There were a lot of positives about the Kingman-Norwich Eagles’ victory in their own South Central Shootout Friday.
Trey Johnson and Mikabe Erdman both pitched complete game victories. Johnson threw a three-hit, 5-1 opening game victory over Lyons. Erdman pitched a shutout through six innings over previously unbeaten Concordia. The Eagles won that game and the championship, 6-3.
Several Eagles were honored for their play. Erdman was named most outstanding pitcher. Johnson was named outstanding defensive player. Fellow senior Will Cousins was named outstanding offensive player. Cousins, the Eagles’ catcher, slugged two towering homeruns in the tournament.
Perhaps most importantly, the Eagles won two ballgames to move their record to 12-6. Add in a doubleheader split Tuesday night with Haven and the Eagles have secured a coveted number three seed in the Hoisington Class 4A Regional. Kingman-Norwich will host Hoisington Monday for a 5 p.m. quarterfinal ballgame.
Kingman 5, Lyons 1
The Eagles opened the four-team shootout by playing Lyons, a team they already had swept this season. Johnson took the mound.
Kingman-Norwich scored its first run in the bottom of the second. Mike Meng beat out a grounder to open the inning then advanced to third on a grounder by Ryan Smith and a wild pitch. Austin Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the run.
The Eagles added another run in the third. With one out, Johnson drew a walk and stole second. Cousins hit a grounder to third but Lyons overthrew first base, scoring Johnson and sending Cousins to second. Cousins was thrown out two batters later trying to steal home.
Meanwhile, Johnson was mowing down batters, forcing them to hit grounders into outs. He finished with five strikeouts.
After stranding two runners in the fourth, the Eagles added two runs in the fifth. Johnson led off with a based hit to centerfield. With one out, Cousins came to the plate and hit the first of his two homers on the day, a two-run shot over the left field fence.
Lyons finally got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the sixth on one hit. The Eagles answered with one more run in their half of the inning. Smith beat out a grounder to start things off. With two outs, Brant Boswell hit a deep fly to left center. Two of Lyons’ outfielders collided trying to make the play and Boswell got an RBI.
Johnson got on base three times during the tournament after being hit by pitches, with two of those coming in the Lyons game.
Kingman 6, Concordia 3
The Lyons victory put the Eagles in the championship game against undefeated Concordia. The Panthers beat Kingman-Norwich for the title last year.
The Eagles were the visitors and Johnson led off the first at bat by getting hit by a pitch. He stole second and third. When the Concordia catcher threw the ball to first on a dropped third strike against Cousins, Johnson stole home to put the Eagles on the scoreboard.
The Panthers led off the bottom of the first with a base hit against Erdman, who drew the pitching assignment. A line to right field was not caught but quickly led to an out at second. A fly out to centerfield gave the Panthers two outs. Then Johnson, playing shortstop, showed why he was named the tournament’s most outstanding defensive player by snagging a hard-hit ball up the middle and flipping the ball to Braxton Bangert at second base for the third out.
The Eagles erupted for three runs in the second inning. Meng drew a lead-off walk. Two strikeouts later, he was joined on base by Bangert, who was walked on four pitches. That scenario was repeated when Smith also drew a quick walk to load the bases.
That brought Johnson to the plate and he responded with a base hit to score two runs and leave runners at second and third. Another walk loaded the bases again and Cousins followed with an infield hit to score Smith. The Eagle rally ended with a third out strikeout but the damage was done: 3 runs on 2 hits.
Kingman-Norwich padded its lead with another run in the fourth. Johnson once again was hit by a pitch and he stole second and third on bad pick-off attempts. Cousins hit a line drive to center field to score Johnson with two outs.
The Eagles got their final run in the top of the seventh, when Cousins led off with a solo homerun over the left field fence. Kingman-Norwich loaded the bases on two hits and a walk but stranded three when a pop up was caught for the third out.
Concordia scored all of its runs in the bottom of the seventh. Concordia parlayed a walk, a base hit, another walk and another base hit into three runs before the Eagles ended the game with a force out at second.
Erdman had three strikeouts in the victory. Sixty-two of his 94 pitches were strikes. Cousins finished with four RBIs and Johnson had two RBIs.
