SALINA 5, NICKERSON 3 (CHAMPIONSHIP) -- The Salina Falcons rallied with four runs with two out in the sixth inning for a 5-3 victory over Nickerson to capture the AAA state Legion baseball championship. Salina (33-2) will play at AA champion Iola (23-6) for the Kansas Legion title starting Wednesday.
Salina's Layne Haddock and Brogen Richardson delivered RBI singles for a 3-3 tie. Ethan Kickhaefer's two-run double scored Haddock and Richardson for a 5-3 lead off Nickerson reliever Johnny Huggard. Salina reliever Seth Catania worked the final four innings.
Nickerson starter Carson Cornelius yielded one run in five hard-fought innings. Left fielder Kaleb Jackson and centerfielder Josh Salazar preserved the 3-1 lead with several highlight-reel catches.
Nickerson led 3-0 when Tanner Schrag scored on a balk and Noah Salazar and Carson Cornelius hit RBI singles with no out. Nickerson missed a chance for bases loaded and no out ahead 3-0, but Chandler Eaton barely missed getting hit by a pitch. Starter Richard Davis retired three batters.
SALINA FALCONS 6, EMPORIA 3 (Saturday) -- Kickhaefer propelled the Falcons to the championship, pitching a complete game, collecting two hits and driving in a run.
He allowed three runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking two.
“Kick came out that first game and had all three pitches working for him and he was locked in and cruising,” Curry said.
Kickhaefer’s RBI single in the first inning gave Salina 2-0 lead after Farmer scored the first run on a passed ball.
Ben Driver’s double scored Brayden Pavey in the second inning, making it 3-0, and Richardson’s double scored Haddock in the fourth that bumped the lead to 4-0.
After Emporia scored a run in the top of the fifth, Farmer extended the Falcons’ advantage to 6-1 with a two-run double in the top of the sixth.
Farmer also had two hits, and Haddock and Pavey each scored twice.
NICKERSON 10, TOPEKA SENATORS 1 (Friday) – Tanner Schrag drove home four runs with two hits as Nickerson clinched the top seed in Pool B on a three-way tie. Nickerson (2-1) yielded 7 runs in three games. Emporia (2-1) permitted 8 runs. The Hays Eagles (2-1) gave up 10 runs.
Nickerson’s Josh Salazar singled home Kaleb Jackson in the first inning. Tanner Schrag doubled home Grant Bolen to spark a four-run second inning. Noah Salazar’s single scored Schrag. Chandler Eaton’s single scored Josh Salazar for a 5-1 lead.
Nickerson’s three-run third inning featured Bolen and Schrag scoring on wild pitches and Jackson forcing home a run on bases-loaded walk. Schrag’s RBI single scored Nickerson’s 10th run.
Nickerson’s Legion baseball team qualified for the AAA semifinals for the first time in 21 years. Topeka Post 400 beat Nickerson 2-1 in a best-of-3 playoff series.
SALINA FALCONS 11, PITTSBURG 1 (Friday) — Salina cruised into Saturday's AAA semifinals with a run-rule victory. Salina pitcher Cade Sterrett struck out five batters and threw a three-hitter. The Falcons benefited from a forfeit win over Leavenworth, saving the Falcons from using any pitching.
The Falcons scored five third-inning runs on four walks, three hit batters and a bunt single off Pittsburg pitcher Trent Austin. Ethan Kickhaefer delivered an RBI fourth-inning single. Brayden Pavey drilled a two-run double and Brogan Richardson and Brady McAfee delivered RBI hits in a five-run sixth inning.
EMPORIA 3, NICKERSON 2 (Thursday) — Right fielder Ekyler Beatty threw out Tre Garcia to preserve Emporia’s 3-2 victory over Nickerson. Kaleb Jackson’s single advanced Garcia to third base, but he was thrown out easily at home plate. Reliever Cade Kohlmeier retired Josh Salazar to end the game.
Emporia scored the game-winning unearned run on Hayden Baumwart’s fifth-inning single that scored Kohlmeier. Emporia led 1-0 when Sawyer Slayden’s triple scored Baumwart in the first inning.
Tanner Schrag scored on Noah Salazar’s fourth-inning groundout for a 1-1 tie. Riley Wagner’s fourth-inning single scored Cole Moore for a 2-1 lead. Nickerson’s Josh Salazar scored on a sixth-inning error. Emporia benefited from a double play when Tanner Schrag was ruled out for not sliding properly into second base.
SALINA FALCONS 7, LEAVENWORTH 0 (Thursday) — The AAA state favorite Salina Falcons were handed a gift with a 7-0 forfeit win that allowed the Falcons to not use any pitching. The Falcons gained a huge advantage heading into Friday's showdown against Pittsburg.
HAYS EAGLES 11, TOPEKA SENATORS 4 (Thursday) — Brady Kreutzer drove home three runs with three hits and Trey Riggs hit a pair of doubles and scored two runs for Hays. The Eagles drew nine walks. Hays plays Emporia at 6 p.m. Friday for a spot in Saturday’s semifinals. The Senators have been eliminated from bracket play.
