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Hazelwood Central Baseball Seeks 2 Goals At Lutheran North Tournament
By Jim Wieners
Hazelwood Central Baseball returns to the Lutheran North Tournament this Thursday-Saturday, April 20-22, (weather permitting) with two goals in mind.
First; repeat as tournament champions. Last year the Hawks defeated The Principia 12-1, Lutheran North 1-0 in 10 innings and St. Dominic 2-1. It was the first tournament title at Lutheran North for Hazelwood Central as the Hawks were in the middle of a 19-game winning streak before losing five of their last six.
Second; avenging the 2015 opening-round loss to Metro-East Lutheran, a high school located Edwardsville, Ill., just over one-quarter mile east of Edwardsville High on Center Grove Road. Thursday, April 20, at 4:15 Hazelwood Central hosts Metro-East Lutheran in the opening round of the Lutheran North Tournament. In 2015 Metro-East Lutheran defeated Hazelwood Central 3-0 in the opening round but the Hawks rebounded to win two games and the Consolation title while Metro-East Lutheran lost the next two.
In other first round games Thursday at 4:15 Lutheran North hosts O’Fallon Christian, Trinity Catholic visits Orchard Farm and The Principia visits St. Dominic in O’Fallon. On Friday, April 21, at 4:15 Lutheran North or O’Fallon Christian (which plays home games at the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex) hosts Hazelwood Central or Metro-East Lutheran while St. Dominic or The Principia hosts Trinity or Orchard Farm. Saturday Lutheran North hosts final-round games at 9 a.m. (seventh place), 11:30 a.m. (consolation final), 2 p.m. (third place) and 4:30 (championship game).
Hazelwood Central, coming off winning the McCluer (a.k.a. North County) Classic, took four and one-half innings to rout Hazelwood East 15-2 April 11 then on the next day (April 12) shuts out Hazelwood West 2-0 on a no-hit, one-walk, 12-srtikeout performance by senior Dimitri Frank. Hazelwood East walked 12 Hazelwood Central batters, the Hawks stole 13 bases, junior Vashaun Anderson drove in four runs, junior Anthony Douglas stole six bases and scored four runs and junior Jacob Busch struck out six Spartans as the winning Hawk pitcher.
Hazelwood Central took a 6-2 overall record, 4-1 in the Suburban XII Conference, North Division to an April 18 rematch at Hazelwood West. After playing in the Lutheran North Tournament the Hawks host Rockwood Summit April 24, 4:15, and visits Riverview Gardens, April 25, 4 p.m. before playing in the Fort Zumwalt North Tournament April 28-29 (Schedule not available as of April, 17) Also competing in the Zumwalt North Tournament are Hazelwood West, O’Fallon Christian, Fort Zumwalt East, St. Charles West, St. Louis Priory and Seckman (Imperial.)
HAZELWOO WEST (7-6, 4-1 prior to April 18) went 5-3 after going 2-3 in the 47 Lindbergh-Mehlville Tournament. The Wildcats won twice over Hazelwood East, 23-0 and 25-3 (both five innings), won twice over McCluer, 20-2 and 12-2 (both five innings), won 3-1 over Parkway West and lost twice to Parkway North, 7-6 and 17-1 (second game five innings). Before the Fort Zumwalt North Tournament the Wildcats play Parkway Central Friday, 7 p.m. at Ballwin Athletic Association Field Number Two before playing three games at 4 p.m. including April 24 at Ritenour, April 25 at home versus McCluer North and April 27 at McCluer North.
TRINITY CATHOLIC is in the middle of a nine-game, 10-day period, which began April 17 as the Titans took a 5-4 record to their Archdiocesan Athletic Association opener against Bishop DuBourg at Affton Athletic Association, then went to John F. Kennedy April 18 and played Brentwood April 19 at Brentwood Park. Trinity returns to Christ, Light of the Nations School to play DuBourg April m24 at 4:15 and O’Fallon Christian in a 3:30 double header April 26. After taking third place in the McCluer Classic the Titans defeated visiting Affton 6-5, won 6-2 at Blanchette Park-St. Charles against Duchesne and lost 6-2 at Orchard Farm.
LUTHERAN NORTH was 3-7, 0-3 prior to an April 17 home double header against Priory. After taking second place in the McCluer Classic the Crusaders lost 14-0 at home in five innings to Lutheran South.
