No lack of hits for state tourney

For about three innings, the Arkansas City Black Diamonds were in control and on their way to win their first game of the 2008 American Legion AAA State Baseball tournament.

Unfortunately for them, the game was nine-innings and Olathe South found their bats to come away with a 12-8 win at JayCee Ballpark Friday.

The Black Diamonds held a lead through the fifth inning, but Olathe South found their offense and pelted Ark City for seven runs on nine hits from the sixth to the eighth innings.

The Huskies found themselves down 3-0 after the top of the first inning after Ark City’s Jason Young drilled a two-run double to the left-center field wall to score Curtis Ebert and Seth O’Daniel.

Brandon Young plated Jason Young one batter later with a single that rolled just past Olathe South shortstop, Kegan Knight.

But the Huskies crawled back into the game in the bottom of the first when Mike Schneider hit a two-run double to right-center field and cut the Black Diamond’s lead to 3-2.

After a dormant second inning, Ark City took to the offensive again in the top of the third when Drew Palmer led off the inning with a double to left and O’Daniel reached on a dropped fly ball by left fielder Zach Roberts. Justin Weaver made Olathe South pay for the error with a two-run double to the right-field wall. Blake Burroughs picked up a two-out RBI single to extend the Black Diamond’s lead to 6-3.

After the third inning, Ark City’s offense ran out.

They managed just five hits over five innings until the ninth.

“When we start striking out a lot you know that we are out of our approach,” said Ark City head coach Aaron Bucher. “Their guy was throwing breaking balls on the first strike and we did not do a very good job of handling it.”

Olathe South finally found a solution to Ark City’s starting pitcher, Jarod Schmidt in the fourth when Jon Hale hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall and Kyle Rich followed up with an RBI single. Roberts atoned for his earlier error with an RBI single to right field that cut the Black Diamond’s lead to 6-5.

“We have always started slow,” said Olathe South head coach Gerry Cope. “It took us to the fourth inning to get going but when we did ...”

In the sixth inning, Rich drilled a double down the left-field line, then Knight and Roberts hit sacrifices to give the Falcons a 7-6 advantage.

“We had chances to get runners in and build up our lead and we just got away from what we do offensively,” Bucher said. “To their credit, they just kept pecking away.”

It wasn’t until the eighth inning when Olathe South put the game away.

Ark City gave up three consecutive singles then Roberts hit a two run single to shallow left field and Jack Bond followed up with a three-run home run to right to put the Falcons up 12-6.

The Black Diamonds threatened in the top of the ninth after Weaver led off with a single and Jason Young followed up with a two-run home run to left field.

“That is our first home run all season,” Bucher said. “That is not our game. Our game is to move runners and drive runners in with less than two outs.”

Ark City was able to load the bases with two outs when Palmer took a full count and struck out on a pitch from Falcon’s reliever Ryan Kacirek.

“I was nervous but, going in with a six-run lead,” Cope said. “That means pitch ground balls and throw strikes because two runs are not going to do it.”

Bucher said that he was confident with Palmer up in the situation Ark City was in.

“With any of your guys, you have to like your chances,” Bucher said. “I thought we did a good job in the seventh when we got two hits with two outs and we were able to turn out lineup over and have a chance.”

The loss moved Ark City to the loser’s bracket of the tournament, where they will face the Lawrence Raiders at 10 a.m. today. Olathe South moves on to face Blue Valley Northwest in the winner’s bracket at 4 p.m. today.

“I think we will be thinking of a way to beat Lawrence,” Bucher said.

BVNW 8, Lawrence 4

Blue Valley Northwest picked up a solo home run in the first inning and closed out their first-round game with Lawrence with a lead-off homer in the seventh as Blue Valley knocked off Lawrence 8-4 at the American Legion AAA Kansas State tournament at JayCee Ballpark Friday.

David O’Conner kicked off for Blue Valley with a solo home run in the top of the first inning and Brett Miller drilled a two-run double in the top of the fifth to put the Huskies up 3-0.

Koby Chadick picked up an RBI with a two-out single to extend Blue Valley’s lead to 4-0.

But the Huskies were not finished there.

Later in the inning, still with two outs, Ryan Coupe kept the scoring alive for the Huskies with a two-run double off the left-field wall that blew the game open 6-0.

Michael Peterson capped a six-run fifth inning with an RBI single to right field.

Lawrence cut into the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Huskies put the game away when Chadick parked a lead-off home run in the top of the seventh.

Blue Valley will take on Olathe South, a 12-8 winner over Ark City at 4 p.m. today. Lawrence drops to the loser’s bracket where they will take on Ark City at 10 a.m. today.

Hays 6, Andover 0

The Hays Senior Eagles made the most of their first appearance at the 2008 American Legion AAA Kansas State Baseball tournament.

Especially Kelton Rule.

The Eagles’ starting pitcher went nine innings and held Andover to just two hits while striking out four in 135 pitches as Hays knocked off the Trojans 6-0 in the first round Friday night at JayCee Ballpark.

On top of his pitching performance, Rule also had a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Austin Klaus started things off for the Eagles with a one-out double in the first inning. He later scored on a fielding error by Andover second baseman Taylor Spencer.

In the third inning, Travis Budke drilled an RBI double to score Rule in the third inning.

Hays will take on Pittsburg today at 7 p.m. while Andover gets a bye in the loser’s bracket and will play on Sunday.

American Legion baseball
Kansas AAA State Tournament
at JayCee Ballpark
Friday, Aug. 1
Olathe South Falcons 12, Arkansas City Black Diamonds 8
Ark City    303 000 002 —  8 18 0
Olathe South    200 302 05 — 12 17 1
Ark City: Jarod Schmidt, Jerrod Coble (7), Seth O’Daniel (8) and Jason Young. Olathe South: Corbin Pierson, Jamil Qureshi (8), Ryan Kacirek (9) and Corey Heintz. WP — Pierson (1-0). LP — Schmidt (0-1). LOB — Ark City 11, Olathe South 7. E — Olathe South: Zach Roberts. DP — Olathe South 1. 2B — Ark City: Drew Palmer, Justin Weaver, Jason Young. Olathe South: Mike Schneider 3, Kyle Rich. HR — Ark City: Jason Young. Olathe South: Jack Bond, Jon Hale.

Blue Valley Northwest Huskies 8, Lawrence Raiders 4
BVNW    100 060 100 — 8 7 4
Lawrence    000 021 001 — 4 6 3
BVNW: Brett Pener, Brett Miller (7) and David O’Conor. Lawrence: Drew Hulse, Tom Scleski (7) and Jake Green. WP — Pener (1-0). LP — Hulse (0-1). 2B — BVNW: David O’Conor, Brett Miller, Koby Chadick. Lawrence: Matthew Abel, Jake Green. HR — BVNW: David O’Conor, Koby Chadick.

Hays 6, Andover 0
Andover    000 000 000 — 0  5  4
Hays        111 001 11x — 6 11 1
Hays: Kelton Rule and Jay Sanders. Andover: James Hilts and Chris Eggers. WP — Rule (1-0). LP — Hilts (0-1). 2B — Hays: Austin Klaus, Travis Budke. 3B — Hays: Matt Malott. HR — Hays: Kelton Rule.