Shawnee Heights erases 8-0 deficit, knocks Mill Valley out of Kansas 5A baseball tourney

Mill Valley held an 8-0 lead heading into the fourth inning of the 5A Kansas state baseball tournament Thursday. But Shawnee Heights put together a five-run inning in the fourth and eventually came out on top, 11-9, after a rain delay that lasted more than two hours.

Shawnee Heights crawled back to within a run, 8-7, in the sixth, then loaded the bases before the stadium was cleared due to storms rolling through the area.

Once the teams returned, Mill Valley pitcher Lucas Krull walked in the tying and go-ahead runs.

“It was tough on him, but he took it like a man,” Mill Valley head coach Jeff Strickland said. “I’m proud of what Lucas has done for Mill Valley baseball over the last four years.”

From there, Shawnee Heights — the tournament’s two-seed — rode its momentum to an 11-9 win. Mill Valley’s season ends at 17-6.

“Our kids came out and played great offensively and defensively, and it wasn’t anything we did poorly,” Strickland said. “Shawnee Heights just had some timely hits, and they’re really, really good. … I’m proud of what we did this year — 17-6. We had a decent season.”

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Shawnee Heights erases 8-0 deficit, knocks Mill Valley out of Kansas 5A baseball tourney."