Legends sweep Prospects in hard-fought doubleheader
A two-run fifth inning broke a deadlock and provided the game-winning runs for the Ban Johnson Legends in a 7-6 win during the opening game of a doubleheader sweep Monday against the Adapt Physical Therapy Prospects at Creekside Baseball Complex in Parkville.
The Legends then used a three-run sixth inning to rally for a 3-1 win and the sweep in the nightcap.
After DH Christian Miles (Lee’s Summit North/Metropolitan CC) staked the Prospects to an early lead with a two-run homer in the top of the first, the Legends built a 5-2 lead thanks in part to SS Alex Rodriguez’s (Park Hill South/Park) RBI triple and CF Caleb Adams’ (Lansing/Kansas City Kansas CC) RBI double during a three-run third.
The Prospects battled back to tie the game in the fourth, but consecutive RBI singles from 2B Drew Lippold (Shawnee Mission West/Iowa Western CC) and Rodriguez, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, provided the game-winning runs an inning later.
During the second game, Legends LHP Angel Lebron (Coamo [Puerto Rico]/Park) struck out seven in four innings, allowing only an unearned run on three hits and five walks, but Prospects LHP Jack Correll (Mill Valley/Southwestern Oklahoma State) was every bit as good.
Correll struck out five in four shutout innings, allowing only two hits and a walk, though neither starter factored in the decision.
3B Brendyn Bard (Piper/Kansas City Kansas CC) knotted the game with a sacrifice fly before C Matt Brimacombe (Blue Valley North/Butler CC) scampered home with the game-winning run on a wild pitch and Adams stole home for an insurance run in the decisive sixth frame.
Milgram, Regal split key American Division showdown
The Milgram Mustangs cruised to a 9-3 win behind LHP Zachary Brink (Olathe Northwest/Butler CC) in the first game of a key American Division doubleheader against Regal Plastic, which slugged its way to a split with a 17-10 victory in the second game.
Brink struck out nine in six innings, allowing wo runs — one earned — on seven hits and two walks, while LF Nate Burdette (Maranatha Christian Academy/Dawson [Montana] CC) and C William Brant (Shawnee Mission East/William Jewell) powered the offense with three hits each in a comfortable opening-game win.
During the nightcap, six Regal batters rapped two hits — including 3B Taylor Foss (Shawnee Mission West/Baker), who doubled, homered and scored four times.
In addition to Foss, CF DJ Suonandajie (Nanjing Dongshan [China]/Rockhurst), DH Brady Stickert (Blue Springs South/Northwest Missouri State), C Benit Thacker (Staley/State Fair CC), 1B Luke Fricker (Park Hill South/Johnson County CC) and RF Beckett Rasmussen (Louisburg/Rockhurst) also had two hits for Regal, which scored six in the second and fifth innings. Stickert drove in three and Suonandajie scored three times.
LF Max Pawela (Park Hill South/Colorado State-Pueblo) delivered a grand slam and three runs scored in Regal’s win, while 2B Peyton Lewis went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, three runs and three RBIs for the Mustangs in the loss.
Royals, BC battle to split
Buoyed by a six-run third inning the MSBL Royals rolled to an 11-5 win in the opening game against Building Champions, who earned a split with a 9-2 win in the nightcap.
CF Josh Holmes (Shawnee Mission West/Butler CC) swatted two home runs, three-run shots in the third and fifth innings, for the Royals who also got two hits apiece from LF Gavin Wakefield (Blue Valley Southwest/Newman) and RF Noble Oxford (Rockhurst/Culver-Stockton).
BC hit three home runs, a solo shot by RF Levi Martin (Olathe South/Flagler [Florida]) and two bombs from C Sam McAleer (Blue Valley/Wichita State), who finished with four RBIs.
During the second game, Royals RF Ethan Woodfine (Raymore-Peculiar/Rockhurst) had the only home run, but 2B Jackson Mervosh (Olathe South/Saint Louis) and CF Blake Anderson (St. Thomas Aquinas/Johnson County CC) powered BC to the win with two hits and two RBIs each.
