By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post Sports
HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs baseball team is headed back to the state tournament for the second year after they picked up wins over Ellinwood and Ellis Wednesday, claiming the regional championship.
SEMIFINALS: TMP 9,
Ellinwood 4
The Monarchs rallied from an early deficit and took advantage
of 11 walks in a 9-4 victory over Ellinwood in the first semifinal game of the
day Wednesday.
The Eagles struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Monarchs answered with two runs in the bottom of the first.
Grant Nehls drove in the Monarchs' first run on a single, and then two batters later, Ty Schmeidler singled home Nehls for a 2-2 game through one inning.
Following a scoreless top of the second inning, TMP scored three runs in the bottom on four straight walks, three with the bases loaded for a 5-2 TMP lead.
TMP added a pair of runs on back-to-back RBI groundouts in the bottom of the fourth and they added a third run on a Jacob Seib RBI single, making it 8-2 TMP.
Ellinwood was able to get a pair of runs back in the top of the fifth inning before TMP added a single run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth as the Monarchs went on to the 9-4 victory.
Caden Dinkel finished three-for-four. Adler Brown walked three times, and Ty Schmeidler drove in two runs.
Carson Liles earned the win, allowing four runs, one earned, on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings.
In the day's second semifinal, Ellis held off Sacred Heart 4-3, setting up an all-Ellis County final.
FINALS: TMP 15, Ellis 0 (4 innings)
The Monarchs took advantage of 10 walks and cruised to a
15-0 victory over Ellis in four innings.
Monarchs’ starter Ty Schmeidler had to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first inning, and then the offense took over, scoring six runs in the first inning.
Schmeidler helped his cause, doubling a pair of runs home, with the bases loaded to put TMP up 2-0.
Two batters later, Connor Breit walked with the bases loaded, putting TMP up 3-0.
Schmeidler followed that by scoring on a wild pitch, and TMP took a 5-3 lead on a Isaac Purinton RBI ground out. TMP added one more in the inning on a error for a 6-0 lead.
In a four-run second inning the Monarchs tripled twice, doubled and walked twice for a 10-0 lead through two innings.
They added an 11th run on a third inning error in an 11-0 TMP lead.
They closed the game out scoring on back-to-back walks, a hit by pitch and a third bases loaded walk as TMP took the 15-0 run-rule victory.
TMP’s Ty Schmeidler earned the victory. He allowed just three hits, and with one walk and struck out six
Grant Nehls was two-for-two. Schmeidler drove in three runs and Connor Breit added two.
The 2-1A State Tournament is on Thursday, May 29 and Friday, May 30 at the Great Bend Sports Complex.