CHANUTE — Marmaton Valley High’s Wildcats were in their second straight Class 2-1A regional baseball tournament championship game. Friday’s was going better than the 2009 version but the same outcome stung the Wildcats.
The Wildcats and Jayhawk-Linn High Jayhawks were in a tight game to decide the 2010 Kansas Class 2-1A Regional tournament. It was 1-1 from the first inning through the third. Each team added a run in the fourth.
In the fifth inning, the Wildcats scored to go up 3-2 but they couldn’t shut down the Jayhawks. The Jayhawks came up with two runs in their half of the frame and made a 4-3 lead stand up.
Jayhawk-Linn won the Class 2-1A regional championship. The tournament hosted by Humboldt High School had been moved to the Neosho County Community College baseball field in Chanute for Friday’s play.
“We had a great opportunity to win this game and go to the state tournament considering our regular season record,” said Derek Scharff, MVHS head coach. “We came out in this tournament and played ball like we could have all year.”
Marmaton Valley had knocked off last year’s regional champion, Humboldt, in the first round. The Wildcats took on top seeded Uniontown early Friday afternoon and won 9-2.
Jayhawk-Linn, the No. 2 seeded team, rolled to a 14-4 win over Yates Center (6-14) in the other semifinal.
Ethan Ericson, who plans to play baseball for NCCC next year, started both games for the Wildcats Friday. After working five innings of shutout baseball in the semifinal, Ericson opened on the mound in the championship contest.
Ericson pitched four innings, giving up two runs on two hits, one walk and one hit batter. He struck out three.
Tanner Lewis came on in relief, walked two allowed a hit and a run. Jimmy Frye worked two innings and allowed one run on two hits and one walk.
Ericson led the Wildcat offense with two base hits. Cole Becker connected for a double and a single. Hitting a single were Taylor Lhuiller, Derrick Carr and Nathan Whitcomb.
Marmaton Valley was up 2-0 on Uniontown in the semifinal. The Wildcats pushed across four runs in the fourth then added three in sixth. Uniontown scored a run in the sixth and two in the seventh.
When Ericson left the game after five innings, Lewis walked three and was charged with one run. Frye pitched two innings, allowed one run on two hits and had a strikeout.
Lewis was 3-for-3 in the semifinal game with three singles and a double. Frye and Ericson each had two singles in the game. Lhuiller, Becker and Carr had a single.
“We played very well both sides of the ball. Ethan pitched a great game,” Scharff said. “We’re very proud of our guys in this tournament because they fought hard all the way to the end. That’s all you can ask. We’re a very young team and plan to be very competitive in the future.”
No reports reached the Register from Uniontown or Yates Center.
Marmaton Valley’s Wildcats finish second in 2-1A regional
