On Monday afternoon, KC Post 199 Varsity gave back what it got from Manhattan Manko on Sunday night, forcing one more game today to determine this year’s American Legion Class A State champion.
The KC Varsity squad knocked Manhattan starting pitcher Trey Francis out of the game after just four hitters, putting five first-inning runs on the scoreboard on the way to a five-inning, 8-0 win Monday at Soden’s Grove.
The two State tournament finalists have now traded blowouts following Manhattan’s 14-3 victory over KC on Sunday night. Varsity’s revenge win on Monday gave Manhattan its first loss in the double-elimination tourney, bringing it all down to one game at 10 a.m. today for the title.
“We were way better than what we showed yesterday,” said KC pitcher Jared Patton, “and we showed it today.”
The five-run top of the first served notice that this game wouldn’t be a repeat of Sunday night. Francis lasted just 15 pitches before being pulled. Only four of his 15 offerings were strikes, and two of those were drilled for RBI doubles.
Brian Rezin started the game with a four-pitch walk, and Destry Bryan went the other way on a 2-1 pitch, doubling down the left field line to plate KC’s first run. Francis walked Matt Wolley on five pitches, and cleanup hitter Nick Cavlovic followed by smashing a shot into right center to score two more. That was it for Francis, but not for KC Varsity; Taran Carlisle greeted reliever Jed Smith with an RBI single to make it 4-0, and an error on a ground ball to first later brought home a fifth run. KC sent 11 hitters to the plate in the first, scoring its five runs on four hits, an error and four walks.
“I think we were patient at the plate with pitches,” KC manager Steve Rezin said. “I think the umpire had a good zone, but it was a tight zone. And if you can work ahead like that, it really works to your advantage, and I think we did that (in) that first inning.”
That five-spot was more than enough for Patton, who didn’t dominate but ably worked his way through the powerful Manhattan lineup until the game was halted. Manko tried to respond to KC’s opening shot immediately, loading the bases with two out in the bottom of the first, but Patton struck out Dillon Mack to end the inning.
Patton had four Ks for the game and got them when it counted. He struck out Daniel Preston to end the second inning with a runner on second base, then escaped a two-on, one-out situation in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back strikeouts of Chase Ricketts and Taylor Hilgers to end the inning. He allowed just three hits and contributed a single and two walks with the bat.
“(It was) hard to find the strike zone the first inning,” Patton said. “Kind of tight, but we beared down and got hits when we needed to and scored when we needed to.”
KC got three more in the fifth. Taran Carlisle and Patton opened the inning with a single and a walk, and Nathan Quigley and Brian Rezin sandwiched a pair of RBI doubles around a sacrifice fly by Jackson Wagner. When Manhattan went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, the game was halted.
Bryan, Carlisle and Quigley each had two hits, and Brian Rezin reached base three times. KC had 10 hits for the game and played errorless ball in the field. Brooks Debord had two of Manhattan’s three hits, including a double.
KC Varsity earned its berth in the championship earlier Monday with an 11-3 win over Dodge City. After those two wins, KC figured to enter today’s title game on a high, but the Varsity won’t expect a win over Manhattan to come as easily as it did Monday.
“You work ahead of hitters and play good defense, that’s what wins most games,” Steve Rezin said. “I’m hoping we’ll do the same thing tomorrow. Because Manhattan’s gonna hit the ball. They’re gonna hit the ball; you’ve just gotta play defense behind (the pitcher), and we’ll be all right.”
Legion State tournament
Monday at Soden’s Grove
KC Varsity 8, Manhattan Manko 0
KC 500 03 — 8 10 0
Manhattan 000 00 — 0 3 2
WP — Patton. LP — Francis.
2B — KC: Rezin, Bryan, Cavlovic, Quigley; MAN: Debord.