roundup: bartlesville baseball
Bartlesville High School’s Hunter Shea plays for the Doenges Ford Indians last summer. Shea helped lead the Bruins in their 5-3 win over Oologah-Talala by pitching 5.2 innings. The Bruins host Broken Arrow on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
March 10, 2024
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
A smile, a frown, a smile.
That’s how it went last week for the Bartlesville High School baseball team.
The Bruins opened it up by upsetting Sapulpa, then suffered back-to-back shutout losses against Owasso and Tulsa NOAH — and then finished the week with a chest-pounding 5-3 win Saturday against the visiting Oologah-Talala Mustangs.
Clinging to a 4-3 lead through five-and-a-half innings, the Bruins (3-2) scored in the bottom of the sixth and then turned the game over to closer Kaden Romesburg to seal the win.
“This was a total team win,” Bruins head coach Cody Price said. “I thought we played a really solid game. Oologah is a good team that has some big, strong kids to swing it for them. They only graduated one kid off last year’s team.”
Price, meanwhile, is relying heavily on first-year talent in key roles, as well as a handful of gritty, scrappy veterans.
One of them is Hunter Shea, who pitched the first 5.2 innings. In the top of the sixth, however, the Mustangs loaded the bases with one out and Bartlesville trying to protect a 4-3 lead. Price then called on Romesburg to take Shea’s place on the bump.
Romesburg came through, getting the next batter to pop up to shortstop Sam Marcella and smother the rally. Romesburg also retired Oologah 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to earn the save. Bryce Luelf handled catching duties for both pitchers.
Offensively, the Bruins needed a jump-start after having been shut out the previous two games. They wasted no time against Oologah.
In the bottom of the first, Marcella lashed a one-out single, followed by Shea being hit with a pitch. With two on base, Damien Niko stepped to the plate and ripped a single to score both Marcella and Shea. Cooper Swaim followed Niko to the plate and lifted a pop fly to shallow center. The center fielder failed to make a diving catch and the ball landed for a single that scored Niko all the way from first base to put the Bruins ahead, 3-0.
“Damien was in motion on the pitch,” Price explained. “That was a big third run.”
Oologah got within one run, 3-2, in the top of the fifth inning. The Bruins scored in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-2. The top of sixth witnessed an Oologah rally that netted one run and loaded the bases but ended prematurely on Romesburg’s clutch pitch to produce a pop-up.
Niko finished with two RBI, while Kanin Romesburg and Swaim produced one apiece.
Bartlesville’s offense made the most of its opportunities — but produced only four hits.
However, “We made a bunch of loud outs (hard-hit balls),” Price said. “I thought our boys responded well.”
Bartlesville’s defensive play of the game might have been Kaden Romesburg’s catch of a low line drive to left to prevent an Oologah double.
Price also praised the play of Liam Buchanan and noted the return of veteran Barrett Merciez to the lineup. Merciez — a key returning veteran — missed the first four games due to injury.
He played at first base and “made a nice play in the sixth inning, making a big catch in foul territory,” said Price. Merciez also drew two walks in the three-hole spot.
Price also praised the effort of Liam Buchanan, who has been playing alternating outfield positions.
The Bruins host Broken Arrow on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and will also be home on Thursday to take on Holland Hall.