American Legion Class B State Tournament - Saturday Recap in Hiawatha

American Legion Class B State Tournament Saturday Recap from Hiawatha. 

Garnett 18, Hiawatha 5 (6 innings) 

Defending champion Garnett eliminated Hiawatha from the tournament with a dominant performance in the first game of the day.

Garnett jumped out to an early lead, scoring six runs on six hits in the opening inning while sending 10 batters to the plate. Brylan Sommar highlighted the rally with a two-run single, Aleck Smith added an RBI triple, and Brody Kohlmeier drove in another run with an RBI double.

Garnett continued to pull away, scoring five runs in the fourth inning, three more in the fifth, and four in the sixth.

Hiawatha managed just one run on one hit through the first four innings. Micah Oldham accounted for both with an RBI single in the first.

The game nearly ended after five innings, but Hiawatha extended it by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Three of those runs came on bases-loaded walks, while Bradyn Newell added an RBI single.

Garnett responded by putting the game away in the sixth inning to secure the victory.

Despite the loss, Hiawatha's season continues next week at the Class A State Tournament in Pittsburg, with play set to begin Thursday.

Doniphan County 14, Seneca 1 (5 innings) 

The elimination game featured two familiar opponents, but it was all Doniphan County as they kept their title hopes alive at the time with a run-rule victory over Seneca.

Doniphan County scored in each of its four trips to the plate, tallying two runs in the first inning, six in the second, two more in the third, and four in the fourth.

Hayden Paulino led the offensive attack with two hits and two RBIs. Dustin Veach reached base three times and scored twice, while Kobe Koehler reached base twice and drove in two runs.

Seneca was limited to just two hits and committed five errors, allowing Doniphan County to capitalize on several scoring opportunities. Vince Deters singled and scored Seneca's lone run, while Levi Thomas recorded the team's only other hit with a single.

Gavin Woodruff tossed all five innings for Doniphan County, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two.

Seneca's American Legion season comes to a close with a 5-8-1 record.

Marysville 29, Doniphan County 13 (4 innings) 

This game was an offensive explosion, as Marysville outslugged Doniphan County for a 29-13 victory in a contest that featured 42 combined runs and 42 combined hits.

Marysville wasted no time, scoring six runs on five hits in the first inning while sending 11 batters to the plate. Doniphan County answered with four runs in the bottom half, making it a 10-run opening inning.

Marysville pushed its lead to 8-4 with two more runs in the second, but Doniphan County responded with an eight-run outburst on six hits in the bottom of the inning to grab a 12-8 advantage heading into the third.

The lead was short-lived. Marysville erupted for seven runs in the top of the third despite collecting just three hits, taking advantage of two costly Doniphan County errors to reclaim the lead. After Doniphan County scored once in the bottom of the inning, Marysville held a 15-13 edge.

The game was decided in the fourth. Marysville sent 19 batters to the plate and erupted for 14 runs on 12 hits. After the second out of the inning, Marysville reached base 10 consecutive times before Doniphan County finally recorded the third out. Eli Ketter made the final out on a groundout, marking his third plate appearance of the inning.

Marysville finished with 29 hits and did not commit an error defensively.

Henry Ketter went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and six RBIs. Alex Scheele finished 4-for-4, scoring five runs and driving in two. For the second straight day, Gavyn LeDuc finished a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4. Cole Rengstorf was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and five runs scored, while Ty Hager added two hits and two RBIs.

Doniphan County collected 13 hits despite the loss. Keagan Hughes went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, Parker Foley finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, Beckam Griffin recorded two hits and an RBI, and Kobe Koehler added two hits while scoring twice.

With the win for Marysville, they advance to play Concordia in the Championship game on Sunday in Hiawatha.