Sports

Spring cleaning needed

By Matthew Semisch

04/14/2015

As winter changes to spring in North Dakota, the weather provides problems for spring sports teams in the state.

The irony is that, although it’s getting warmer outside, those problems can snowball.

For Bottineau High’s baseball team, problems have arisen out of how seldom the Braves have been able to get outdoors thus far.

While trying to shed some rust, they’re also working as they go to sort out mechanics of the game that are tough to work on away from the ballpark.

What has proven most problematic so far for the Braves are fielding issues. After a 12-1 season-opening win at Washburn/Wilton/Center-Stanton on April 2, defensive errors doomed BHS to four losses last week against stiffer competition.

PANTHERS MAUL BHS

Bottineau knew heading into last week that the four-game week wasn’t going to be easy. On Thursday, the Braves visited Region V rival Rugby - the game was moved there due to unplayable conditions at Bottineau’s field - before BHS took part in Shiloh Christian’s tournament over the weekend in Bismarck.

The Shiloh tournament was always going to be difficult, as six of the eight teams there qualified for last year’s Class B state tourament. First, though, Bottineau had to navigate its Region V opener against Rugby.

That didn’t go so well. The Panthers started slow but quickly woke up and rolled to a 9-3 victory.

What ended poorly for the Braves started well, however. BHS shortstop Parker Engelhard drilled a lead-off base hit before pitcher and cleanup hitter Luke Amsbaugh drove him in with a double.

Soon after that, though, the wheels fell off. Rugby tied the game with a run of its own in the bottom of the first frame, took the lead with another in the second and blew the game open with four runs in the third inning.

Rugby scored at least one run in each of the game’s first five innings. The Panthers were kept off the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning, but further offensive production wasn’t required.

After Rugby’s four-run third inning, BHS head coach Zach Keller replaced Amsbaugh on the mound with Engelhard. The junior went the rest of the way for the Braves, striking out four Panthers batters.

Speaking after Thursday’s game, Keller said he believed the Braves’ altered practice regimen had an effect on how BHS’s defense performed.

“Like I told the guys, it’s the first region game of the year and only truly the second time we’ve been outside,” Keller said. “I think that’s where some of our defensive mistakes came up, and that’s where most of our mistakes were, in the field, and I think everybody who watched the game saw that.

“Guys kept fighting, though, and that’s something I like to see.”
What wasn’t as pleasant was the fact that Bottineau left nine runners on base in the game. If half of those had been batted in - and Amsbaugh and Wolf Don Thorson had still scored the runs they plated in Thursday’s fifth inning - the result might’ve been different.

Keller said that doesn’t concern him so much this early in the season, though. His hope is that Bottineau’s offense, like its defense, will come around.

“Early in the year here, guys are still trying to figure stuff out so you don’t worry about it so much at this point,” he said. “Some of the younger guys at the bottom of the order are trying to find their way, and hopefully that comes around and progresses and turns into runs.”

BRAVES HIT BISMARCK

Unfortunately for Bottineau, its late-week woes continued when it visited Bismarck for Shiloh Christian’s tournament. The Braves went 0-for-3 in the capital city, dropping a 4-2 decision to Midkota on Friday before losing 9-2 to Thompson and 8-0 to Shiloh Christian on Saturday evening.

Engelhard picked up the loss on the mound on Friday against Midkota. Casey Tooke and Brody Moum were named the losing pitchers against Thompson and Shiloh, respectively.

Bottineau (1-4 overall, 0-1 in Region V play) now has another busy week ahead of it against three region rivals. The Braves will visit 2014 Region V champion Harvey-Wells County on Tuesday afternoon before hosting Northern Lights on Thursday at 4 p.m.

BHS will then visit Turtle Mountain Community on Saturday in Belcourt at 1 p.m.