The Emporia AAAs ended the Blue Springs (Mo.) Tournament with a 4-2 loss to Post 1000 out of Independence, Mo., on Saturday morning.
Emporia went winless in its five games in the classic.
“We couldn’t get anything going all weekend,” Emporia AAA coach Ryan Oden said. “It’s pretty frustrating from a coach’s point-of-view.”
An illustration of the AAAs’ weeklong struggles came in their final inning.
Trailing 4-2, Emporia looked like it might get itself back into the game. Adam Tebben walked, and Michael Knight was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with none out.
Taylor Clark followed with a strikeout, and Jared Krause’s blooper turned into a disaster when it was caught and turned into a double play after an Emporia runner couldn’t get back to the bag in time.
“We had momentum to take away the victory,” Oden said. “That pretty much summed up the whole weekend.”
Cameron Smith took the loss for Emporia.
The AAAs (13-15) will play host to Junction City on Tuesday.
Emporia A-16s open Zone play tonight
The Emporia A-16s will begin their pursuit of a State Tournament berth tonight, as they open Zone Tournament play at 6 p.m. against Manhattan Pro Copy in Junction City.
The Salina 15s and the Junction City Blues are the other two teams in the A-16s’ four-team Zone.
“We’ve got a good chance,” Emporia A-16s coach Aaron Lechien said. “I think this team always has a chance to win. They might get down, but they’re not going to quit.”
Nick Riggs will get the start on the mound.
Emporia has not advanced an ‘A’ Legion team to the State Tournament since 2001, when the A-16 team was given an automatic berth because it hosted State.
The last ‘A’ team that qualified for State on its own did so back in 1994.
The 16s come in having lost four in a row, but all of those came against an experienced Manhattan Manko team.
“I thought we played well in those games, but we always had one bad inning,” Lechien said. “If we can just play like we have been, I think we have a good shot to come out on top.”
Emporia (9-16) has only played one of the other three teams in its Zone this season. The A-16s split the season series with Junction City, getting swept on the road before taking two from the Blues at Soden’s Grove.
The Emporia A-15s’ Zone Tournament begins Thursday in Lawrence.