike zone] up, and he’ll do well for us.”

Despite not having his best stuff, Abramovich said he was able to fight through a high pitch count and early walks to have success against the Chargers.

“I felt like I wasn’t 100 percent the whole time but I still had enough to get it done,” Abramovich, who threw four scoreless innings said. “When you have a big run like that and your defense is backing you up, you can always just get outs.”

Despite offensive woes troubling the Huskies in previous games, the BVNW bats were hot on this night in Lawrence. The Huskies extended the lead with a 6-run fourth inning, highlighted by 2-run singles by Callahan and Fiene.

“I just went up there and tried to find my pitch,” Callahan, who was 3-for-3 said. “Once I got my pitch I hit it away.”

With the win, Abramovich earned his third win of the season. Abramovich, who has been given 6.5 runs of support per start, said he wishes the Huskies offense could bring the same output for the rest of the pitching staff.

“The other guys I know want it, but you know it’s just depending on the day and how everyone likes to play,” Abramovich said.

Still, Abramovich said the success he was able to have came when he was able to work quickly and keep his defense involved.

“I feel like they work better when I work fast and they stay in the game.”

With the win, BVNW moves their record to 3-5. The Huskies go up against Leavenworth High Saturday April 22 at Hoglund Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.