GREAT BEND – Neither the Hays Junior Eagles or the TMP-Marian Junior Monarchs could beat Great Bend Wednesday night. The Braves beat the Eagles 10-5 then knocked off the Monarchs 16-10 to secure the second spot out of their own Zone Tournament to the Class A American Legion state tournament next week in Topeka.

The Braves scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Monarchs had rallied with four in the top of the inning to pull within two. Great Bend scored six in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good then added two in the fourth and another run in the fifth to go up 11-5.

Jacob Pfeifer had three of the Monarchs 12 hits. Jace Wentling added two RBIs. Kade Harris pitched three innings and suffered the loss.

In the first game of the night against the Junior Eagles, the Braves scored three in the second and three in the third to go up 6-2 but the Eagles answered with three in the bottom of the third to pull within one. They had the potential tying run thrown out at the plate on a double steal attempt.

Keatyn Barnett wiggled his way out of bases loaded jams in the fifth and sixth without giving up a run but the Braves got a three-run double an inning later to blow the game open.

Dawson VonFeldt and Dominic Bainter both had two of the Eagles eight hits with Bainter driving in two runs.

The Junior Monarchs end their season with a 13-10 record while the Junior Eagles finish 14-17-1.