DODGE CITY — The turf at Cavalier Field was Ellinwood’s good-luck charm. Ellinwood baseball coach Doug Bender called his good friend Phil Stephenson at Dodge City Community College to unlock the gates at Cavalier Field.
The rest is history. Luke Wondra’s game-winning hit will start the first chapter of Ellinwood’s baseball history.
Ellinwood’s first-year baseball team won its first baseball game in school history with a 12-8 regional victory Monday over Minneola. The Eagles shocked Minneola with six runs in the seventh inning after trailing 8-6 entering the seventh inning.
“The guys were elated to win a game,” Bender said. “It was rewarding to see everything we work on come together at once. It showed the guys that when we do the things we practice reasonably well, we can compete. We played better on the turf after taking a bunch of groundballs before the game. It helped us.”
Third baseman David Hammeke started a double-play ball and shortstop Kyler Doll made a backhanded play.
“They were confident they could beat Minneola,” Bender said.
Pitchers Tyler Knop and Jacobs each worked more than three innings with a steady diet of curveballs and changeups. The Eagles yielded four walks and hit three batters, but committed zero errors.
“When we play error-free baseball, we’re pretty good,” he said.
Gage Miller walked and Joacobs singled to start the rally. David Hammeke, who had three hits, reached on an error on a hard-hit ball that scored Miller. Knop single scored Jacobs for an 8-8 tie. Doll laid down a sacrifice bunt. Wondra followed with a two-run double that proved to be the game-winning hit. Wondra and Jayce Christensen scored on passed balls for a 12-8 lead.
“We got the timely hits and we didn’t dig a defensive hole,” Bender said.
Unbeaten Ellis scored 22 runs in the first inning and beat Ellinwood 22-0 in the semifinal game at Dodge City’s Cavalier Field behind pitcher Dalton Hensley.
2A SPEARVILLE, MONDAY-TUESDAY—Ellinwood 12, Minneola 8; Ellis 22, Ellinwood 0; Spearville 10, Medicine Lodge 0; Ellis 16-0 vs. Spearville, 14-3, 6 p.m.
EAGLES 12, MINNEOLA 8
Ellinwood 001 230 6 — 12 8 0
Minneola 01 322 0 — 8 8 2
Wimer, Lantz (5), Shumate (7) and. 2B—M—Wimer, Williams. 2b--wondra; jones;
ELLIS 22, EAGLES 0
Ellinwood 000 — 0
Ellis (22)0x — 22
