Sports

Braves come out flying, win big in season opener

By Staff reports

04/07/2015

WASHBURN, N.D. - Opening day of any baseball season brings with it a lot of questions. Bottineau High countered this year’s with a lot of answers.

The Braves opened their 2015 season with a bang last Thursday, downing Washburn/Wilton/Center-Stanton 12-1 in Washburn.

Juniors Brody Moum and Parker Engelhard, which together make up half of BHS’s starting pitching rotation, both saw time on the mound on Thursday. The pair combined to mow down the Cardinals, striking out 10 batters in all.

Moum started the game for the Braves and picked up the win. He threw for the first three innings of the game, striking out four Washburn batters without conceding any runs.

Engelhard hopped onto the mound in the bottom of the fourth inning and took BHS the rest of the way. He ended the game with four innings pitched, six strikeouts and one run given up.

“Both of them pitched pretty well, and I was happy with that,” BHS head coach Zach Keller said. “They kept the ball low for the first game of the year, right down in the strike zone really consistently, and they looked really good for it being the first game of the year.”

Engelhard’s bat and foot speed were also helpful to the Braves’ cause. He finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate and stole a pair of bases.

Moum had a big day offensively, as well. He made three base hits from five at-bats, drove in three BHS runs and stole a base.

Sophomore right fielder Wolf Don Thorson also had a productive day in the No. 2 spot in BHS’s lineup. He ended the game with a pair of base hits and as many stolen bases.

“It was a great way to start the season, and definitely a foot put in the right direction,” Keller said. “The guys played pretty well for not having had anything in the way of outdoor practices so far, but they came out ready to play and did well.”

The Braves (1-0) are scheduled to host Region V rival Rugby on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Lumberyard. BHS will then head to Bismarck this weekend to take part in an eight-team tournament hosted by Shiloh Christian.