BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

TOPEKA — Concordia rallied from a 7-4 deficit with a 7-run seventh inning for an 11-7 victory that left Larned missing the AA/AAA American Legion state baseball semifinals. Hiawatha (1-2, 26-21) won a 3-way tiebreaker with Larned (1-2, 17-21) and Concordia (1-2, 17-30) on most runs scored. Hiawatha and Larned both yielded 21 runs.

"It was close. It's a tough way to be eliminated," said Larned coach Chad Erway. "Our wheels fell off. That last inning against Concordia was a nightmare. We didn't play well enough to qualify for the semifinals." 

CONCORDIA 11, LARNED 7 — Larned would've qualified for the semifinals with a win, or one less run permitted against Concordia. But that vanished when Concordia roughed up Larned pitcher Carlos Ibarra for seven seventh-inning runs.

The inning started with two walks and a single. Payton Breese delivered a 2-run double. The tying run scored on a groundout. Breese scored on Stryker Hake's triple. Hake scored on Joe Henderson's single. After a catcher's interference, Drew Sterett scored on a wild pitch and Henderson scored on an error for an 11-7 lead.

Larned led 7-4 in a wild six innings. Logan Erway scored on Owen Reece's third-inning groundout. Carson Shaver singled home Cade Colglazier and Brady Hope. Shaver scored on Erway's single for a 4-2 lead. In the sixth inning, Erway singled home Shaver, Hope scored on an error and Erway scored on Erway's double.  

IOLA 5, LARNED 3 — Larned’s most amazing trick was staying within range despite yielding 10 walks, two hit batters with five errors that led to four unearned runs. 

Iola took advantage of Larned’s erratic play for three runs with no hits.  Sam Hull, T.J. Taylor and Gavin Page scored on second-inning errors. 

Larned had eight baserunners in the first three innings with no runs. Ty Smith doubled home Owen Reese to ignite a 3-run fourth inning. Gavin Alvarez and Smith scored on groundouts by Ian Orth and Brady Hope for a 3-3 tie.

Iola scored on a fourth consecutive walk in the fourth inning. Taylor scored Iola’s fifth-inning run after Payton Louk’s single was mishandled. 

Alvarez and Hope had leadoff singles in the sixth and seventh, but Larned was unable to score.   

LARNED 7, HIAWATHA 5 — Larned pitcher Hope rode to the rescue on the mound and Eian Sanders delivered the game-winning single in Wednesday’s opening 7-5 victory over Hiawatha.

Larned (9-8) rallied from a 5-3 deficit when Logan Erway’s fifth-inning right-field homer scored Hope, who reached on an error. Hope was hit by a pitch and Erway walked to start the seventh inning. Carlos Ibarra converted a sacrifice bunt. After Cade Colglazier walked, Sanders drilled a clutch 2-run single off a fastball to score Hope and Erway for a 7-5 lead.

The key play was Ibarra’s sacrifice bunt.

“That’s what we do – play small ball,” said Larned coach Chad Erway. “I like to play the percentages. Pinch hitting is one of hardest things in baseball coming off the bench. Sanders got the job done.”

Hope (2-1) stranded two baserunners in the sixth and seventh innings. He struck out Xavier Oldham and Sam Dunn with sharp-breaking curveballs to end the sixth. Hope retired Alex Rockey and struck out on another curveball Josh Smith to end the ballgame. Larned overcame six walks and a pair of errors.

“Brady Hope took a few pitches to settle in, but he found his curveball,” Erway said.

Larned converted a pair of bases-loaded innings to lead 3-1. Hope scored on a first-inning error and Hope scored on Ibarra’s groundball. Pinch runner Tristan Regan scored on Orth’s second-inning sacrifice fly.

Hiawatha responded for a 5-3 lead. Carson Bredemeier scored on Joel Bryan’s first-inning single. Alex Rockey was forced home on a hit batter. Ashton Rockey scored an error. Oldham scored on Bryan’s second RBI single. Oldham singled home Bredemeier after a fourth-inning single for a 5-3 lead.

Larned shortstop Hope ended the fourth-inning with a 6-3 double play. Starter Gavin Alvarez picked off Bredemeier in the second inning to help work out of trouble.

PITTSBURG 7, IOLA 6 (semifinal) — Pittsburg’s Payton Marrow drove in four runs as the defending state champions returned to the championship game. Centerfielder Marrow threw to pitcher Kameron Williamson, who tagged out Sam Hall for the final out for a double play. 

TOPEKA SENATORS 2, HIAWATHA 0 (semifinal) — Senators pitcher Reo Miller struck out 12 batters in five innings. Jon Knap doubled home Alex Haag and Knapp scored on Savon Scott’s single. Hiawatha pitcher Carson Bredemeier threw 52/3 brilliant innings.

IOLA 10, HIAWATHA 8 — Iola rallied past Hiawatha with a 7-run fourth inning. Nate Lock and T Sommer each drove home three runs. Hiawatha’s Tyler Willich drove in five runs. 

TOPEKA SENATORS 4, PITTSBURG 3 — The Senators rallied from a 3-0 deficit to shock Pittsburg.  Pete Herrod scored on an error. Kyle Bohnenkemper scored on a groundout. Caleb Cappel's single scored Ryan Graves. Justin Weil scored the game-winning run when Erick Teske's fly ball was misplayed.

PITTSBURG 9, LEAVENWORTH 0 — Pittsburg cruised past Leavenworth 9-0 to secure a spot in Saturday’s semifinals. Pittsburg’s Hunter Bennett struck out 13 batters in a 2-hit shutout. Kameron Williamson drove in three runs. 

HIAWATHA 12, CONCORDIA 4 — Hiawatha's Joel Bryan and Carson Bredemeier each drove in three runs.

