EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – A nearly perfect week last week put Excelsior Springs above .500 in varsity baseball. The local diamond boys went 4-1 at home, with wins over Harrisonville, Warrensburg, Grove, Oklahoma, and St. Joseph Lafayette; and a loss to Benton of St. Joseph. Pitching and defense kept Excelsior Springs in games, coach Aaron Holst said. “We have been getting really good pitching up to this point,” Holst said. “I keep telling the pitchers to just pass the torch onto the next pitcher.” Excelsior Springs got plenty of offense, too, in cruising past Harrisonville 12-0 in 4-1/2 innings March 29 in Missouri River Valley Conference West Division play. The local boys scored a run in the first inning and then broke away with a seven-run second, capped by a three-run home run by junior Broc Dusek. Senior Kian Dollins picked up the win, striking out five in 3-1/3 innings. Sophomore Brayden Lewis pit...