Aaron Lechien has noticed a pattern with his Emporia AAAs.
Give them enough time, and they’ll probably stage a comeback.
“I’m telling you, that fifth inning — if you let us get to that fifth inning, we tend to score a few runs,” Lechien said. “We’ve just got to try to get there.”
After a summer’s worth of frustrations against Lawrence, Emporia scored 10 combined runs in the fifth and seventh innings to rally for a 12-11 victory on Saturday at Soden’s Grove.
Lawrence won the nightcap, 17-6.
Before Saturday, Emporia had lost its three previous games against Lawrence by a combined score of 34-7.
“It was really good to finally get one on them — especially a comeback like that,” Emporia’s Harrison Stone said.
After falling behind 7-2, the AAAs jump-started their offense in the fifth.
Derek Krause started with a bunt single, and Jared Krause followed with a single to left before a two-run double from Taylor Clark.
After a James Sparks bunt — he reached on a throwing error — Michael Knight, Cameron Smith and Stone all posted consecutive singles as Emporia took an 8-7 lead.
“We thought we had a chance,” Emporia’s Brandon Little said. “We just needed to make a few plays and string some hits together.”
Lawrence scored four to take an 11-8 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh before the AAAs put together a final charge in their last at-bats.
Knight started with a single that chopped over Lawrence pitcher Tom Schuh, and Smith followed with a single underneath Schuh, as the ball scooted between the pitcher’s legs.
Stone contributed an RBI single over the shortstop, and after a sacrifice bunt by Dylan Smith, Little stepped to the batter’s box with the tying runs on second and third with one out.
“I was looking to get the guy on third in and make it one closer,” Little said.
The nine-hole hitter ended up doing much more than that, launching a shot over left fielder Ben Wilson’s head for a two-run triple.
“A lot of people think that the nine-hole is the worst hitter in the lineup, but that’s far from the truth,” Lechien said. “Brandon’s kind of a non-traditional nine-hole. He probably could be hitting five, six, maybe two.
“Down there, he sees more fastballs, and that’s what he hits well. We kind of deke them into thinking he’s not good, but he’s a really good hitter.”
After an intentional walk to Derek Krause, Jared Krause chopped a grounder to short to score Little for the game-winning run.
Emporia had 16 hits, led by a 4-for-4 performance from Stone. Knight and Cameron Smith both added three hits each.
The AAAs had trouble with its pitching in Game Two, walking eight Lawrence batters and hitting six others.
Lawrence put the game out of reach with a nine-run sixth.
Stone was Emporia’s offensive highlight, going 6-for-7 in the doubleheader.
“I was just keeping it simple and just looking at the ball,” Stone said. “Just like back in Little League. It’s whatever gets the job done, I guess.”
Stone was 6-for-6 before popping out to short in his final at-bat.
Jared Krause, Clark and Knight all added two hits for Emporia in the second game.
The AAAs have added one game to the schedule before this week’s Zone Tournament; Emporia will face Herington in one nine-inning game at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Saturday at Soden’s Grove
Game One
Emporia AAAs 12, Lawrence 11
Lawrence 130 124 0 — 11 12 5
Emporia AAAs 000 260 4 — 12 16 5
W — Michael Knight. L — Drew Hulse.
2B — Lawrence: Aaron Rea, Lance Lanborn, Joe Kornbrust; Emporia: Taylor Clark 2. 3B — Emporia: Brandon Little. SB — Lawrence: Rea, Drew Hulse 2, Lanborn, Jake Green; Emporia: Jared Krause, Cameron Smith. Emporia AAAs highlights — Harrison Stone 4-4, 2 RBI, R; Brandon Little 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, GW R; Taylor Clark 2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2R; Michael Knight 3-4, RBI, 3R; Cameron Smith 3-4, SB, RBI, 2R.
Game Two
Lawrence 17, Emporia AAAs 6
Lawrence 411 209 X — 17 9 1
Emporia AAAs 100 113 X — 6 10 4
W —Travis Spurling. L — Cameron Smith.
2B — Lawrence: Joe Kornbrust, Ben Wilson; Emporia: Taylor Clark, Jared Krause. HR — Lawrence: Clint Pinnick. SB — Lawrence: Matt Abel, Kornbrust, Rea, Hunter Scheib, Bill Gadberry 3; Emporia: Taylor Clark, Michael Knight, Cameron Smith, Harrison Stone 2. Emporia AAAs highlights — Jared Krause 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Harrison Stone 2-3, 2 SB, RBI; Taylor Clark 2-4, 2B, SB, RBI; Michael Knight 2-4, SB, RBI, R.