RHP Luke Schmedding (Blue Valley Southwest/Benedictine) pitched five strong innings, scattering three hits and two walks. He allowed one run and struck out five in the win for BC.
NKC Apartments nip Knights in doubleheader
As KC Knights CF Joey Calamaio’s (Shawnee Mission South/MidAmerica Nazarene) potential go-ahead home run to deep left field in the seventh inning settled into LF Hank Grauberger’s (Lee’s Summit West/Drury) glove, the NKC Apartments Giants breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The Giants led 8-2 entering the final inning before DH Brian Hawkins (Santa Fe Trail [Carbondale, Kansas]/Baker) smashed a grand slam — his first hit of the season — and the next two batters reached, giving the Knights a shot at the lead.
Instead, the Giants held on for an 8-6 win and polished off the sweep with a 5-3 victory in the nightcap.
SS SJ Hunter (F.L. Schlagle/North Central Missouri College) and 3B Caleb Roofe (Lee’s Summit North/Highland CC) each had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Giants to an opening-game win, while RF Braeden Schram (Smithville/Metropolitan CC) went 4-for-4, including a home run, in the loss.
During the second game, 3B Jeremiah Cabuyaban (Liberty/Drury) homered and LF Koen Gakstatter (Blue Valley West/McPherson) had two hits including a double, behind RHP Clayton Medlin (Summit Christian/Rockhurst), who struck out 12 in leading the Giants to the win.
Medlin didn’t cough up an earned run and allowed only five hits and a walk in the complete-game win.
NBA earns split with Raiders
A trio of two-run innings helped Natural Baseball Academy open a doubleheader against the BJ Raiders with a 6-5 win, but the two-time reigning champs roared back for a 13-0 win to earn a split.
SS Blake Venneman (Olathe East/Allen CC), DH Ben Brandt (Shawnee Mission South/Saint Mary) and C John Hendrickson (Olathe South/Allen CC) each had two hits for NBA, which got four shutout innings in relief from RHP Noe Stroer (Shawnee Mission South/Allen CC).
Stroer allowed only one hit and two walks in picking up the win.
RHP Austin Brooks (Plattsburg/Metropolitan CC) and RHP Brett Owen (Rockhurst/Kansas City Kansas CC) combined on a six-inning no-hitter. Brooks struck out 10 and walked three in five innings while Owen pitched a perfect sixth to complete the run-rule win.
RF Landrey Wilkerson (Van Buren [Arkansas]/Louisiana-Lafayette) and SS Dylan Grego (Staley/Ball State) powered the offense with three hits apiece. Each also scored twice, while Grego — who finished a single shy of hitting for the cycle — cranked out five RBIs.
C Gavin Siegfried (Staley/Crowder CC), one of three additional Raiders with two hits, added four RBIs, while 1B Noah Steele (Shawnee Mission East/Johnson County CC) and 3B Ryan Williams (Liberty/Northwest Missouri State) also chipped in a couple hits apiece for the Raiders, who scored five in the third inning and cruised from there.
Stars, Macaws split doubleheader
The Creche Innovations Stars erased a three-run deficit during a 10-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader against the MBC Academy Macaws, who returned the come-from-behind favor by erasing a two-run deficit in a 7-6 win to secure a split.
The Stars used a four-run third inning to grab the lead and salted away the opening-game victory with a six-run fifth.
RF Jake Miller (Vandergrift [Texas]/Southeastern Oklahoma State) singled twice, while 3B Skywalker Mann (Lee’s Summit West/John Wood [Illinois] CC) doubled twice and drove in four for the Stars behind RHP Luke Smith (Blue Springs/Dodge City CC), who didn’t allow an earned run in five innings and struck out five.
The Macaws trailed 4-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth before a five-run outburst salvaged a split.
LF Hunter Moffet (St. Thomas Aquinas/Benedictine), who finished 3-for-4, 3B Michael Buckendahl (Olathe South/Concordia [Nebraska]) and DH Seth Brown (Staley/Kaskia [Illinois] CC) each had RBI singles during the Macaws’ game-winning rally.
