PRAIRIE VILLAGE — The Crest High baseball team continued its quest for another Class 2-1A state tournament appearance with a first round regional victory over Maranatha Christian Academy of Shawnee on Tuesday.
The Lancers (20-0) got down early when the Eagles scored one run in the top of the first inning but quickly responded with three runs in the bottom half. Crest then outscored Maranatha Christian Academy 5-1 the rest of the ballgame for the 8-2 win.
Crest’s Holden Barker and Ryan Golden each belted home runs in the fourth inning as well.
Avery Blaufuss started on the mound for Crest, a strategic move by reigning Class 2-1A coach of the year Roland Weir to save his other top pitchers for later in the regional. Blaufuss gave the Lancers a quality start, working six innings and allowing only two runs on three hits.
Trevor Church tossed the final frame, striking out all three batters.
Blaufuss walked the first Maranatha batter he faced, Malakai Rehfeld, before Rehfeld later scored in the inning on a Blaufuss wild pitch to put Crest in an early 1-0 hole.
The Lancers answered back when Jack White and Stetson Setter both singled to get on base and scored on a Blaufuss two-run single for the early 2-1 advantage. Rogan Weir also walked and later scored on an error to make it a 3-1 Crest lead in the first.
Once Maranatha brought another run across in the top of the fourth on a Graden Oswald steal of home for the 3-2 score, Crest responded yet again with four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Ryan Golden got things started in the fourth when he mashed a solo homer for the 4-2 lead. Then White and Setter both walked and scored on a Holden Barker three-run home run to dead center field for the 7-2 lead.
The Lancers built on their lead in the sixth inning when Church doubled and scored on a Setter RBI groundout to mark the 8-2 final score.
Crest had a total of nine hits while Barker’s three RBI’s led the Lancers at the plate. White and Blaufuss each had a team-high two hits.
The Lancers opposed Pleasant Ridge in the second round of the Class 2-1A regional playoff tournament on Wednesday. Results were not available at the time of publication.
