2016 Northeast Kansas League Legion Baseball Standings - click here

2016 McDonald's "Players of the Game" on KNZA - click here

2016 AAA State Tournament Bracket (at Great Bend) - click here (Oskaloosa)

2016 AA State Tournament Bracket (at Fort Scott) - click here (Doniphan County) 

One win shy of the Championship game Doniphan County faced a familiar foe in the AA State legion tournament in Larned in the winner bracket final contest on Friday night and fell 7-6 as Larned scored their seventh run of the game in the bottom of the seventh to claim the win. 

Doniphan County started the game strong taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on an error, walk and two hits with Brody Winder delivering a two RBI single to give Doniphan the early lead. In the bottom of the first Larned capitalized on four walks and two hit batters to score three runs and snag the 3-2 lead chasing starting pitcher Wyatt Huss out of the game early and Reid Greaser came in for Doniphan County to get out of the jam and pitch the rest of the game. Doniphan responded to Larned's three runs with a four run top of the second on three hits, a walk and an error as Tucker Morris notched a three RBI double in the inning helping Doniphan regain the lead and go up 6-3. 

In the bottom of the second Larned got a run back and it was 6-4 after two and remained that way until the bottom of the sixth when Larned stratched two runs across the board to tie the game at 6-6. Doniphan County in the top of the seventh had a two-out base runner but was unable to score and in the bottom of the seventh Larned had the opportunity to claim the win. Larned led the seventh off with a double, then a single and then an intentional walk loaded the bases. Greaser than induced a groundout and Doniphan County got the force at home and went for the double play at first but didn't get it and then a throw back home to check the runner who moved to third got away and the runner scored for Larned to give them the 7-6 win. 

Hunter Idol led the Doniphan County offense in the loss going 2-2 with a walk and run scored to earn McDonald's "Player of the Game" on KNZA, while Wil Smith finished 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Greaser tossed six innings of relief giving up four runs on eight hits, a walk and recorded one strikeout in his first pitching appearance this legion season. 

The loss moves Doniphan County to 31-3 on the season and into an elimination game against Russell at 10:00am on Saturday, as Russell beat Fort Scott 6-5 Friday night to stay alive at State. With a win Doniphan County would get another shot at Larned at 12:30pm on Saturday but would need to win that game and another against Larned on Sunday to win the AA State title.