HAYS — Larned's 14-game baseball winning streak vanished against Hays-Thomas More Prep pitcher Mark Rack. The Indians scratched out four hits and stranded five baserunners in a 4-0 regional loss to the Monarchs Wednesday. The Indians (16-5) finished runner-up in the Central Kansas League.
The Indians' best scoring chance developed after Jack Stelter's leadoff seventh-inning double. Jacob Grosfield walked. But Rack retired Kaden Pontius, Logan Erway and Eian Sanders to end the ballgame. Larned's Dillan Smith singled twice and Aidan Smyth singled for the Indians' other hits.
Larned starter Gavin Alvarez (3-1) and reliever Dillan Smith performed admirably to strand 11 Monarch baserunners. Second baseman Aidan Smyth and shortstop Dillan Smith combined for a 4-6-3 double-play on Bryce Conner's fifth-inning groundball.
The Monarchs led 2-0 after the Indians contributed a pair of first-inning errors. Jace Wentling scored on an error. Chet Irvin scored on Nicholas Herrman's groundout after a second infield error.
Chet Irvin singled home Rack in the fourth inning. Herrman singled home Nick Helget after a fifth-inning Indian error for a 4-0 lead.
The Minneapolis Lions beat the Monarchs 7-3 in the championship game.
Hays TMP 200 110 0 — 4 11 0
Larned 000 000 0 — 0 4 3
Rack and Wentling. Alvarez, Smith (6) and Stelter. W—Rack, 4-4. L—Alvarez, 3-1. 2B—L—Stelter
MINNEAPOLIS 3, HOISINGTON 2 — The Minneapolis Lions won their gamble with No. 2 starter Nolan White against the Cardinals. White shut out the Cardinals after yielding a pair of first-inning runs. Lions ace Spencer Davidson, a Fort Hays State signee, shut down the Thomas More Prep Monarchs in a 7-3 championship victory.
Hoisington (9-13) also lost to the Minneapolis Lions in a 2019 regional showdown.
Trenton Moeckel scored the seventh-inning game-winner when a throw by third baseman Cole Steinert bounced off the glove of catcher Holt Hanzlick. Moeckel reached on an error and Davidson and White drew back-to-back walks off reliever Tony Moore.
Moore drilled a two-run double to score Shawn Ingram and Hanzlick for a 2-0 first-inning lead. White retired Cole Stenert and Leyton Haxton to end the threat. Quentin Boxberger and M.J. Aylward reached base in the second inning, but White retired Ingram and Chase Steinert to end the rally. The Lions turned a sixth-inning double play on Moore's line drive.
Cardinal pitcher Haxton pitched brilliantly to hold the Lions to two runs. Haxton stranded seven baserunners. Hoisington's best defensive play threw out Colby Rice in the fourth inning. Spencer Davidson singled home Ryker Nelson in the first inning. Davidson singled home Colton Bradford in the third inning.
Hoisington 200 000 0 -—2 5 3
Minneapolis 101 000 1 — 3 5 0
Haxton, Moore (7) and Hanzlick. White and Rice. W—White. L—Moore, 1-3. 2B—H—Moore
LARNED 13, BELOIT 3 — Beloit contributed eight walks and seven hit batters as Larned roared past the Trojans 13-3 in Monday's 3A Hays baseball regional. The Indians scored six consecutive runs on wild pitches.
Larned has won 14 consecutive baseball games. The Indians will play at 2 p.m. Wednesday against Hays-Thomas More Prep, an 8-7 winner over Russell 8-7 in 11 innings. The semifinal and championship games are scheduled at Hays.
Three Beloit errors and 15 baserunners on hit batters and walks were too much for the Trojans to overcome.
Beloit led 2-0 when Jackson Rexroat and Quinn Eilert drove home first-inning runs. Larned's Brady Hope singled home Dillan Smith and Gavin Alvarez scored on an error for a 2-2 tie. Jerek Rexroat singled in Jackson Rexroat for a 3-2 Beloit lead.
The Indians scored 11 runs in the next three innings. Smith and Jack Stelter delivered RBIs in a three-run fourth inning. Jacob Grosfield's bases-loaded walk was followed by five consecutive runs on wild pitches for an 11-3 lead. Grosfield singled home Ian Orth and Aidan Smyth's single scored pinch runner Ty Smith with the game-ending run.
Beloit 200 100 — 3 5 3
Larned 110 362 — 13 8 2
Arasmith, Owen Eilert (1), Quinn Eilert (5), Beisner (5) and Adolph. Smyth, Smith (5) and Stelter. W—Smyth. L—Arasmith. 2B—B—Waters
HAYS-TMP 8, RUSSELL 7 — The Monarchs scored seven runs in the seventh inning for a 7-7 tie, thanks to three walks and two hit batters. Schumacher's bases-loaded walk forced home Caden Morgan for the game-winning 11th-inning run.
Nicholas Herrman's bases-loaded double tied the score 7-7 after Nick Helget and Chet Irvin hit RBI singles in a seven-run seventh inning. Russell's Andrew Roth drove in two runs with four hits. Aiden Rohr drove home two runs.
Russell 112 210 000 00 — 7 11 1
Hays-TMP 000 000 700 01 — 8 10 4
Cross, Rohr (7), Rome (8), Gibson (11) and Roth. Wentling, Morgan (3), Rack (9) and Morgan, Wentling (3). W—Rack. L—Rome. 2B—R—Roth, Rohr, Rome; T—Herrman
HOISINGTON 6, ELLSWORTH 2 — Cole Steinert's bases-loaded sixth-inning walk forced home Chase Steinert with the go-ahead run. Quentin Boxberger's perfect bunt drove home Holt Hanzlick for a 4-2 lead. M.J. Aylward's groundball scored Tony Moore and Cole Steinert alertly raced home when the Bearcats were unable to record an out for a 6-2 lead.
Hoisington pitcher Holt Hanzlick struck out seven batters and pitched a four-hitter. Cardinal catcher threw out Jordan Rodriguez in the second inning. Cade Gwinner was picked off base in the fifth inning.
Ellsworth led 2-0. Jaxson Stefek singled home Cade Gwinner in the first inning. Dayton Davis singled home Gwinner in the third inning. Hoisington's Cole Steinert singled gome Hanzlick and Moore for a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning.
The Cardinals (9-12) will play Minneapolis (13-6) at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday after the Lions downed Lincoln/Sylvan 8-1. The Lions ended the Cardinals' baseball season in 2019.
Hoisington 000 204 0 — 6 5 1
Ellsworth 101 000 0 — 2 4 2
Hanzlick and Cole Steinert. Davis and. W—Hanzlick. L—Davis.
3A HAYS—Larned 13, Beloit 3; Hays-Thomas More Prep 7, Russell-Victoria 7, 11 innings; Minneapolis 8, Lincoln/Sylvan 1; Hoisington/Central Plains 6, Ellsworth 2; Hays-TMP 4, Larned 0;
Minneapolis 3, Hoisington/Central Plains 2; Minneapolis 7, Hays-TMP 3
No. 1 seed Ellis (18-0) will meet Inman (18-2) in the May 20 championship game at Ellis.
2A ELLIS—Ellis 11, Ellinwood 1; 4 Salina Sacred Heart 9, Ell-Saline 1; Inman 11, Republic County 1; Little River 11, Bennington 1; Ellis 7, Salina Sacred Heart 1; Inman 8, Little River 5; MAY 20—Ellis 18-0 vs. Inman 18-2, 5 p.m.
