The Hays Monarchs used a four-run second inning to build a 5-0 lead Friday night and defeat the Lincoln County Hawks 7-1 in the Zone 6 title game in Lincoln. The victory improves the Monarchs to 18-13 and advances them to the AA American Legion State Tournament next week in Pratt.

Taylor Rome gets the complete game victory, allowing an unearned run on six hits while striking out seven and walking none. His two-run single in the second put the Monarchs up 3-0. They also scored on a Braiden Werth ground out and a Ryan Schippers double. Werth drove in three despite not recording a hit.

Cameron Brin went 3-for-4 and scored three runs.

The Ellis American Legion won twice on Friday to force a second and decisive title game at the Goodland American Legion Zone Tournament. Ellis defeated Ulysses 17-2 in four innings to advance to the finals then beat Colby 5-3 to force the second title game Saturday at 2pm. The winner advances to the AA state tournament next week in Pratt.

Game 1: Ellis 17, Ulysses 2 (4 innings)
Will Crabill fires a no-hitter, walking three and striking out four in three innings of work.

Ellis scored 17 runs on 14 hits. Brandon Bollig and Cadyn McCoy both went 3-for-3 with a walk. Cole Pfeifer was 2-for-3. Koltyn Ratliff had two doubles, Dylan Winter and Conner Frame each had one.

Game 2: Ellis 5, Colby 3
Ellis scored two in the third and had a 4-1 lead after 5 1/2 innings. Colby scored in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 4-2. Ellis answered with a run in the top of the seventh. Colby loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning and scored a run but that would be it.

Brandon Bollig gets the win, allowing five hits while striking out five and walking two.

Cadyn McCoy went 3-for-4 at the plate while Scott Pfeifer had a triple.

The Hays Monarchs will try again Friday night to advance to the AA State American Legion Tournament after their game Thursday with Lincoln County was rained out.

The two teams will try again Friday at six o’clock in Lincoln.

The Monarchs beat the Hawks 3-2 on Wednesday to force the second and decisive title game.

The Ellis American Legion lost 10-2 to Colby in their second game at the zone tournament in Goodland. Cole Pfeifer gave up nine hits, walking three and striking out just one and takes the loss.

Ellis had three errors and only two hits in the game as they drop to 16-7 on the year.

They will now play Ulysses in an elimination game Friday night at six o’clock. If they win, they advance to the finals against Colby having to win twice to advance to the AA state tournament.

The Hays Eagles Junior American Legion is still alive at the A state tournament in Burlington. After losing 15-1 to Paola in their opener Wednesday, the Junior Eagles bounced back Thursday with an 11-8 win over host Burlington.

The Junior Eagles were to play at 10am Friday morning against either Jefferson County or the Salina Hawks.

Fort Hays State and former Hays High golfer Trey Herman advanced to the round of 32 at the 2013 Match Play Championship Thursday winning his first match.

Herman won 3 and 2 over Gary Lucas from Topeka in the first match play round at the 103rd Kansas Amateur at Indian Hill County Club in Mission Hills.

Herman now will take on Clarke Fry of Kansas City Friday morning at 7:30.

Former Fort Hays State golfer Markus Hilger also won his opening match, defeating Ronnie McHenry of Topeka 2&1. Hilger will now face Ryan Argotsinger from Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

FHSU golfer Tom O’Keefe fell 4 and 2 in his first round of match play to John Lovell from Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

The Salina Falcons scored four runs in the top of the 12th on a bases loaded walk and three-run double and defeats the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion 8-6 in the zone 6 tournament title game Wednesday night in Salina. The Eagles (24-17) rallied with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning and had the potential tying run at the plate when the rally ended.

The two teams were to play a second and decisive title game Thursday morning but that has been cancelled since both teams have qualified for next week’s AAA state tournament in Hays.

The Eagles forced extra innings on Layne Downing’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. Chandler Rule had three hits and Hayden Hutchison drove in two runs.

Marcus Altman takes the loss in relief, allowing four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The Hays Monarchs use two big innings to defeat Smith Center 17-4. They then held off top-seed Lincoln County 3-2 Wednesday to force a second and decisive title game at the Lincoln Zone 6 tournament. The Monarchs (17-13) and Hawks (19-6) will meet at 6pm Thursday to decide who advances to next week’s AA state tournament in Pratt.

Game 1: Hays 17, Smith Center 4
The Monarchs struck for seven in the second and nine in the fifth to erase an early 2-1 deficit. Pierce Schippers gets the win, allowing all four runs on five hits over four innings, walking three and striking out four. Grant Romme homred and drove in three to lead the Monarchs offense

Game 2: Hays 3, Lincoln County 2
Shane Zimmerman allowed one earned run on two hits, walking three and striking out 10 in the complete game victory. Lincoln scored a run in the first on a wild pitch and another in the fourth on a passed ball.

Cameron Brin’s two-run double in the top of the fourth broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Monarchs the lead for good. Ryan Schippers RBI single tied the game in the third.

Brandon Bollig allowed just one hit, walking one and striking out nine over four innings as the Ellis American Legion blanked Ulysses 10-0 in their zone tourney opener Wednesday night in Goodland. They will now play Colby Thursday at 6pm CDT.

Ellis had just five hits but drew eight walks as they move to 16-6. Scott Pfeifer tripled and Nathan Frame added a double.

Other scores from the tournament…
Ulysses 14, Norton 9
Colby 14, Goodland 8

Thursday’s games…
Norton vs. Goodland, 4pm
Ellis vs. Colby, 6pm
Ulysses vs. winner Norton/Goodland, 8pm