The Emporia AAAs finally found the right combination for a win on Tuesday night.
Now, they might just use it for the remainder of the season.
With the coaches coaching and the players making the lineup, Emporia broke a seven-game losing streak with a 9-1 run-rule victory over Kansas City Post 195.
“We may let them do (the lineup) the rest of the year,” Emporia AAAs coach Ryan Oden said. “Who knows you better than your own teammates? It just shows that us coaches are not right 100 percent of the time.”
Emporia lost the first game of the doubleheader, 7-4.
The AAAs showed renewed signs of life on Tuesday after Oden turned the control of the team over to his players.
At practice on Monday, he told his kids that they were going to make the lineup and also make all the game decisions for Game One of the doubleheader.
“It’s not that they didn’t respect us,” Oden said, “I just don’t think they understood all the little things we do.”
The AAAs took the extra responsibility seriously.
A team meeting was held after practice, and a lineup was finalized by a few of the players at Taco Bell.
The changes were numerous. Taylor Clark moved from the outfield to catcher and down from leadoff to the three-hole.
Little-used Jaime Carlos played both games, Harrison Stone moved from infield to outfield and Alex Reyes received a call from his teammates Monday night to tell him he would play at first base for the first time in his life.
“We moved around, and it allowed us to have some fun,” Clark said. “It makes it not as much of a grind.”
It still didn’t add up to a victory in Game One.
With Oden relaying signs in the third-base coaching box given to him by players on the bench, the AAAs fell 7-4, giving up the game-deciding three runs in the top of the sixth.
Oden took back the coaching reins in Game Two but allowed his players to make the lineup once again.
With that combination, Emporia dominated from the start, scoring four in the first.
The first five AAA batters reached base — Jared Krause singled, Reyes walked, and Clark, Jonathan Hrabik and Stone all followed with hits. Michael Knight’s RBI groundout extended the Emporia lead.
“It’s good to score those four runs in the first,” Reyes said. “You know it’s going to be a good game then.”
Emporia kept rolling in the second, tallying three more with the help of singles from Reyes, Clark and Adam Tebben.
“It was really nice to get things turning,” Clark said, “and to get the wheels on the bus going again.”
Meanwhile, Tebben dominated on the mound, allowing just one run and five hits to take the victory. He struck out the side in the fourth and fanned six batters in all.
Clark led Emporia offensively, going 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored.
“I’m seeing the ball really well,” Clark said. “A lot of it is letting the ball get as deep as possible.”
Emporia battled back but never took the lead in Game One.
After falling behind 4-0, the AAAs rallied for three in the third.
Emporia tied it in the fourth, as Reyes’ RBI double to left center scored Carlos from second.
Kansas City scored three in the sixth, posting three doubles and a single.
Krause, Reyes and Carlos had two hits apiece, combining for all six AAA hits.
Emporia (14-16) will play host to Junction City at 6 p.m. Thursday. At 5:30, a special ceremony will be held to celebrate the renovations made to Soden’s Grove. Last year’s AAA Legion State runner-up team also will be honored between games. Admission to the doubleheader is free.
Tuesday at Emporia
Game One
Kansas City 7, Emporia 4
Kansas City 004 003 0 — 7 11 4
Emporia AAAs 003 100 0 — 4 6 2
W — Cameron Lemanske. L — Joe Solis. Sv — Michael Rezen.
2B — Kansas City: Nick Creten, Justin Parmalee, Cameron Lemanske; Emporia: Alex Reyes. SB — Kansas City: Nick Creten, Andrew King, Justin Parmalee.
Emporia AAA highlights — Alex Reyes 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R; Jaime Carlos 2-3, R; Jared Krause 2-4, R.
Game Two
Emporia 9, Kansas City 1
Kansas City 001 00X X — 1 5 2
Emporia AAAs 430 2XX X — 9 9 0
W — Adam Tebben. L — Aaron Berlin.
2B — Kansas City: Jake Trabert, Cameron Lemanske; Emporia: Adam Tebben. 3B — Emporia: Taylor Clark. SB — Kansas City: Augie Pierce; Emporia: Jared Krause, Taylor Clark 2, Jonathan Hrabik.
Emporia AAA highlights — Taylor Clark 3-3, 3B, 3R, RBI; Adam Tebben 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Jonathan Hrabik 1-3, 2R, 2 RBI, SB.