Adulthood seems to be treating Ryan Huth well. The AAAs’ first baseman turned 18 on Thursday, hitting a home run on his birthday. The birthday magic didn’t wear off Friday, either, as he hit a three-run home run in the AAAs’ 9-6 victory over Manhattan at Soden’s Grove to win Zone and advance to the State tournament.
Huth’s homer was part of a four-run third inning that was the first scoring of the game for either team. Emporia jumped out to an 8-0 lead by the middle of the seventh inning before Manhattan mounted a late comeback.
“I knew they were going to come back,” coach Steve Schlup said. “I told the boys during the middle of the game, ‘Don’t be looking over your shoulder at the tournament yet, because these guys will make a run at us.’ And they did.”
A four-hit seventh inning got Manhattan on the board with two runs (Manhattan was the home team based on a pregame coin flip.) Emporia starter Brett Lechien lasted 7 2/3 innings, getting pulled during the eighth for Ethan Hall. Lechien was responsible for six runs. Manhattan had two doubles and benefited from two errors during a four-run eighth inning.
“I probably left him in one batter too long,” Schlup said. “But you know what, he pitched his tail off. And the guys, we knew we were going to hit the ball some more.”
Hall hit two of the first three batters he faced in the ninth inning, which brought the tying run to the plate with one out. He struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam and get Emporia the win.
Emporia scored runs in five different innings. The AAAs had a total of eight extra-base hits, three of them triples. Huth had two extra-base hits, also coming up with a double. Coby Fitzgibbons reached base all five times he came to the plate. He had two doubles and two singles in his first four trips, then drew a walk in the ninth inning in his last plate appearance.
“Ryan hit the ball extremely well tonight and so did Coby Fitzgibbons,” Schlup said. “Man, he was hitting the ball all over the park. Those two guys, we get guys on ahead of them and look out.”
The State tournament is set to begin Wednesday in Leavenworth.
Friday at Soden’s Grove
Emporia 004 011 210 — 9 14 2
Manhattan 000 000 240 — 6 9 1
WP — Lechien. LP — Berry.
2B — EMP: Lechien, Fitzgibbons 2, Huth. MAN: Mack, Fiser. 3B — EMP: Keisler, Rodriguez, Fry. HR — EMP: Huth.
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
This team is going all the way. 49 years ago, I played legion baseball and we beat Manhattan to earn the right to play in the state tournment. We were the dark horse as we beat a fine Mahattan team that was the state in football. At the state tournament we won the first game and was ahead of Lawrence by 3 runs with 2 outs in the last ining and a ground ball to the 3rd baseman was thrown wide to fist base and pulled the first basemen off the bag by no more than 4 inches and they came back and we lost the game or we would have been in the Championship game and perhaps would have won the first state title for Emporia. We had it in the bag, but the zipper broke. Lawrence won the title and during the regular season we beat them on a long home run over center field fence. Mike Pitko went on to play professional ball for the Dodger organization. Have fun guys, the memories last a life time. And I am round'n 3rd and head'n home.
July 23, 2011 at 12:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Dizzey Dean and I never did learn to spell. If I could have hit a Dizzey Dean fast ball, I could have made it big time as I made the all star team on defense and made a lot of good plays against Manhattan. I wasn't the best defensive 2nd baseman of all time but, like Dizzey would say, I was amoung em.
July 23, 2011 at 12:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
"He who is humble is confident and wise. He who brags is insecure and lacking."
July 23, 2011 at 5:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
goodoleboy, it ain't braggin' if you can back it up.
July 24, 2011 at 1:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
goodoleboy, it ain't braggin' if you can back it up.
July 24, 2011 at 1:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
In your case it was bragging because , as history points out, never did it.
“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance”
Clearly your in love......
July 24, 2011 at 6:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truelovecharlie (anonymous) says...
But Reddog managed to comment numerous times without the help of links. Way to go reddog, I knew you could do it.
July 24, 2011 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
kindness is loving people more than they deserve and memories are roses in december. kb thomas jr july 2011.
July 24, 2011 at 11:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truelovecharlie (anonymous) says...
Insomnia is nothing to lose sleep over--me 07/25/11
July 25, 2011 at 2:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )