BARTLESVILLE: Baseball team clobbers NW Classen; young tennis team shines
Bartlesville High School’s Cooper Swaim pitches during an earlier season game. The Bruins swept NW Classen in a Monday home twin bill. Next up, they open play at 11 a.m. Thursday morning against Sand Springs in the Bruin Classic at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
March 26, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Following is a roundup of Bartlesville High School sports competition earlier this week.
__________
BRUIN BASEBALL
Still working through some galloping illness and the overall grind of last week’s tournament in Alabama, the Bruins still stampeded past visiting Northwest Classen in a Monday doubleheader 13-0 and 22-0.
Bartlesville improved to 8-6 overall and to 4-2 in its last six games. The Bruins also are 2-2 in district competition.
Next up, they open play at 11 a.m. Thursday morning against Sand Springs in the Bruin Classic at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium.
BARTLESVILLE 13, NW CLASSEN 0 — Kaden Romesburg hurled the first three innings prior to giving way to freshman Sterling Kroh in the fourth inning.
The Bruin pitchers combined on the nine-hit shutout with Bryce Luelf as the catcher.
Sam Marcella fueled the offense with three hits and five RBI. Kanin Romesburg and Cooper Swaim added two hits apiece while Damien Niko and Kaden Romesburg scored three runs apiece.
In addition to his offensive punch, Marcella “played a really good third base,” said Bartlesville head coach Cody Price.
BARTLESVILLE 22, NW CLASSEN 0 — In the second game, Barrett Merciez pitched the first three innings. Freshman Braxton Loudermilk closed out. Catching duties were split between Luelf and freshman Braden Neill.
Marcella again ripped three hits. He drove in two runs.
“I thought we had a good plate approach,” said Price. “We were aggressive. … We hit a lot of balls hard today. … We don’t fear playing anybody but we also don’t look down on anybody.”
__________
Bartlesville junior high girl’s tennis players.
PHOTO PROVIDED
__________
JUNIOR HIGH TENNIS
The future of Bartlesville High School tennis continues to grow brighter.
During a junior high tournament Monday in Ponca City, Bartlesville captured the boys’ championship and finishing runner-up in the girls’ battles.
“They played amazing,” Emily Hubler said about the Bartlesville netters. “The biggest accomplishment today is obviously how we placed.”
For the Bruin boys, both doubles teams won first place — Rylan Green and Karsten Proctor as the No. 1 twosome and Bryce Bolitho and Elijah Burchett as the No. 2 pair.
Rounding out the boys’ results, Eric Wu finished third at No. 1 singles and Silas Otten seized second place at No. 2 singles.
The Lady Bruins bolted to second place among the girls’ teams, led by Sophia Kelly, who finished first at No. 1 singles.
No. 2 singles player Natalie Kane came in second. Combing for second place at No. 1 doubles were Josie Childers and Lydia Daniels. Berkley Frye and Adilynn Kuntz lodged into third place at No. 2 doubles.
Hubler provided special praise for Kane’s performance.
“This was her first tournament ever and she ended up placing second,” Hubler noted.