Rymel: Mark of a Warrior
By: Doug Quinn
05/01/2007
Junior's 4-hitter fuels BAHS to 3-0 regional victory
Lance Rymel calls it the "Mark of a Warrior."
Most people would say it's a superstition and the
Broken Arrow High School junior right-hander doesn't disagree.
Rymel applies blacking - which is supposed to absorb sun glare -
in a particular design under both eyes and down his cheeks.
"I had good luck with it early in the season," Rymel said.
"So, I've just stayed with it."
Call it what you want, but it brought more good luck to Rymel
and the Tigers Tuesday in a first round game of the Class 6A
regional at Tiger Field.
Rymel flirted with a no-hitter as he tamed Tulsa Memorial, 3-0, to improve his record to 7-0
with four no-decisions.
He settled for a four-hitter with two strikeouts and no walks and put BAHS in the winners
bracket.
The Tigers (25-8) play the Sapulpa-Putnam City winner at 4 p.m. Wednesday in a winner's
bracket game - depending on the weather.
BAHS and Union were the only two Class 6A regionals to start Tuesday despite morning
showers and the threat of rain throughout the afternoon.
"It's always important to win the first game," Rymel said. "That' what we wanted."
Rymel - backed by a stellar defensive effort led by second baseman Spencer Barnett -
stranded just two base runners.
"I was throwing strikes and letting the defense work," Rymel said. "And they did an
exceptional job, especially Barnett."
Barnett made four assists in the first three innings, including a spectacular 180 pivot to end
the second inning.
Barnett backhanded a grounder by Memorial's Jared Graham and from the outfield fringe,
spun around and made a pinpoint throw to first baseman Justin Rackleff.
"We have a drill in practice we call the 'Playmaker,'" Barnett said. "It's my favorite drill and
I've made that play in practice. But, this was the first time in a game."
Rymel had a perfect game for 4 and 1/3 innings until Trey Summers lined a single.
Losing a chance at a no-hitter might have bothered some but not Rymel.
"I knew I had one working," he said. "But I already had a no-hitter this season."
That no-no came against the Chargers during the regular season and Rymel has thrown 9
and 1/3 innings of no-hit ball against Memorial.
BAHS's Marcus Terry and Nathan Pettus each had two hits against Memorial's Jon Reed,
who allowed only seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Two double plays by the Chargers kept the game close.
Terry doubled and scored in the first inning and tripled and scored in the third for a two-run
lead.
Rymel helped himself with a lead-off triple in the top of the seventh.
"That made me feel a lot better and took off a lot of pressure," said Rymel, who had
grounded out and popped up in his first two at-bats.
Courtesy runner Derek Williams scored for Rymel on a single by Rackleff for the 3-0 cushion.
Game Notes
* BAHS lost the pre-game coin-flip and was the visiting team.
* BAHS had a runner picked off and thrown out trying to score while stranding only three
runners.
* Broken Arrow's Lance Rymel got both of his strikeouts in the fifth inning.
BROKEN ARROW 3, TULSA MEMORIAL 0
Broken Arrow 101 000 1-3 7 0
Tulsa Memorial 000 000 0-0 4 0
Rymel and Burgess; Reed and Summers. W - Rymel (7-0). L - Reed.
©Neighbor Newspapers 2007
By: Doug Quinn
05/01/2007
Junior's 4-hitter fuels BAHS to 3-0 regional victory
Lance Rymel calls it the "Mark of a Warrior."
Most people would say it's a superstition and the
Broken Arrow High School junior right-hander doesn't disagree.
Rymel applies blacking - which is supposed to absorb sun glare -
in a particular design under both eyes and down his cheeks.
"I had good luck with it early in the season," Rymel said.
"So, I've just stayed with it."
Call it what you want, but it brought more good luck to Rymel
and the Tigers Tuesday in a first round game of the Class 6A
regional at Tiger Field.
Rymel flirted with a no-hitter as he tamed Tulsa Memorial, 3-0, to improve his record to 7-0
with four no-decisions.
He settled for a four-hitter with two strikeouts and no walks and put BAHS in the winners
bracket.
The Tigers (25-8) play the Sapulpa-Putnam City winner at 4 p.m. Wednesday in a winner's
bracket game - depending on the weather.
BAHS and Union were the only two Class 6A regionals to start Tuesday despite morning
showers and the threat of rain throughout the afternoon.
"It's always important to win the first game," Rymel said. "That' what we wanted."
Rymel - backed by a stellar defensive effort led by second baseman Spencer Barnett -
stranded just two base runners.
"I was throwing strikes and letting the defense work," Rymel said. "And they did an
exceptional job, especially Barnett."
Barnett made four assists in the first three innings, including a spectacular 180 pivot to end
the second inning.
Barnett backhanded a grounder by Memorial's Jared Graham and from the outfield fringe,
spun around and made a pinpoint throw to first baseman Justin Rackleff.
"We have a drill in practice we call the 'Playmaker,'" Barnett said. "It's my favorite drill and
I've made that play in practice. But, this was the first time in a game."
Rymel had a perfect game for 4 and 1/3 innings until Trey Summers lined a single.
Losing a chance at a no-hitter might have bothered some but not Rymel.
"I knew I had one working," he said. "But I already had a no-hitter this season."
That no-no came against the Chargers during the regular season and Rymel has thrown 9
and 1/3 innings of no-hit ball against Memorial.
BAHS's Marcus Terry and Nathan Pettus each had two hits against Memorial's Jon Reed,
who allowed only seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Two double plays by the Chargers kept the game close.
Terry doubled and scored in the first inning and tripled and scored in the third for a two-run
lead.
Rymel helped himself with a lead-off triple in the top of the seventh.
"That made me feel a lot better and took off a lot of pressure," said Rymel, who had
grounded out and popped up in his first two at-bats.
Courtesy runner Derek Williams scored for Rymel on a single by Rackleff for the 3-0 cushion.
Game Notes
* BAHS lost the pre-game coin-flip and was the visiting team.
* BAHS had a runner picked off and thrown out trying to score while stranding only three
runners.
* Broken Arrow's Lance Rymel got both of his strikeouts in the fifth inning.
BROKEN ARROW 3, TULSA MEMORIAL 0
Broken Arrow 101 000 1-3 7 0
Tulsa Memorial 000 000 0-0 4 0
Rymel and Burgess; Reed and Summers. W - Rymel (7-0). L - Reed.
©Neighbor Newspapers 2007
| Broken Arrow Tiger Baseball 2006-07 |
The Baseball Facilities are at:
Broken Arrow High School
1901 East Albany
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
74012-9275
Ken Ellett,
Director of Athletics
918-259-4520
Broken Arrow High School
1901 East Albany
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
74012-9275
Ken Ellett,
Director of Athletics
918-259-4520
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CLOSE CALL — BAHS junior Lance
Rymel tossed a 4-hitter a 3-0 victory
against Tulsa Memorial Tuesday.
(Ledger photo by Doug Quinn
Rymel tossed a 4-hitter a 3-0 victory
against Tulsa Memorial Tuesday.
(Ledger photo by Doug Quinn