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Hoisington, Ellinwood baseball reach semifinals
leyton haxton
PHOTO CREDIT Lori Farmer Great Bend Tribune Hoisington Cardinal Leyton Haxton delivers a pitch against Beloit Monday.

HOISINGTON 7, BELOIT 3 – The Cardinals extracted a measure of revenge by beating Beloit 7-3 in Monday’s baseball regional after losing to the Trojans last year. Hoisington (13-7) will meet Ellinwood (14-7) at 4:30 in Wednesday’s semifinal game at Hoisington.

Cardinals M.J. Aylward and Gratton Dalton each drove home two runs. Dalton singled home pinch runner Carson Mason who stole second base after Marcus Ingram singled in the second inning.

Tony Moore scored on a Chase Steinert third-inning single.

Four consecutive walks led to a 3-run fourth inning. Dalton scored on an error. Mason Martin scored on an Aylward single. Rhen Galla scored on Moore’s sacrifice fly for a 5-1 lead.

Lane French scored on Dalton’s fifth-inning groundball. Mason scored on Aylward’s bases-loaded walk for a 7-1 lead. French retired the final three batters after Beloit loaded the bases in the seventh inning.

Beloit 010 001 1 – 3 7 1

Hoisington 011 320 x – 7 9 1

Eilert, Rexroat (4) and Adolph. Haxton, French (7) and Ingram. W—Haxton. L—Eilert. 2B—H—French.

Beloit 010 001 1 – 3 7 1

Hoisington 011 320 x – 7 9 1

Eilert, Rexroat (4) and Adolph. Haxton, French (7) and Ingram. W—Haxton. L—Eilert. 2B—H—French.

ELLINWOOD 1, SMOKY VALLEY 0 (8 innings) – Ellinwood’s Cooper Hosman singled home Cooper Gunn with the game-winning hit as the Eagles survived 1-0 against Smoky Valley (4-17) in the Hoisington 3A baseball regional. Ellinwood (14-7) will meet Hoisington (13-7) in a 4:30 p.m. semifinal Wednesday at Hoisington.

Ellinwood pitchers Bryan Jaske and Dylan Gantz combined for 1-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts. Smoky Valley starter Kade Blanchat struck out a career high 17 batters.

When both starters hit 105-plus pitchers in the eighth inning, the relievers determined the outcome. Gantz struck out Nolan Moore against his lone batter.

Viking reliever Nolan Moore was unable to finish the job. Gunn walked against Blanchat and moved to second base on a passed ball. Cooper Hosman ended the thriller on a 2-1 count.

Smoky Valley 000 000 00 – 0 1 1

Ellinwood 000 000 01 – 1 3 1

Blanchat and House. Jaske, Gantz (8) and Coleman. W—Gantz, 3-1. L—Blanchat. 2B—SV—Blanchat.

3A HOISINGTON 

Ellinwood 1, Smoky Valley 0, 8 innings

Hoisington/Central Plains 7, Beloit 3

5-16—Sylvan-Lucas 10-10 vs. Ellsworth 9-11 at Hesston, 4

5-16—Nickerson 4-15 at Hesston 15-5, 6:30 p.m.

5-17—Semifinal, 2 p.m.; 

5-17—Semifinal, Hoisington/Central Plains 13-7 vs. Ellinwood 14-7, 4:30 p.m.; 

5-17—Championship—7 p.m.