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Prep Baseball: Hawks Are 5-3 through April 4, Defeats Lutheran North, Chaminade
BY JIM WIENERS
Van Vanatta, who helped Hazelwood Central to a Class Six State Football championship as an assistant coach, has a new role in the spring as head baseball coach succeeding Tim Williams, who is now the athletic director at Hazelwood West.
Through April 4 the Hawks have some highs and lows, actually more highs and lows, as the Hawks go into April 6 with a 5-3 record. After opening the season with a loss to Fort Zumwalt North and wins over Clayton and Gateway Tech in “The Classic.” Central was 3-1 last week opening the week with a Suburban North Conference win March 31 at Riverview Gardens, 17-2, then on April 3 lost a non conference game at Parkway West, 15-5, followed by a pair of April 4 home wins in “The Classic,” 10-3 over Lutheran North and 9-0 over Chaminade.
Rain postponed an April 2 Suburban North game against Ritenour and the Hawks were to play at McCluer on April 7. Central host Suburban North rival Pattonville Thursday at 4 p.m. and Fort Zumwalt South Friday at 4:15. After hosting McCluer North April 13 at 4 p.m. the Hawks visit two Hazelwood District rivals, West April 14 and East April 16, in 4 p.m. Suburban North games.
“We’re starting to put stuff together,” said Vanatta noting the Hawks are a young team.
“My content is making routine plays.” Vanatta said Williams built a fine program and “he left the program in good standing.”
In the shut out over Chaminade the Hawks scored two runs in the third, two in the sixth and three in the seventh. In the win over Lutheran North the Hawks scored in the first six innings including three in the third inning, two in the fifth and two in the sixth. The rout over Riverview ended after five innings due to the 10-run rule as the Hawks scored six runs in the first, six more in the third and four in the fourth.
HAZELWOOD WEST is 2-4 prior to April 7 against Riverview Gardens, 2-0 in the Suburban North and 0-4 against the Parkway School District. The Wildcats defeated Hazelwood East, 5-4, and McCluer North, 8-3, while losing to Parkway Central, 15-4, Parkway North, 12-6, Parkway West, 11-2, and Parkway South, 6-3.
LUTHERAN NORTH opened the season with five consecutive wins — 10-0 over Trinity Catholic, 6-4 over Lutheran St. Charles County, 10-9 over Hazelwood East, 13-3 over McCluer and 16-2 over ABC League rival Principia. However the Crusaders to Mehlville, 10-2 April 1 at home then on April 4 at Hazelwood Central Lutheran North lost to the Hawks and to Ritenour, 2-1.
