MANHATTAN – Hoisington’s best-ever 3A state baseball appearance finished with a pair of hard-luck setbacks. Topeka Hayden dropped the Cardinals 12-5 in the semifinals and Frontenac defeated Hoisington 5-4 in Friday’s third-place game.

Topeka Hayden defeated Wichita Trinity 5-3 for the 3A state baseball championship.

The Cardinals (16-12) earned their first state tournament victory in school history after six first-round losses. Seven starters return for coach Eric Steiner with all-state Tony Moore and Gratton Dalton graduating.

FRONTENAC 5, CARDINALS 4 (3RD)— Hoisington pitcher Preston Roat (5-3) was tagged with the loss in both games when Frontenac rallied for a pair of seventh-inning runs.

Frontenac’s Peyton McDonald slid safely to beat Lane French’s throw to home. Bryant Kitchen scored on Brock Weimer’s game-winning single for a walkoff victory.

Hoisington’s Brodie Crites and Tony Moore delivered RBI singles and Crites scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 Cardinal lead. Dalton scored on Mason Martin’s fourth-inning single for a 4-2 lead.

But the Raiders (19-9) rallied. Carter Snow scored on Grant Nickle’s second-inning single. Korbin Niegsch scored on a Cardinal third-inning error. Weimers scored on a fourth-inning wild pitch. McDonald walked and scored on Niegsch’s sacrifice fly for a 4-4 tie.  

TOPEKA HAYDEN 12, CARDINALS 5 (SEMIFINAL) – Hoisington’s Roat yielded six second-inning runs when every Hayden hit found a gap. Brady Heinen hit a 2-run single sand Liam Annand and Kade Mitchell delivered RBIs. Two walks and an error gift wrapped two Hayden third-inning runs.

A trio of walks, a balk and an error opened Hayden’s door for a 4-run fifth inning and a 12-1 lead.

Lane French scored a second-inning run on Gratton’s groundout. Dalton drilled a 2-run single and Moore doubled home Mason Martin in a 4-run sixth inning that prevented a run-rule loss. Rhen Galla scored on an error.

Topeka Hayden 062 004 0 – 12 9 2

Hoisington 010 004 – 5 5 4

Roat, Martin (2), Hahn (6) and Ingram. Blossser, Hanika (6) and Deutsch. W--Blosser. L—Roat, 5-2. 2B—H—Moore; TH—Grace, Annand, Becker.

Hoisington 003 100 0 – 4 5 3

Frontenac 011 100 2 – 5 9 2

French, Roat (5) and Ingram. Nickle, Capehart (4) and Deutsch. W—Capehart. L—Roat, 5-3. 2B—H—Dalton; F—Niegsch.

3A STATE, MANHATTAN

1ST—Topeka Hayden 5, Wichita Trinity 3; Topeka Hayden 17-12 vs. Wichita Trinity 22-4; 3RD—Frontenac 5, Hoisington/Central Plains 4

SEMIFINALS—Wichita Trinity 10, Frontenac 3; Topeka Hayden 12, Hoisington 5

FIRST ROUND—Wichita Trinity 7, Marysville 3; Frontenac 6, Burlington 5; Topeka Hayden 2, Hesston 0; Hoisington 3, Sabetha 1

CARDINAL BATTING—Tony Moore (.500); Carson Mason (.400); Lane French (.385), Mason Martin (.316); Marcus Ingram (.313); Kolter Hahn (.250); Gratton Dalton (.243); Rhen Galla (.241); Aiden Hekele (.241); Preston Roat (.192); Tyrus Penka (.143); Brodie Crites (.136).

CARDINAL PITCHING—Moore 6-1 (1.86 ERA); Roat 5-3 (1.34 ERA); French 2-1 (3.81 ERA); Ingram 1-0 (0.00 ERA); Martin 2-3 (2.03 ERA); Dalton 0-1 (3.09 ERA); Hekele 0-3 (5.63 ERA)