Broken Arrow Ledger 03/01/07 By: Doug Quinn - Tigers Win Baseball Opener

Tigers Win Baseball Opener
By: Doug Quinn 03/01/2007

Broken Arrow High School baseball did what it was supposed to Thursday in
its season opener - win.

BAHS, with three pitchers combining on a one-hitter, put away Cascia Hall, 5-
0, in a non-conference game at Tiger Field.

"For a season opener, it was uneventful," Tiger coach Shannon Dobson said.

"We got it done but we sure have to get better."

The Tigers, expected to contend for the Class 6A title, had seven hits and
scored three unearned runs.

"This time of the year," Dobson said, "you hope your pitching is ahead of the
hitting and it was for us."

Junior Lance Rymel and seniors Justin Rackleff and Derek Edmisten teamed
to shut out the Commandos with 10 strikeouts between them.

"They threw strikes and let the defense do the work," Dobson said. "That's
what we ask of our pitchers."

Rymel got the start and worked the first four innings to get the decision.

He heeded some advice while warming up.

"I was having trouble with the mechanics warming up," he said.

"Somebody told me I was coming over the top too much."

Rymel corrected the problem and retired the Commandos in order the first two
innings.

"My fastball was working real well," he said.

Rymel helped his own cause with an RBI single in a three-run first inning and
a groundout RBI in the third.

Nathan Pettus had a bases-loaded, RBI single in the first inning.

BAHS's 2-3-4 hole hitters - Andy Wilkins, Ky Burgess and Kyle Henry - were a
combined 0-for-7 against Andrew Bloomfield.

That made Dobson wince.

"Those are guys we are counting on and they don't get a hit," Dobson said.

"He (Bloomfield) didn't throw hard and threw a lot of breaking stuff. "We didn't
do a good job of adjusting at the plate."

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