Baumgarte’s three-hitter lifts Legacy in baseball opener

Legacy’s baseball team entered the season with little experience and plenty of questions.
At least one of them might have been answered quickly Thursday, when Luke Baumgarte pitched a three-hitter and the Longhorns edged host Arbor View 2-1 on opening day.

“We’re in the process of trying to find out what guys can get it done on the mound,” Legacy coach Bill Dexheimer said. “And we had a senior step up, Luke Baumgarte, that proved he wants to be the go-to guy and he beat a quality baseball team.”

Baumgarte wasn’t always sharp, especially with his offspeed offerings, but managed to pitch around trouble.

“A lot of heart,” Dexheimer said. “It’s a huge confidence builder for him. It shows he’s got a ton of heart on the mound there, and it’s a confidence builder for the whole team.”

The Longhorns jumped on Arbor View starter Wyatt Burge for two runs in the first inning. Joey Ingarra led off with a single, and Robbie Galvan hit a double that one-hopped the left-field fence. The Longhorns got RBI groundouts by Kyle Peeler and Garrett Christiansen.

That was all they would get. Legacy wasted a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the second, with

Ingarra bouncing back to Burge to start a 1-2-3 double play and Galvan popping out to end the inning.

Dexheimer said his team needs to take advantage of those kind of opportunities if it’s going to make a run at a playoff spot.

“We’re going to have to play fundamentally sound baseball,” he said. “We’re not overpowering on the mound, but we’re going to have to get some good starts and quality innings.

“We’re not going to rip the cover off the baseball, but we have to make sure we execute.”

Burge settled in and ended up giving up five hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Baumgarte finished with five strikeouts and three walks.