2017 Northeast Kansas League Legion Baseball Standings - click here

2017 KNZA McDonald's "Player of the Game" selections - click here

AA State Tournament (at Marysville) bracket - click here

AAA State Tournament (at Ottawa) bracket - click here

After being pushed back a day because of rain the AA legion baseball State tournament got underway in Marysville on Thursday with opening round action. 

Doniphan County opened up the action with a 5-0 win over Hoisington be strong pitching and solid offense. Both teams managed to get the leadoff man on in the first inning but each stranded him at third base after that Doniphan County had 14 more base runners and Hoisington five for the rest of the contest. Doniphan County broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when Zeb Speer scored on a wild pitch after leading off the inning with a single making it 1-0 but Doniphan County had the opportunity for more but it was spoiled by a double play. A leadoff single by Tyler Franken got things rolling in the top fifth and he came into score on the next batter when Wil Smith laced a triple to left-center and made it 2-0. The lead grew more with a three-run top sixth highlighted by a Reid Greaser RBI double and Doniphan County led 5-0. Speer shutdown the Hoisington offense giving up just six total base runners in the contest with only two ever getting into scoring position, helping Doniphan County secure the 5-0 win. 

Speer went the distance tossing seven innings of shutout baseball giving up just one-hit, two walks and two hit batters, while striking out six and was 1-4 with a run scored and earned McDonald's "Player of the Game" on KNZA. Offensively Doniphan County had 12-hits and was led by Levi Watts who was 3-4, while Smith, Clayton Ridout and Franken both had a two-hit game. 

The win moves Doniphan County to 23-8 on the season and 6-3 all-time in the first round of the AA State legion baseball tournament. While continuing their season in the winner's bracket on Friday night as they will play at 6:00pm against Iola. (game will be broadcasted on 103.9 KNZA) 

OTHER AA State First Round Results

Iola won 6-5 vs. Russell -- Despite a hot-start to the game with a double, triple and single leading to two-runs Russell could not earn the first round win as Iola battled and held them off for the 6-5 win. A four-run third was the strong inning for Iola scoring four on four-hits, two walks and an error. Daylon Splane earned the win for Iola going seven innings giving up five runs on 14 hits and a walk, while striking out 10, while Chase Prester took the loss for Russell tossing all seven innings (6 runs on 13-hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts). Calvin Delich and Derek Bycroft led Iola at the plate each going 3-4, while Russell was led by 2-4 performances by Brady Dinkel, Cole Schmidtberger and Tanner Rome. Iola now plays Doniphan County at 6:00pm in winner's bracket Friday and Russell will play Hoisington at 10:00am in an elimination game.

Garnett won 6-1 vs. Beloit -- Garnett earned the 6-1 win over Beloit in the first round. Garnett jumped to a 5-0 lead early and gave up the lone run to Beloit in the bottom of the third. 

Hays won 5-4 vs. Marysville (8 innings) -- The nightcap proved to be a crazy game between the host Marysville and Hays. Marysville starter Jayton Haggard worked out of three bases loaded jams without giving up a run and didn't give up a hit at all in his six innings but ran out of pitches and was taken out after six innings. Up 2-0 entering the seventh Marysville needed three-outs to secure the win but a couple of errors helped Hays as they got to reliever Trey Lohse for two-runs to tie the game and ultimately force extra innings. In the top of the eighth Hays plated three with a two RBI single by Chase Werth and scored another on a Lohse wild pitch. Marysville made it interesting in the bottom of the eighth scoring two runs but left the bases loaded after a ball was just foul down the first base line that would have perhaps won them the game if it was a hit.