NICKERSON 4, HAYS EAGLES 3 (Wednesday) — Underdog Nickerson shocked the Hays Eagles as Kaden Evert scored the tying run on an sixth-inning error and Carson Cornelius scored the game-winning run on a passed ball. Evert singled and scored on a groundball by Cornelius that was thrown away to home. Winning pitcher Grant Bolen started a game-ending double play on a seventh-inning groundball by Cody Peterson.
Second baseman Kaden Evert made the game's key defensive play by throwing out Cole Murphy at home on an attempted sixth-inning double steal with Dawson Harman.
Hays led 2-0 when Trey Riggs doubled home William Sennett and Palmer Hutchison after starter Tanner Schrag hit four batters with pitches in the first inning. Evert singled home Kaleb Jackson and Josh Salazar scored on a sacrifice fly by Cornelius for a 2-2 tie after one inning.
Brady Kreutzer singled home Murphy for a 3-2 lead after four innings. Cornelius retired Palmer Hutchison to strand runners at third and second base.
SALINA FALCONS 14, NEWTON 0 (Wednesday) — Salina Falcons pitcher Kyle Farmer threw a one-hit shutout. The Falcons scored six runs in the first inning and six runs in the fourth inning. Brogen Richardson delivered a two-run double and Ben Driver and Layne Haddock added RBI base hits. The Falcons other 10 runs were driven home without a base hit.
PITTSBURG 14, LEAVENWORTH 6 (Wednesday) – Pittsburg’s Mikel McCann, Trenton Austin and Logan VanBecelaere each drove in two runs. Leavenworth pitchers walked nine batters and contributed four wild pitches.
EMPORIA 10, TOPEKA SENATORS 3 (Wednesday) – Emporia’s Cole Moore drove in three runs and John Miller delivered a pair of RBIs to spark Emporia past the Topeka Senators.
CLASS AAA STATE
At EmporiaPOOL A—Emporia (2-1, 8 runs permitted); Nickerson (2-1, 7 runs permitted); Hays (2-1, 10 runs permitted); Topeka (0-3)
POOL B—Salina (3-0); Pittsburg (1-2): Newton (2-1); Leavenworth (0-2)
WEDNESDAY
Salina Falcons 14, Newton 0
Nickerson 4, Hays Eagles 3
Pittsburg 14, Leavenworth 6
Emporia 10, Topeka Senators 3
THURSDAY
Hays Eagles 11, Topeka 4
Salina Falcons 7, Leavenworth 0 (forfeit)
Emporia 3, Nickerson 2
Newton 4, Pittsburg 3
FRIDAY
Salina Falcons 11, Pittsburg 1
Newton 7, Leavenworth 0 (forfeit)
Hays Eagles 3, Emporia 2
Nickerson 10, Topeka 1
SATURDAY’S SEMIFINALS
Salina Falcons 6, Emporia 3
Nickerson 5, Newton 4
AAA State Championship—Salina Falcons 5, Nickerson 3
NICKERSON 10, TOPEKA 1
Topeka 010 00 – 1 5 0
Nickerson 143 2x – 10 10 0
Kentsch, Hough (2), Koelling (3), Soza (4) and Scott. Bolen and Eaton. W—Bolen. L—Kentsch. 2B—N—Schrag, Josh Salazar.
SALINA FALCONS 11, PITTSBURG 1
Salina 005 105 — 11 6 0
Pittsburg 001 000 — 1 3 1
Sterrett and Dix. Austin, Brynds (5) and Jones. W—Sterrett. L—Austin. 2B—S—Richardson, Pavey; P—McCann. 3B—S—Farmer.
EMPORIA 3, NICKERSON 2
Nickerson 000 101 0 — 2 4 2
Emporia 100 110 x — 3 5 1
Evert and Eaton. Hertlein, Kohlmeier (7) and Moore. W—Hertlein. L—Evert. 3B—E—Slayden.
EMPORIA 10, TOPEKA 3
Topeka 001 200 0 – 3 7 2
Emporia 300 412 x – 10 10 3
Bowers, Koelling (6) and Scott. Naumwart, Slayden (4) and Moore. W—Slayden. L—Bowers. 2B—E—Miller; T—Bowers, Galbreath, Cunningham.
PITTSBURG 14, LEAVENWORTH 6
Pittsburg 262 31 – 14 10 2
Leavenworth 321 00 – 6 5 3
Austin, Lee (1), Cashero (3) and Jahay. Herken, Morris (2), Baker (3) and Lewallen. W--Cashero. L--Herken. 2B—P—Jahay; L—Morris.
NICKERSON 4, HAYS EAGLES 3
Hays Eagles 200 100 0 — 3 5 4
Nickerson 200 003 x — 4 4 1Peterson, Riggs (4) and Lummus. Tanner Schrag, Cornelius (3), Bolen (6) and Eaton. W—Bolen. L—Riggs. 2B—H—Sennett, Hutchison, Riggs.
SALINA 14, NEWTON 0
Salina 602 6 — 14 8 0
Newton 000 0 — 0 1 3
Farmer and Dix. Mapes, Davis (3) and Classen W—Farmer. 2B—S—Haddock.
