BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
LARNED — Home sweet home translated to Larned’s 12-5 upset over Russell/Victoria in Monday’s Great Bend baseball regional. The Indians played at home after Russell’s Shaffer Field was damaged from an April 29 windstorm.
Larned’s Logan Erway and Cade Colglazier each drove in three runs and the Indians scored eight unearned runs thanks to eight Russell errors. The Indians turned a pair of double plays.
Ian Orth pitched five innings to earn the victory.
“Ian has been our most consistent guy,” said Larned coach Chad Erway. “He pitched ‘backwards’ and led with curves and changeups. Our guys are better ballplayers than they’ve showed. We’ve got guys who can play baseball.”
Erway started the fun with an RBI single and scored on an error. Russell scored when Larned turned a 6-5-3 double play from shortstop Brady Hope, third baseman Carlos Ibarra to first baseman Erway.
Larned scored five unearned runs after back-to-back second-inning errors. Hope ripped a 2-run double and Ian Orth, Erway and Ibarra delivered RBI hits.
Colglazier hit a 2-run single and Erway singled home Carson Shaver in a 4-run fourth inning. The Broncos (11-10) rallied on Aidan Rohr’s 2-run single. After Charlie Krug, struck out, Indian right fielder Eian Sanders relayed to Erway to throw out Wyatt Middleton at home plate for an inning-ending double play.
Larned (8-11) plays Ellsworth (18-3) at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Hays-Thomas More Prep (12-5) plays Beloit (10-7) at 4:30 p.m.
BELOIT 4, HOISINGTON 1 — Hoisington pitcher M.J. Aylward kept the Cardinals close with a decent 5-inning performance. Tony Moore doubled home Aylward in the third inning. But Beloit second baseman Brodie Schroeder started a 4-6-3 double play on Lane French’s groundball to end the bases-loaded threat.
Beloit’s Schroeder singled home Bryce Beisner and Wes Adolph in the second inning. Maddox Waters scored on a third-inning groundout. Waters doubled home Jerek Retroat in the fourth inning.
Larned 250 401 0 — 12 11 1
Russell 100 103 0 — 5 7 8
Orth, Hope (6) and Shaver. 10 and 1 and 2. W—Orth. 2B—L—Erway 2, Hope.
Hoisington 001 000 0 — 1 4 3
Beloit 021 100 0 — 4 6 4
Aylward, Moore (6) and French. Quinn Eilert and Adolph. W—Q. Eilert. L—Aylward. 2B—H—More; B—Waters.
3A GREAT BEND WEDNESDAY
FIRST ROUND—Ellsworth 13, Lincoln/Sylvan/Lucas 0; Larned 12, Russell/Victoria 5; Hays TMP 9, Ellinwood 1; Beloit 4, Hoisington/Central Plains 1
SEMIFINALS—Ellsworth 18-3 vs. Larned 8-11, 2 p.m.; Hays TMP 12-5 vs. Beloit 10-7, 4:30
