2014 League standings and full schedule -- click here
2014 KNZA & KMZA Legion Baseball broadcast schedule -- click here
2014 McDonald's "Players of the Game" on Kanzaland Radio -- click here

2014 Zone Tournament Pairings --- click here
(Area Zone Tournament Pairings ---
 AA Zone 5 --- Sabetha (host), Marysville, Seneca, Hiawatha, Doniphan County --for bracket click here
 AA Zone 4 --- Silver Lake (host), Frankfort, Clay Center, Westmoreland (Rock Creek)
   (1st round matchups (July 21st) -- Clay Center vs. Silver Lake 6pm & Frankfort vs. Rock Creek 8:15pm)
 AAA Zone NE1 --- Emporia (host), Atchison, Osawatomie, Leavenworth Legends, Leavenworth Naturals)

It was a beautiful July afternoon and great baseball weather on Tuesday as Sabetha Post 126 welcomed Hiawatha Post 66 to town for a NEKL twin bill and both teams ultimately picked up a victory at the end of the night. Hiawatha started the night with a 4-2 win, while Sabetha made it a split on the night taking game two 7-5. 

The night started off well for Hiawatha as they led the game off with a walk, followed that with a pair singles, including an RBI single by Brendan Steele and added a two RBI double by Parker Hasenkamp in the first inning to plate three-runs before any outs were recorded in the game. Sabetha answered in the bottom of the first using one-hit and a pair of free passes to get two-runs across home making it a 3-2 game just after the first inning.

After the first Sabetha had plenty of opportunities on the bases but stranded two in the second and third innings, while leaving the bases loaded in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, stranding 14 overall in the game. Hiawatha was set down quietly by Sabetha after the first until Dakota Bayles added an insurance run for Post 66, blasting a solo homerun in the fifth making it 4-2.

In the sixth, Hiawatha starter Taylor Jacobsen left the game with the bases loaded and Hasenkamp came in relief looking for the five-out save to preserve the Hiawatha win. Hasenkamp got out of the jam in the sixth, but walked the bases loaded in the seventh, before earning the save, pitching the final inning and two-thirds giving up three walks and notching three strikeouts. With his performance on the mound and his two RBI double Hasenkamp earned McDonald's "Player of the Game" honors on KNZA.

Jacobsen earned the win on the mound for Hiawatha going five and one-third innings giving up two-runs on two-hits, eight walks and three hit batters. Offensively Steele, Bayles and Baxter DeFore each had a multi-hit game. Steele finished 2-4 with a run scored, RBI and reached on an error, while Bayles was 2-4 with a homerun, run scored, RBI and reached on an error and DeFore tallied a 2-3 game.

Sabetha in the loss registered only two hits coming from Keegan Schumann and Kyler Krebs, but did have base runners on the night with 10 walks and three hit batters. Tyler Hackney took the loss on the mound pitching a strong six and one-third innings giving up four-runs on seven hits, one walk and striking out six.

Game two just like game one most of the offense came early in the game again in the first inning as each team tallied four-runs apiece in the first inning. Hiawatha started the game with three straight walks and followed that up with three straight RBI singles and scored another run on a Sabetha error. Sabetha answered in the bottom of the first, using two walks and four-hits, including a two RBI double by Dustin Boeckman to score four in the inning. Post 126 took the lead in the bottom of the second as Boeckman came up with his second double of the game, plating one-run in the inning, giving Sabetha the 5-4 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Boeckman preserved the 5-4 advantage for Sabetha with a diving catch in right field for the third out of the inning and Hiawatha left the bases loaded. In the bottom of the fourth a Hiawatha error and Keegan Schumann double lead to a pair of runs for Sabetha giving them the 7-4 lead. In the top of the fifth, Hiawatha got one across the plate but that's all they could manage and they fell 7-5 to Sabetha.

Gaven Schumann earned the win on the mound for Sabetha going four and one-third innings giving up five runs (four earned) on five-hits, five walks and struck out six. Taylor Bauman notched the final two-outs for the save, while offensively Sabetha only had six hits. Keegan Schumann finished 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored and a double, while Boeckman finished 2-3 with two doubles, a run scored and three RBI.

In the loss DeFore and Jacobsen led Hiawatha's offense each going 2-3 with an RBI, notching four of the teams five hits in the game. Dalton Lehmkuhl took the loss on the mound going four innings, giving up seven runs (five earned), on six-hits, seven walks and striking out four.

With the split on the night Sabetha moved to 21-15 on the season and 11-6 in League play, while Hiawatha is now 7-23 overall on the year and 3-15 in League action. The two teams get back to action on Wednesday night as Hiawatha travels to Doniphan County for a doubleheader starting at 6:00pm and Sabetha will host Rock Creek for a non-league doubleheader starting at 6:00pm.