Stars, BC split doubleheader atop National Division standings
With seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings, the Creche Innovations Stars slugged their way out of an early hole for a 10-7 win in the first game against Building Champions on Wednesday at Creekside Baseball Complex in Parkville.
BC returned the favor in the second game, using a three-run sixth inning to propel its way to a 7-6 win and first place in the National Division standings by a half-game over the Stars.
Trailing 7-3 in the fifth during the opener, the Stars tied the game thanks to C Adamo Stornello’s (Loyola [Montreal]/Crowder CC) RBI triple and a trio of RBI singles from 3B Joe Daneff (Park Hill/Emporia State), SS Jake Daneff (Park Hill/Emporia State) and 2B Quinton Robertson (Blue Springs South/Barton CC).
Stornello dropped in the game-winning RBI single an inning later to kick off a three-run frame.
LF Jake Miller (Vandegrift [Texas]/Southeastern Oklahoma State) scored three runs for the Stars, who led 6-4 midway through the sixth in search of a sweep during the nightcap.
Joe Daneff’s three-run shot had the Stars in front in the top of the fourth, but BC surged back in front for good on LF Nick Dunn’s (Rockhurst/San Francisco) RBI single, which was misplayed to allow the go-ahead unearned run to score.
1B Wyatt Morgan (Olathe Northwest/Johnson County CC) had a home run and three RBIs for BC.
Regal cements lead atop American Division with sweep
With a 9-3, 7-1 sweep against the KC Knights, Regal Plastic cemented its two-game lead atop the American Division standings.
LF Max Pawela (Park Hill South/Colorado State-Pueblo) and CF DJ Suonandajie (Nanjing Dongshan [China]/Rockhurst) paced the offense with two hits, while RHP Jacob Ciafullo (Raytown/Southwestern [Iowa] CC) struck out six in five innings in the opening game.
During the second game, SS Dylan Hufft (Park Hill South/Kansas State) and 1B Conlan Downey (Raymore-Peculiar/State Fair CC) each had two hits, including a pair of doubles for Hufft, in support of RHP Zachary Buschschulte (Staley/State Fair CC), who struck out four and allowed only a run on five hits in five innings.
Regal leads the Ban Johnson Legends by two games and the Milgram Mustangs by four games with nine games remaining in the regular season.
Macaws fend off Raiders rally in doubleheader split
The MBC Academy Macaws used a three-run third inning to pull in front during a 4-3 win against the BJ Raiders, who rebounded to earn a split with a 12-2 win in five innings.
1B Ashton Neuman (Flagler Palm Coast [Florida]/Benedictine) socked an RBI triple and C Hunter Moffet (St. Thomas Aquinas/Benedictine) added an RBI double during the decisive third inning. Moffet tacked on an RBI single an inning later, which proved to be a critical run.
During the second game, the Raiders scored five runs in the first inning and seven in the fourth en route to the run-rule win.
SS Dylan Grego (Staley/Ball State [Indiana]) had an RBI triple and DH Ryan Williams (Liberty/Northwest Missouri State) had an RBI double in the first, while 3B Jett Buck (Liberty North/Kansas City Kansas CC) had a two-run single in the fourth.
RHP Jake Johnson (Lee’s Summit North/Lindenwood [Missouri]), who allowed a run on a hit and a walk with three strikeouts in four innings, and RHP Caleb Sanders (Smithville/Northwest Missouri State), who struck out two in a perfect inning in relief, threw a combined one-hitter in the Raiders’ win.
Royals sweep past NBA
The MSBL Royals opened a doubleheader against Natural Baseball Academy with a 5-4 walk-off win then polished off the sweep with a 10-5 victory.
The first game was tied at 3-3 entering the seventh before CF Joe Lopez’s (Bishop Miege/Benedictine) sacrifice fly put NBA in position to win.
Instead, CF Josh Holmes (Shawnee Mission West/Butler CC) delivered a thrilling win with his two-run, two-out walk-off double. He finished 3-for-4 to lead the Royals.
The second game also was tied entering the late innings, but the Royals rode a five-run sixth inning to victory in doubling up NBA.
Holmes had what proved to be the game-winning RBI single, while C Lucas Pringle (Mill Valley/Neosho County CC) added an RBI double and both 1B Tyler Sherman (Parkway North [St. Louis]/William Jewell) and LF Ethan Woodfine (Raymore-Peculiar/Rockhurst) chipped in RBI singles.
Mustangs sweep Prospects
The Milgram Mustangs nipped the Adapt Physical Therapy Prospects 7-6 in the opening game of a doubleheader before using a pair of eight-run innings to claim a 16-3, five-inning rout in the nightcap.
SS Chase Wilcox (St. Pius X/Central Missouri) went 3-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs to pace the Mustangs to victory in the first game.
The Prospects erased a 6-3 deficit in the top of the seventh, including RBI singles from LF Christian Miles (Lee’s Summit North/Metropolitan CC) and CF Jacob Butash (Gardner-Edgerton/Newman).
The Mustangs claimed a walk-off win on LF Nathan Hall’s (Liberty/Central Missouri) sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the inning.
During the second game, 3B Nate Burdette (Maranatha Christian Academy/Dawson [Montana] CC) and DH Roman Sherman (Rockhurst/Rockhurst) rapped out two-run doubles and RF Derek Blackmore (Rockhurst/Arkansas-Pine Bluff) added an RBI triple during an eight-run third inning.
An inning later, C Luke Feucht (St. Pius X/Rockhurst) had a two-run single, 2B Peyton Lewis (Blue Springs/Baker) had a two-run double and CF McClellan Cross (Park Hill/Rockhurst), 1B Will Brant (Shawnee Mission East/William Jewell) and Blackmore added RBI singles during another eight-run outburst.
LHP Kellan Shilt (Lee’s Summit North/Rockhurst), who struck out six in four innings, earned the win, allowing a run on two hits and a walk.
Medlin helps Giants salvage split with Legends
The Ban Johnson Legends walked off 6-5 winners in the opening game of a doubleheader with the NKC Apartments Giants, but another complete game from RHP Clayton Medlin (Summit Christian Academy/Rockhurst) ensured a split in a 4-2 Giants win in the nightcap.
The Legends trailed 5-2 entering the bottom of the sixth during the first game before a two-run, pinch-hit homer by 1B Carter Bergman (Basehor-Linwood/Missouri State) and an RBI double by CF Gunnar Griffin (Raymore-Peculiar/Metropolitan CC) knotted the game.
An inning later, the Legends won on a walk-off balk, but Medlin helped the Giants bounce back. He struck out eight, scattering five hits and three walks in his fourth complete game in four starts this season.
3B Caleb Roofe (Lee’s Summit North/Highland CC) struck the big blow for the Giants, a two-run home run in the third inning.
