The Hiawatha Post 66 Legion baseball team opened up the 2022 Senior State Tournament with a 7-5 loss to Larned in the first pool play game on Wednesday afternoon. 

Larned jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Hiawatha tallied three errors which allowed the two runs to score. 

Hiawatha was able to get one of those runs back in the home half of the first on an RBI single by Joel Bryan. Hiawatha would take a 4-3 lead after the second inning as Ashton Rockey, Xavier Oldham, and Alex Rockey all scored in the second. 

Hiawatha would extend their lead to 5-3 as they picked up an RBI single by Oldham in the fourth inning. 

Larned would battle back as they tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth after a two-run home run from Logan Erway. They took the lead for good in the seventh as they got the bases loaded with one out and got a pitch hit two-RBI single which gave them the 7-5 lead. 

Hiawatha would threaten in their final at-bat with two on and one out but they got a pop out and a strike out which ended the game. 

Larned finished the game with six hits, one error, and they left seven on base. Hiawatha finished with eight hits, four errors, and they left 10 on base. 

Bryan was our player of the game as he finished 3 for 4 with two RBI's and also pitched three innings in relief. 

This is the first time since 2006 that Hiawatha is competing at the State Tournament. 

Hiawatha will continue pool play on Thursday afternoon as they play Concordia at 2:00 PM and a ballgame you can hear on KNZA 103.9 FM.