HAYS - The Hays High baseball scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Andover then got a combined shutout from Dylan Dreiling and Dalton Dale to defeat Valley Center 4-0 to win their own 5A regional and advance to next week's 5A State Tournament in Wichita.
Game 1: Valley Center 4, Kapaun Mr. Carmel 1
Valley Center starter Payton Graham allowed just one run over 6.2 innings as the Hornets beat Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4-1 in the opening game of the day. Jesse Johnson drove two runs in with two outs in the third inning then added another in the top of the seventh for a 4-1 lead.
Valley Center improved to 10-11 with the win. Kapaun's season ends at 13-8.
Game 2: Hays 5, Andover 4
Hays won their semi-final game in dramatic fashion. Hays and Andover were tied at the end of the first and second innings. The Indians jumped ahead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on run scoring singles by Remington Cox and Carson Spray.
Highlights
Andover tied the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth. Hays ended the sixth with an unusual double play. Valley Center flew out to right field to score a run. However the runner at first left early after tagging up and was called out when the Indians appealed to first base. The run counted and tied the game at four.
The Indians loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with no outs. Garrett Wellbrock scored the game winning run when a grounder to second base was thrown wide of home plate. Dylan Dreiling took the win in relief.
Game 3: Hays 4, Valley Center 0
Hays and Valley Center stayed scoreless threw three innings before Hays scratched a run across in the bottom of the fourth. Remington Cox led the inning off with a double. Noah Weimer scored on a balk call two batters later for a 1-0 lead.
Highlights
The Indians batted around in the fifth scoring three runs on two hits and four walks. Garrett Wellbrock drove two runs in on a single. Dalyn Schwarz drove in another on a bases loaded walk for a 4-0 advantage.
Dylan Dreiling started game two and picked up the win but was lifted after six innings due to reaching the maximum pitch limit. Dalton Dale faced four batters in the seventh, striking out two, closing down the win.
Coach Dustin Dreher
Hays improves 17-3 on the year and moves on to the state baseball tournament for a 13th time in program history.