MANHATTAN – The TMP-Marian baseball team could not overcome an early deficit as they fall to Sabetha 10-5 in the 3A State Baseball Championship game Friday at Toiton Family Stadium in Manhattan.

Championship game Sabetha 10, TMP 5
The Blue Jays, in only their second year of high school baseball jumped out early on the Monarchs scoring three runs on three hits in the first inning.

TMP got one run back in the bottom of the inning after Tate Garcia walked and came into score on an error by the Sabetha shortstop. But the Monarchs left the bases loaded. Runners left on base in the game would come back to haunt the Monarchs who stranded 12 runners on base in the game.

Leading 3-1 Sabetha added four more in the second and led 10-1 through four innings.

TMP’s bats came alive in the fifth and sixth innings scoring two runs in each inning but it wasn’t enough as the Blue Jays when their first ever state baseball championship.

Monarch starter Tate Garcia suffered the loss allowing seven runs – four earned – in an inning and a third.

Cole Zimmerman was 3-for-3 at the plate for the Monarchs with an RBI. Luke Ruder also drove in a run with a triple in the sixth.

TMP finished the season 23-2. Sabetha finished 23-3.

Semifinals: Riley Co. 0, TMP 2
The Monarchs got to the title game by defeating Riley County in the semifinal game earlier in the day Friday.

Starter Chase Werth allowed just three hits in seven shutout innings and Cole Zimmerman and Trenton Mayo each drove in a run in the win.

Werth struck out nine in the win.

Semifinal highlights