Roosevelt Splits Opening Weekend In Missouri

FAYETTE, Mo. – Roosevelt baseball opened its 2024 season by splitting a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday in Fayette, Mo.

The Lakers (2-2) started both days with wins over Hastings in the morning before falling to the hosts, Central Methodist, in the afternoon. Roosevelt took care of the Broncos 6-5 on Saturday and 8-2 on Sunday before dropping 9-2 and 9-4 decisions to the Eagles on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Kekoa Ogawa led the Roosevelt offensive attack on the weekend with a .545 average and six RBIs while also working four walks to raise his on-base percentage to .625. James Berry drove in three runs and returners Jack Kieffer and Jojo Mack both had four hits in the four games.

The season opener Saturday started off strong for Roosevelt against Hastings, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a balk. Luis Delgado drove in his only two runs of the weekend in the third inning with a double to left field then Berry made it 4-0 Lakers with an RBI groundout in the fourth. Ogawa had an RBI single in the seventh then Bryce Hayman motored home on a wild pitch two batters later.

Omar Abuelhija earned the opening-day start on the mound and struck out three in 4.1 innings to earn the win before Jared Daley had four strikeouts to finish off the save. Griffin LaMarche struck out six Broncos in Sunday's matchup while allowing just two hits in four innings. His only blemish was a first-inning triple that put Hastings up 1-0, but it was quickly erased by an RBI fielder's choise in the bottom of the inning by Ogawa.

Roosevelt exploded for four runs in the fifth inning Sunday against Hastings courtesy of two bases-loaded walks, a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt from Sebastian Casillas. Berry finished off the game with a double down the right-field line to plate Ogawa.

The Lakers scored the first two runs of the game against Central Methodist on Saturday as Ogawa hit a sacrifice fly to score Hayman and Delgado scored on a wild pitch. Kieffer had two of Roosevelt's four hits in that game with a single in the second inning and a double in the fourth.

Ogawa and Keiffer both had first-inning RBIs against the Eagles in Sunday's contest, but Central Methodist answered in their half of the inning. Ogawa brought the Lakers to within 7-4 in the fifth inning with a two-run home run to left field, but it was not enough.

Roosevelt returns to action Wednesday afternoon in Oakland City, Ind. with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Oakland City.