The TMP-Marian Monarchs baseball team is headed back to the 3A state tournament after picking up a pair of regional wins Wednesday in Great Bend.
Championship game: TMP 12, Larned 3
After a little bit of a slow start the TMP offense came to life in the bottom of the fifth inning, exploding for seven runs on their way to a 12-3 win over Larned in the 3A regional championship game.
For the third straight game the Monarchs scored two runs in the first innings thanks to an RBI single by Jace Wentling and an error.
Wentling, who struck out the side in the first, struggled in the second inning allowing Larned to come back at tie the game at two. They took advantage of a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks in the inning.
A bases loaded balk by the Larned started scored the Monarchs third run of the game in the second inning. But Larned again had answer tying the game at three in the top of the third.
The big inning came in the bottom of the fifth for TMP. The Monarchs sent 12 men to the plate, scoring seven runs to take a 10-3 lead.
In the inning the Monarchs took advantage of four walking, that including Garrett Feauto's bases loaded walk to put TMP up 4-3.
Chet Irvin followed the Feauto walk with a pinch-hit two-run single putting TMP up 6-3.
Joey Mindrup singled in a run and then Griffin Schumacher plated two more with singe to left putting TMP up 9-3.
Schumacher scored the 10th TMP run on a throwing error by the catcher for a 10-3 TMP lead.
The Monarchs added two more in the bottom of the sixth inning to go up 12-3.
Jace Wentling got the win on the mound for the Monarchs as he improved to 3-3. He allowed just one hit and two earned runs over five innings for the win. He struck out five but walked four and hit two-batters.
Wentling, Nick Helget and Joey Mindrup all scored three times and Griffin Schumacher and Chet Irvin both had two RBI's.
Regional Semifinal: TMP 6, Beloit 5
In the first game of the day TMP starter Caden Morgan pitched his first career complete game and he and Jace Wentling each drove in two in the 6-5 TMP win.
After Morgan struck out the side in order in the first TMP wasted little time getting in the score colunm. Wentling tripled home a run and Morgan follwed with a sacrifice fly to put TMP up 2-0.
In the third inning Wentling and Morgan added their second RBI's of the game for a 4-1 lead.
Beloit plated three runs in the top of the fourth tying the game at 4.
In the bottom of that inning Griffin Schumacher singled home a run to put TMP up 5-4. He would later scored on an error for a 6-4 lead.
Beloit got a run in the top of the seventh and they got the tying run to third but Morgan retired the strikeout for the TMP win.
Morgan allowed three earned runs, five total runs on four hits in seven innings. Morgan improved to 4-0 on the mound.
TMP is 14-5 heading into the state tournament in Manhattan May 26 & 27.