TOPEKA SENATORS 7, OTTAWA 1 — Topeka's Erick Teske and Trevor Schatilly each drove home two runs.

TOPEKA SENATORS 7, LEAVENWORTH 1 – Senator pitchers Kyle Bohnenkemper and Trevor Schatilly combined for 10 strikeouts. The Senators scored five runs on Leavenworth errors.

Concordia 000 112 7 — 11 11 3

Larned 001 303 0 — 7 8 6

Beims, Hanson (4) and Henderson, Sterett. Hope, Ibarra (6) and Shaver. W—Hanson. L—Ibarra. 2B—L—Reece; C—Breese. 3B—C—Hake.

Hiawatha 000 000 0 — 0 3 2

Senators 020 000 x — 2 4 0

Smith, Bredemeier (1) and Willich. Miller, Anderson (6) and Bohnenkemper. W—Miller. L—Bredemeier. 2B—TS—Knapp, Harrod.

Iola 201 000 3 — 6 6 0

Pittsburg 023 110 x — 7 12 0

Luck, Barnett (4) and Hutton. Nate Smith, Bazzano (4), Williamson (7) and Harrison. 2B—P—Marrow.  

Topeka Senators 000 004 0 — 4 7 2

Pittsburg 000 030 0 — 3 7 2

Scott, Teske (5) and Schatilly. Hite and Hamblin. W—Scott. L—Hite. 2B—P—Hamblin.

Larned 000 300 0 — 3 7 5 

Iola 030 011 x — 5 2 1

Reece, Ibarra (6) and Shaver. Sommer, Barnett (4) and Hutton. W–Barnett. L–Reece, 3-2. 2B–L–Smith.

Leavenworth 000 000 – 0 2 0

Pittsburg 200 043 – 9  13 0

McIntosh and Hilton. Bennett and Harrison. W–Bennett. L–McIntosh. 2B–P–Smith, Harrison.

Topeka Senators 012 400 4 – 11 7 1

Ottawa 010 000 0 – 1 3 1

Appel, Miller (3), Pedersen (7) and Bohnenkemper. Kiefer, Roberts (3), Michael (4) and Richards. W—Miller. L—Kiefer. 2B—TS—Teske, Scott; O—Hadl, Michael.

Hiawatha 010 225 2 – 12 10 2

Concordia 200 011 0 – 4 6 5

Ashton Rockey, Davis (6), Jacobsen (7) and Willich. Hake, Breese (6), Hanson (6) and Sterett. W–Ashton Rockey. L–Hake. 2B–H–Ashton Rockey. 3B–H–Bryan.

Larned 210 020 2 – 7 6 2

Hiawatha 130 100 0 – 5 7 5

Alvarez, Hope (6) and Shaver. Bredemeier, Bryan, Ashton Rockey (7) and Tyler Willich. W–Hope 2-2. L–Ashton Rockey, 3-2. 2B–L–Ibarra; H–HR–L–Erway.

Leavenworth 010 000 0 – 1 3 7

Topeka Senators 012 130 x – 7 7 1

Welsh, Mendoza (3), Kesinger (5), McIntosh (5), Atchison (6) and Khanthboury. Bohnenkemper, Schatilly (4) and Haag. W–Bohnenkemper. L– 2B–TS–Harrod, Knapp.

Ottawa 000 000 0 – 0 2 0

Pittsburg 070 010 x – 8 5 1

Hadl, Gillette (4), Vink (5) and Richards. Amershek, Bazzano (5) and Harrison. W–Harrison. L–Hadl. 2B–P–Scales, Harrison.

TOPEKA BETTIS SPORTS COMPLEX

AA STATE BRACKET

AA POOL–Iola 3-0; Hiawatha 1-2 (26-21); Larned 1-2 (17-21); Concordia 1-2 (17-30)

WEDNESDAY—Larned 7, Hiawatha 5; Iola 11, Concordia 2 

THURSDAY—Iola 5, Larned 3; Hiawatha 12, Concordia 4

FRIDAY—Concordia 11, Larned 7; Iola 10, Hiawatha 8

AAA STATE BRACKET

AAA POOL—Topeka Senators 3-0, Pittsburg 2-1, Ottawa 0-2, Leavenworth 0-2 

WEDNESDAY—Pittsburg 8, Ottawa 0; Topeka Senators 7, Leavenworth 1

THURSDAY—Pittsburg 9, Leavenworth 0; Kansas Senators 11, Ottawa 1

FRIDAY—Leavenworth vs. Ottawa; Kansas Senators 4, Pittsburg 3

SATURDAY—SEMIFINALS—Pittsburg 7, Iola 6; Senators 2, Hiawatha 0; CHAMPIONSHIP—Senators (27-6) vs. Pittsburg (15-10-1)

MID-SOUTH REGIONAL

PELHAM, ALA.

WEDNESDAY—Jefferson City, Mo. 9, Fort Smith, Ark. 0; Tupelo, Miss. 5, Pittsburg, Kan. 2; Troy, Ala. 11, St. Joseph, Mo. 1; Gonzales, La. 9, Pelham, Ala. 4

THURSDAY—St. Joseph 2, Fort Smith, Ark. 0; Pittsburg 11, Pelham, Ala. 0; Troy, Ala. 12, Jefferson, Mo.; Tulepo, Miss. 2, Gonzales, La. 1

FRIDAY—Jefferson, Mo. 4 Pittsburg 3; St. Joseph, Mo. (23-8) vs. Gonzales, La.; Troy 3, Tulepo, Miss. 1

SATURDAY—Jefferson, Mo. (26-6-1); Tulepo (33-2); Troy (27-4);