By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
GREAT BEND – The TMP-Marian Monarchs found themselves in a pitcher's duel in the opening round of the 2-1A state baseball tournament in Great Bend on Thursday. When all was said and done, it was St. Mary’s Colgan getting the best of the Monarchs, 2-0, to advance to the semifinals.
TMP sophomore Ty Schmeidler and Colgan senior Brady Vanbecelaere matched each other pitch for pitch for the better part of six innings before the Panthers scratched two runs across in the top of the seventh inning on their way to a 2-0 victory.
Schmeidler found himself in trouble, with base runners in the top of the first, thanks to an error and in the fourth, due to a walk and an error, but each time he was able to escape unharmed.
Schmeidler carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and had allowed just one walk and struck out 14 through six innings.
But in the seventh, the Panthers took advantage of three hits, scoring two runs on a pair of RBI singles.
Vanbecelaere scattered four hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts in seven shutout innings in the Panthers' victory.
He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth, the only inning the Monarchs threatened, closing out the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
Schmeidler suffered the loss. He allowed two runs, on three hits with two walks and a career-high 15 strikeouts.
TMP’s Caden Dinkel and Adler Brown finished the day 1-for-2 at the plate.
TMP finishes the season 24-6.