HUMBOLDT — Humboldt High’s Trey Sommer did a little bit of everything Friday.
The Cub sophomore drilled a tie-breaking double up the middle in the top of the seventh inning, to give Humboldt a 3-2 lead over Neodesha.
He then pitched around a Bluestreak rally, forcing a ground ball to first with two outs and the tying run on third to end the game.
The Cubs’ 3-2 victory, coming in the final round of the Walter Johnson Tournament,
“I was happy to see our guys come through and get a win after losing as many close games as we have,” Humboldt head coach Mike Miller said.
The victory snapped a five-game losing streak in which Humboldt had lost its last three games by a combined four runs, including a 7-5 setback to Central Heights to open Friday’s tournament action.
Humboldt trailed Neodesha 1-0 before Sam Hull and Gavin Page each had hits in the top of the top of the third. They both then scored on the same wild pitch put Humboldt on top.
Sommer then held that lead until Neodesha rallied to tie the score in the sixth.
That set the stage for the seventh inning, in which Page doubled, then scored on Sommer’s laser back up the middle.
Page also had a highlight play at shortstop earlier in the game, when he dove to his right to snare a ground ball. First baseman Evan Luckey then dug his throw out of the dirt a split second before the Bluestreak batter hit the base.
“Trey was phenomenal on the mound,” Miller said. “We played the best defensive game that we’ve played in a few weeks. We made some big plays in key situations that we haven’t been able to make in close games.”
Page singled and doubled to lead the hit parade. Sommer had a double, while Hull, Lucke, Trenton Heisler and Robbie Robinson all had singles.
Sommer struck out nine in his complete game victory, allowing eight hits.
THE VIKINGS took an early 4-0 lead in the opener, putting Humboldt in catch-up mode throughout.
The Cubs closed to within 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, but the Vikings responded with two more in the sixth.
Humboldt scored once in the sixth and once in the seventh, but could draw no closer.
