BY
JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune,com
LARNED – Larned’s baseball team celebrated a wild walkoff extra-inning victory after a game-saving double play. The Hoisington Cardinals ended a 12-game losing streak in extra innings against the Indians.
Larned escaped the opener 10-9 on Stelter’s sacrifice fly.
The Cardinals evened the score 3-2 when Myles Menges scored on a wild pitch after a game-saving double play.
Hoisington (12-6, 10-6 CKL) plays at Lyons (2-12) and Larned (10-8, 8-8 CKL) plays at Halstead Tuesday to end the regular season. The teams could meet again in the Concordia 3A baseball regional.
LARNED 10, HOISINGTON 9, 10 innings (G1) – Aidan Smyth rescued the Indians with a game-tying single and Jack Stelter’s sacrifice fly delivered the game-winning run. It was the Indians’ 12th consecutive victory over the Cardinals.
Avery Brewer’s single scored Myles Menges with the go-ahead eighth-inning run for a 9-8 lead. Larned centerfielder Brayden Rupp saved the Indians with a perfect throw as catcher Stelter tagged out Jacob Specht at home on Myles Menges’ single.
Mello Bryant was hit by a pitch and stole second base to set up Smyth’s game-tying single with two out in the eighth inning.
The Cardinals led 3-0 when Braxton Donovan, Menges and Specht delivered RBIs. Larned’s Brandon Ceniceros hit a two-run single and Logan Erway followed with a two-run triple. Brayden Rupp’s RBI single made it 5-3.
Jerred Bieberle hit an RBI single and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-5 tie. Bryant scored on a wild pitch and Smyth’s single scored Brayden Lemuz for a 7-5 lead. Hunter Hanzlick hit a sacrifice fly and Bieberle followed with an RBI single for a 7-7 tie.
Larned’s Rupp scored on a fifth-inning wild pitch. Menges scored on a sixth-inning wild pitch for a 8-8 tie.
HOISINGTON 3, LARNED 2 (G2) – Hoisington centerfielder Jerred Bieberle saved the game when he threw out Brayden Rupp at home on Mello Bryant’s sixth-inning fly ball in a 2-2 tie.
Hoisington pitcher Menges (4-1) earned the victory with a 110-pitch eight-inning outing. Larned starter Aidan Smyth worked 71/3 innings.
Menges scored the winning run on a wild pitch by Christian Murray after two walks and a groundout.
Hoisington led 1-0 on Quentin Boxberger’s second-inning single that scored Avery Brewer. Brayden Lemuz’ single drove home Dillan Smith in the second inning. Cline scored on Rupp’s third-inning sacrifice fly.
Derek Boxberger’s single drove home Hanzlick with the tying fourth-inning run.
Hoisington 003 221 010 0 – 9 17 5
Larned 005 210 010 1 – 10 12 7
Boxberger, Donovan (5), Brewer (8) and Hanzlick. Smith, Pleasant (7) and Stelter. W—Pleasant. L—Brewer. 2B—H—Specht, Donovan. 3B—L—Erway.
Hoisington 010 100 01 – 3 7 3
Larned 011 000 00 – 2 6 1
Menges and Specht. Smyth, Murray (8) and Stelter. W—Menges, 4-1. L—Smyth, 4-3. 2B—H—Brewer, Hanzlick.