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Sports

American National Opens SLABA Baseball Season with 8-0 Loss to JC Blazers

Hazelwood West High junior Oday Al-Yatim had one of three hits for the Eagles against Jefferson County.

After a week’s worth of rainouts and postponements, the summer sports season finally got underway in Hazelwood on Saturday, with the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association (SLABA) opening day ballgame at the on Aubuchon Road.

The team that represents Hazelwood in the SLABA League, the American National Eagles, which feature several Wildcats on their varsity team, hosted the first game of the season against the Jefferson County Blazers. The Blazers are a team of standouts from Fox and Seckman high schools in South St. Louis County.

Unfortunately, it was only the Blazers who truly seemed ready to play on Saturday.

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They scored two runs each in four separate innings, and only allowed the Eagles three hits total, in an 8-0 victory to start the season.

“It was only the first game, and it was the first varsity (SLABA) game for many of these guys,” Eagles head coach Bill Becher said. “But truthfully, we just weren’t ready to play today. We had no energy and it showed.”

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Along with starters Oday Al-Yatim, Shane Olmstead, and Joe McCune from the Hazelwood West varsity team, American National also features players from Lutheran North, Trinity Catholic, Hazelwood Central, and Pattonville.

Becher said he did not believe having so many players from multiple teams attributed to Saturday's loss. Instead, he blames it on a lack of player focus. Essentially, for him the problem was the fact that many players still had a lot of year-end school activities that were distracting.  

“The kids have graduation, and graduation parties, and end-of-the-school-year stuff like that all coming up,” Becher said. “So I understand (if their heads aren’t totally in baseball) right now.”

The Blazers, on the other hand, were clearly focused on baseball.

They jumped out to a 2-0 lead right off the bat, when four of their first five batters reached base in the first inning.  First baseman Trey Meier and third baseman Mark Rodgers, both of Seckman High, drove in runs with stinging basehits off Eagles starter Derek Watson of Hazelwood Central.

The Blazers got to Watson again in the second inning, when Nick Carlton, another Seckman High junior, delivered a bases-loaded single to right-center that drove in two and made the score 4-0.

That was really all Jefferson County needed. Starting pitcher Brett Pitts of Fox High completely suffocated the Eagles offense, shutting them out for six innings, while allowing just three hits and three walks, with five strikeouts.

“Only getting three hits today does worry me,” Becher said. “We did a lot of things wrong at the plate today. Guys were dipping their back shoulders a lot and not taking good swings. That’s some stuff we’re going to have to work on.”

Hazelwood West’s Al-Yatim had one of American Nationals’ three hits, a line-shot double in the fourth inning that on a warmer day would’ve probably sailed over the fence for a home run.

Unfortunately, Trinity’s Michael Hardin walked ahead of Al-Yatim, and was thrown out trying to steal second. The two batters behind Al-Yatim popped out and grounded out to end the inning, in what proved to be American Nationals’ best scoring chance of the day.

The one bright spot of the day for American National was shortstop Brendan Buenger's play.

Buenger, of Lutheran North, was one-for-three at the plate. He made two spectacular defensive plays in the field, and he pitched two scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.

“He’s a good little player,” Becher said. “We’re glad to have him on the team. He’s going to be an important player for us.”  

American National will be back in action with several games at the HSC next week.

On Monday, the Eagles will host a doubleheader against the Union (MO) American Legion team. Those games are scheduled for noon and 3 p.m.

On Tuesday, the American National will host a single game against the St. Louis Stallions club team at 5:45 p.m.

The Eagles will host a doubleheader against fellow SLABA team, the Meramec Valley Travelers, on June 1 at 3 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. The team will then head out on a series of road games at Southwestern Illinois College and on Thursday, Saint Louis University on Friday, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Harris-Stowe State University on Saturday.

Clearly, the summer baseball circuit is beginning with a bang for American National.

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