HAYS – The TMP-Marian baseball team split a doubleheader with Russell/Victoria Tuesday in Hays.
Aaron Breit postgame interview
Game 1: Russell/Victoria 9, TMP 7
TMP committed eight errors and Monarchs pitchers combined to walk eight and the Russell/Victoria Broncos rallied for a four-run deficit as they earned a 9-7 win in game one.
The Broncos jumped out to an early lead scoring two runs in the top of the first inning but the Monarchs answered back with two of their own in the bottom of the first.
Brady Kreutzer’s RBI triple got the Monarchs on the board and then Kreutzer stole home after Carson Jacobs was picked off first to tie the game at two.
In the third inning TMP pushed across two more runs on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Eston Brown to take a 4-2 lead.
The Broncos tied the game with two runs in the top of the fourth before the Monarchs plated three runs in their half of the inning.
TMP recorded three straight singles to load the bases and then Jace Wentling singled to give the Monarchs a 5-4 lead. Two batters later Carson Jacobs singled home the second run of the inning for TMP and Eston Brown added his second sacrifice fly of the game to put TMP up 7-4. But the lead wouldn’t last.
Russell/Victoria scored two runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-6 and the took the lead with two more in the sixth inning.
TMP outfielders committed back-to-back errors to open the frame and then Kirk Huser drove a double to center field that scored two runs to give the Broncos the 8-7 lead. They added one more in the seventh to pick up the 9-7 win.
Brendon Burhle earned the win in relief for Russell/Victoria. He allowed three runs over five innings while striking out two.
TMP’s Mason Robbins suffered the loss in relief. He allowed three runs, just one earned on four hits in two and a third innings.
The win for Russell/Victoria snapped a seven-game win streak by the Monarchs over the Broncos.
Game one highlights
Game 2: TMP 11, Russell/Victoria 1
In game two the Monarchs used a six-run inning and Colby Dreiling allowed just one unearned run as the Monarchs earned an 11-1 win in five innings.
Russell scored the game’s first run on an error by center fielder Carson Jacobs and threatened to put up a big number in the first quarter, recording three of their five hits in the first frame but Dreiling was able to work around traffic and limit the Broncos to just one run.
After a slow start TMP’s offense really got going in the second inning scoring two runs in the frame, taking advantage of three straight singles to open the inning and two straight Broncos errors that resulted in TMP runs.
TMP added two more in the third inning when Jace Wentling scored on an error by the center fielder Walker Braun and then three pitches Brady Kreutzer score the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.
The Monarchs blew the game wide open in the fourth inning, scoring six runs to take a 10-1 lead.
Ethan Atherton got the inning started with a leadoff single, after a balk and a wild pitch he would come in to scored on a throwing error by the left fielder Caden Oberle.
TMP would follow that up with three straight walks to load the bases for Kreutzer who singled in a pair of runs. An error by the third baseman Kaden Rome allowed Wentling, who walked to score and then two batters later Rome committed his second error of the inning that allowed Kreutzer to come in from third to put the Monarchs up 10-1.
In the fifth inning the Monarchs got the first two runners on and following a fielder’s choice Tyson Dinkel drop in the game ending run on a bloop single to center that gave the Monarchs the 11-1 win in five innings.
Dreiling allowed just one unearned run on five hits, while striking out one in five innings for the win.
Cooper Windholz allowed seven total runs, four earned, on five hits in three and a third innings of work and suffered the loss.
TMP is 9-3 on the season and will host Salina Sacred Heart on Monday.
Russll/Victoria is 6-6 and will travel to Ellinwood on Friday.
Game two highlights