By JONATHAN ZEWYGARDT
Hays Post
GREAT BEND – The TMP-Marian Monarchs are on to the semifinals of the state baseball tournament for the first time since the 2018 season as they knocked of the No. 2 seed Marion 9-0 in the opening game of the 2-1A state baseball tournament in Great Bend Thursday.
Seven of the nine Monarchs in the lineup drove in a run and six of the nine collected a hit while Carson Liles struck out a season-high 12 as the Monarchs claimed the upset.
TMP struck early, scoring two in the first inning, taking advantage of three straight singles, the third a Liles RBI base hit putting TMP up 1-0.
Three batters later Caden Dinkel drove in a run with an RBI single of his own for a 2-0 TMP lead.
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the first for Liles, TMP kept the offense going. With the bases loaded Ty Schmeidler doubled to deep left field clearing the bases and putting TMP up 5-0.
The Monarchs added a single run in the fourth inning on a Logan Baalmann sacrifice fly and another run in the top of the sixth on an Ian Nehls RBI single making it 7-0 TMP.
TMP added two more runs in the top of the seventh, scoring a run when Adler Brown walked with the bases loaded and then Joey Mindrup drove in a run on a fielder’s choice making it 9-0 TMP.
That was more than enough for the Monarchs starter Carson Liles, who was virtually unhittable.
Liles allowed just two singles in seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts and zero walks.
TMP will play Medicine Lodge in the semifinals Friday morning at 11 a.m. after the Indians upset the No. 3 seed Valley Falls 6-5.