St. Dominic baseball opened their spring season by blowing out all of their competition in the St. Charles West Tournament, which kicked off March 17. With victories over Warrenton, Northwest and Liberty, the boys battled against Eureka, clinching the first place title.

St. Dominic hosted Warrenton in their first tournament match this year. The SDHS starting line up batted around in the top of the first, leaving the dugout with a 9-0 start to the game. Senior Cole Birke was first to take the pitching mound this season, recording five strikeouts and leading to the 13-2 win. Seniors Andrew Hoff and Drew Blechle led the team with three hits each, Hoff matching that with three runs and Blechle with two RBI’s.

“With a senior heavy team this year, the chemistry on the field really shows because we have been playing with each other for four years now. We’ve grown together as a team and the hard work ethic really shows. We are very comfortable with one another, and all have high expectations this season because we believe we are truly capable of beating whoever we play,” said Hoff.

The Crusaders continued to dominate in the tournament, defeating Northwest 6-5 and Liberty 9-6. In the game against Liberty, Birke batted 3/3 ending with a home run earning three RBI’s. Relief pitcher Quinn Strother held off Liberty in the bottom innings, earning his first save of the season.

The baseball team played for the championship title against Eureka, finishing out the tournament on their home field. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Crusaders turned up the heat. Birke was in control for the first four innings, allowing only one earned run. Offensively, he led the team with three hits, driving home five RBI’s. Juniors Kyle Prendergast and Kyle Raymond finished the game off, clinching first place with a 9-5 victory.

“The St. Charles West Tournament was sort of a hump we needed to get over. After starting the season like that, the team is definitely prepared to take on the rest of the season,” said Coach Frank Schlenke.

With a strong start to the season, the team knows its more important to keep the momentum and finish strong. With spring weather kicking into high gear, make sure to come out and support the baseball team as they look to dominate rival Duchense tonight, Wednesday March 29 at Blanchette Field, or at their season home-opener April 1 versus the Fort Zumwalt East Lions.