Piper baseball team falls to Augusta, Topeka Hayden and Larned advance in Kansas baseball state tournament
Though the Piper baseball team’s Kansas Class 4A Division I state tournament run was short-lived, the Pirates walked away with the confidence and experience of a successful season.
Fifth-seeded Piper fell to Augusta 13-1 on Monday at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina, which ended its first state tournament run in 23 seasons. The Pirates ended the season 14-7.
"I can’t express how proud I am of them," Pirates coach Matt Retemeier said. "We’ve had pretty solid teams from the past that didn’t make it, but these guys had a group of 10 seniors that are all leaders in their own respective ways and put a lot of time in on the field and in the batting cages.”
Colton Beebe knocked in the only Piper run in the first inning after a leadoff walk by Ty Banes and a stolen base by pinch runner Mark Stimach.
Topeka Hayden 1, Bishop Miege 0
For seven and a half innings, Bishop Miege and Topeka Hayden were locked in a defensive battle for a chance to advance to Class 4A Division I state semifinals.
Both teams were scoreless until Hayden’s Jacob Head skipped an RBI single past the outstretched hands of Miege’s third baseman for a 1-0 walkoff victory.
Hayden’s pitcher Brogan Heinen allowed just three hits with 10 strikeouts, and Miege’s Zach Mahoney countered by giving up only seven hits and three walks with one strikeout.
"Brogan Heinen from Hayden did exactly what he does, but Zach has been doing that all year for us and giving us an opportunity to win games," Miege coach Will Gorden said. "They just got a base hit when we didn’t."
Miege, which entered as the No. 8 seed, finished the season with a 10-13 record.
Larned 2, Bishop Ward 1
Bishop Ward gave up the winning run on a walkoff single and fell 2-1 to Larned at the Hummer Sports Complex in Topeka on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A, Division II tournament.
"We were hoping to do the same there in the seventh, but their runner got around the tag," Bishop Ward coach Dennis Hurla said. "It was a very exciting game with a huge crowd, and I couldn’t be prouder of my kids because they played their hearts out."
Jesus Martinez knocked in Bishop Ward’s lone run with an RBI double to score Vic Tapia.
The Cyclones, who entered the tournament as defending champions, finished the season with an 11-9 record. It was the team’s 12th state tournament appearance in 15 seasons.
This story was originally published May 31, 2015 at 9:44 PM with the headline "Piper baseball team falls to Augusta, Topeka Hayden and Larned advance in Kansas baseball state tournament."