Baseball Class 3A State tournament got underway without delay in Manhattan with the battle of Big Seven League teams in Nemaha Central and Royal Valley, but after their game the weather has planned a factor on the tournament. 

Both teams making a trip to State for the first time in school history and the Big Seven League foes got matched up against each other in the first round for their third matchup of the year and the Thunder sounded again in this matchup earning the 7-1 win in the first round of the 3A State baseball tournament. 

The action started off sluggish for Nemaha Central starter Austin Gerety and the Thunder as Royal Valley worked the bases loaded on the first three batters of the game and looked to pounce on an early lead but Gerety settled in and struckout the side and the Panthers left the bases loaded in the first. Royal Valley followed that up with a early scoring opportunity with another opportunity in the second stranding two more runners that got on via a hit by pitch and walk. The Thunder broke through in the bottom of the second inning as Tristan Allen had a two-out single and stole second then scored on a two-out RBI single from Trenton Henry to make it 1-0 after two. 

Nemaha Central firmly grabbed control of the game behind a four-run bottom of the third capitalizing on a pair of walks, a Panther error and two two-out two-RBI singles from Neil Sudbeck and Dylan Schraad. Gerety settled down on the mound and pitched five innings of shutout no-hit ball and Schraad finished the game off for the Thunder. Royal Valley got their lone run in the sixth on two Thunder errors but the Thunder responded with two runs in the sixt and earned the 7-1 win. 

Royal Valley wrapped up their season 15-9 with the loss and made State for the first time in school history. Nick Ehrhart had the lone hit for the Panthers while Derrick Barger was on base three times with two walks and hit by pitch and Noah Hart who took the loss on the mound had a walk and was hit by a pitch. 

Nemaha Central with the win picked up their first State tournament win in baseball and improved to 21-1 on the season extending their win streak to 15-straight games. Gerety went five innings giving up no runs on no hits, five walks, two hit batter and eight strikeouts. Sudbeck finished the game 1-3 with a run scored and two RBI's, while Allen was 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Kyle Kramer, Henry and Schraad each had a hit for the Thunder. 

The Thunder move to the Semifinal to take on Wellsville or Council Grove who will finish their first round game Friday starting at 10:00am.