Trey Johnson and Mikabe Erdman both pitched complete game victories. Johnson threw a three-hit, 5-1 opening game victory over Lyons. Erdman pitched a shutout through six innings over previously unbeaten Concordia. The Eagles won that game and the championship, 6-3.
Several Eagles were honored for their play. Erdman was named most outstanding pitcher. Johnson was named outstanding defensive player. Fellow senior Will Cousins was named outstanding offensive player. Cousins, the Eagles’ catcher, slugged two towering homeruns in the tournament.
Perhaps most importantly, the Eagles won two ballgames to move their record to 12-6. Add in a doubleheader split Tuesday night with Haven and the Eagles have secured a coveted number three seed in the Hoisington Class 4A Regional. Kingman-Norwich will host Hoisington Monday for a 5 p.m. quarterfinal ballgame.
Kingman 5, Lyons 1
The Eagles opened the four-team shootout by playing Lyons, a team they already had swept this season. Johnson took the mound.
Kingman-Norwich scored its first run in the bottom of the second. Mike Meng beat out a grounder to open the inning then advanced to third on a grounder by Ryan Smith and a wild pitch. Austin Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the run.
The Eagles added another run in the third. With one out, Johnson drew a walk and stole second. Cousins hit a grounder to third but Lyons overthrew first base, scoring Johnson and sending Cousins to second. Cousins was thrown out two batters later trying to steal home.
Meanwhile, Johnson was mowing down batters, forcing them to hit grounders into outs. He finished with five strikeouts.
After stranding two runners in the fourth, the Eagles added two runs in the fifth. Johnson led off with a based hit to centerfield. With one out, Cousins came to the plate and hit the first of his two homers on the day, a two-run shot over the left field fence.
Lyons finally got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the sixth on one hit. The Eagles answered with one more run in their half of the inning. Smith beat out a grounder to start things off. With two outs, Brant Boswell hit a deep fly to left center. Two of Lyons’ outfielders collided trying to make the play and Boswell got an RBI.
Johnson got on base three times during the tournament after being hit by pitches, with two of those coming in the Lyons game.
Kingman 6, Concordia 3
The Lyons victory put the Eagles in the championship game against undefeated Concordia. The Panthers beat Kingman-Norwich for the title last year.
The Eagles were the visitors and Johnson led off the first at bat by getting hit by a pitch. He stole second and third. When the Concordia catcher threw the ball to first on a dropped third strike against Cousins, Johnson stole home to put the Eagles on the scoreboard.
The Panthers led off the bottom of the first with a base hit against Erdman, who drew the pitching assignment. A line to right field was not caught but quickly led to an out at second. A fly out to centerfield gave the Panthers two outs. Then Johnson, playing shortstop, showed why he was named the tournament’s most outstanding defensive player by snagging a hard-hit ball up the middle and flipping the ball to Braxton Bangert at second base for the third out.
The Eagles erupted for three runs in the second inning. Meng drew a lead-off walk. Two strikeouts later, he was joined on base by Bangert, who was walked on four pitches. That scenario was repeated when Smith also drew a quick walk to load the bases.
That brought Johnson to the plate and he responded with a base hit to score two runs and leave runners at second and third. Another walk loaded the bases again and Cousins followed with an infield hit to score Smith. The Eagle rally ended with a third out strikeout but the damage was done: 3 runs on 2 hits.
Kingman-Norwich padded its lead with another run in the fourth. Johnson once again was hit by a pitch and he stole second and third on bad pick-off attempts. Cousins hit a line drive to center field to score Johnson with two outs.
The Eagles got their final run in the top of the seventh, when Cousins led off with a solo homerun over the left field fence. Kingman-Norwich loaded the bases on two hits and a walk but stranded three when a pop up was caught for the third out.
Concordia scored all of its runs in the bottom of the seventh. Concordia parlayed a walk, a base hit, another walk and another base hit into three runs before the Eagles ended the game with a force out at second.
Erdman had three strikeouts in the victory. Sixty-two of his 94 pitches were strikes. Cousins finished with four RBIs and Johnson had two RBIs.
