State Bound 2013 Sabetha Legion Baseball Team (Photo Courtesy of Sabetha Herald)

In a wild game that featured six lead changes and 23 free passes, after three hours of baseball, Sabetha defeated Ellis 10-9 to improve to 2-0 at AA State and advance to the winners bracket championship game on Friday.  Sabetha got a three-run homer from Taylor Bauman in the first inning and led 4-1 going into the second.  They regained an 8-7 advantage scoring three runs in bottom of the sixth, only to have Ellis score two in the seventh for a 9-8 lead.  Down to their final two outs, following a pair of walks, Kyle Stallbaumer delivered a two-run base-hit up the middle to give Sabetha the comeback victory.  

Sabetha led 4-3 into the fourth when Ellis scored a trio of runs and chased starting pitcher Brendon Garrett out who allowed six runs on seven hits and eight free passes.  With the bases loaded in the fourth, Taylor Bauman recorded the final out and Sabetha trailed only 6-5.  However, they were retired in order in the bottom of the fourth and Ellis had the lead and all the momentum, adding a tally in the sixth to go up 7-5.  After an RBI triple by McKenzie McAfee in the bottom of the sixth, Sabetha had a pair on with two outs and a ball hit by Nolan Keim took a wicked bad hop off the infield grass and into center field to score two runs and put Sabetha back ahead 8-7.  In the seventh, Taylor Bauman finished off three solid innings in relief allowing just one hit and had two outs, before Graham Howard came on to seal the win.  Instead, Howard allowed three straight hits with two outs and Ellis stayed alive and went up 9-8.  Will Crabill had pitched the whole game for Ellis but after getting one out in the bottom of the seventh, he allowed two walks and was pulled after 152 pitches.  Reliever, Trevor Hawkins came in to walk McAfee and load the bases before Stallbaumer delivered the walk-off winning hit up the middle.  

Sabetha took advantage of 12 free passes as seven of those guys scored, including three runs for Thaine Allen.  Nolan Keim and Stallabaumer each had a pair of hits and RBI as Sabetha improved to 38-11 and Graham Howard received the pitching victory for the second straight night.  It was Bauman though with three innings of solid relief that kept Sabetha in the game and his monster home run in the first inning that lifted Sabetha and earned McDonalds Player of the Game honors for Taylor.  Sabetha's three pitchers combined to allow 11 free passes  themselves, five of which scored, in a game that featured a tight strike zone that had fans from both teams on the home plate umpire all night. 

Ellis had five players with two-hits each but left 12 runners stranded on base in the contest at Smokey Ford Field in Pratt.  Ellis falls to 20-8 and will play Hays TMP in an elimination game at 12:30 PM on Friday.  Hays stayed alive by knocking out Wellington 6-5.  Rock Creek eliminated the host Pratt 10-2 and now plays Concordia at 10:00 AM Friday after Concordia fell to Iola 7-0. 

Defending state champ Iola (39-3) plays Sabetha (38-11) in the winners bracket championship game at 6:00 pm with live coverage on KNZA 103.9 FM and online at www.mscsports.net (click here to listen) as both teams have guaranteed a top three finish at the AA State Legion Tournament 2013.  The winner of the Sabetha/Iola game moves into the title game at 2:30 Saturday while the loser will play at noon on Saturday.  

Updated 2013 Legion Baseball AA State Tournament Bracket -- click here

Updated NEK League Legion Standings -- click here