The Kansas Crush won the NBC 11-and-under state baseball tournament title on Sunday at the Sports Complex.
The Crush rallied from a 6-1 deficit to win 7-6 over the Wichita Cubs.
"They were absolutely thrilled," Crush head coach Blake Smith said. "We start pretty early in the winter. We started working with the kids in January, so to see all of that hard work pay off is great."
The Crush took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Cubs got a pair of ground-rule doubles to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second.
The Cubs followed with a four-run tear in the top of the third.
"We felt pretty good about that," Cubs head coach Kevin Barton said. "They have a tough pitching staff, so we were happy to be able to do that against the Crush. I was impressed with the boys and how they hit."
The Crush answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs, leaving them trailing 6-5.
The Crush tied the game in the fourth, and Montana Giffin drove in Sam Payne for the game-winning run.
"What really excited me about that last run was that it was the epitome of team baseball," Smith said. "Someone got on base. Someone moved him around. Someone else drove him in."
It is the second year in a row that the Cubs have been state runners-up.
"I thought both teams fought hard and put in the maximum effort," Barton said. "It was a close game. I think the kids have improved a lot over the past year. We are definitely not disappointed to be runner-up."

NBC 11-AND-UNDER BASEBALL
State tournament

At Great Bend
Sports Complex

Sunday

Championship game
Kansas Crush 7, Wichita Cubs 6

Third-place game
Wichita Bulldogs 6, Manhattan Titans 5

Championship bracket results
Wichita Cubs 8, Lil Yankees 5
Wichita Bulldogs 14, Wichita A’s 7
Kansas Crush 7, Topeka Renegades 4
Manhattan Titans 12, Goddard Fireballs 1
Wichita Cubs 6, Wichita Bulldogs 2
Kansas Crush 8, Manhattan Titans 2

Consolation bracket results
Cardinals 17, Central Kansas Hornets 7
Drillers 10, Southwestern Hitters 4
Cardinals 16, Drillers 5