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Free State’s Finn Moore drops down into a squatting position as Washburn Rural players celebrate behind him after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
WICHITA — As Eli Berns broke for home plate, another remarkable comeback seemed within reach for the Free State Firebirds baseball team.
Instead, second-seeded Free State witnessed its repeat title aspirations evaporate in a wrenching 4-3 loss to fifth-seeded Washburn Rural in Saturday’s Class 6A state championship game at Eck Stadium.
The Firebirds steadily chipped away at deficits of 3-0 and 4-1, and trailed by a run entering the bottom of the seventh inning.
The frame got off to a promising start as Berns reached on a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and eventually moved over to third on a wild pitch. With just one out in the inning, Owen Lester worked the count in his favor, but ultimately struck out on the payoff pitch.
Finn Moore, who played hero in Tuesday’s 9-8 state quarterfinal victory over Olathe Northwest, stepped to the plate looking for an encore of his clutch performance. But his opportunity to drive in the tying run was pre-empted by Berns’ mad dash to home plate.
Needing just one strike to end the contest, Junior Blues’ southpaw Isaac Ansley delivered a pitch that squirted under the glove of catcher Aidan Newberry.
Berns bolted for home. But Newberry quickly recovered, scooping up the ball, spinning around, and lunging toward a diving Berns — narrowly placing the tag on him in time for the game-sealing play.
“We were telling Eli to watch the ball in the dirt, and I don’t fault him one bit for doing what he did,” Free State coach Mike Hill said, adding that “a little hesitation” on Berns’ part “was the difference” on the play.
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Free State’s Eli Berns looks up for the umpire’s call after sliding into home during the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Free State (26-5) got off to a rugged start as starting pitcher Nathan Young yielded three runs in the opening frame. With the bases loaded and no outs, Newberry laced a double to left field, scoring a pair of runs.
Young yielded another run on a sacrifice fly out, but was otherwise able to minimize the damage as Washburn Rural seized a 3-0 lead.
The Firebirds cut the deficit to 3-1 in the second via Ferris Dinkel’s RBI-single to center field, scoring Owen Lester from second. But the Firebirds were struggling against Junior Blues’ starting pitcher Preston Bahr, who faced the minimum three batters in three of his first four innings on the mound.
In the top of the fourth, Young again found himself in trouble with two on and nobody out. He nearly wiggled out of the jam unscathed, but Austin Ditch’s two-out RBI single handed the Junior Blues a 4-1 cushion.
Dinkel led off the home half of the fifth with a line-smash double to center field and eventually scored on Carter Laubach’s sacrifice fly out to slice the Junior Blues’ advantage to 4-2.
With two outs in the inning, Free State loaded the bases with back-to-back singles from Ryker Mahnke and Berns, followed by a Ben Graves walk. But the runners were left stranded as Lester flew out to left.
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Free State’s Ferris Dinkel celebrates after he hits a double to set up the Firebirds for another attempt at a late-game rally during the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Young returned to the mound for the sixth and quickly retired the side in order. In the bottom half of the frame, Moore reached base after being hit by a pitch, and eventually scored on Laubach’s single to right as the Firebirds trailed 4-3. Dinkel, who earlier in the inning notched his third hit of the game, advanced to third.
Laubach’s base knock also knocked Bahr out of the game. Stepping to the plate, Mahnke swung at the first pitch delivered by Ansley in relief, flying out in foul territory to end the threat.
“We had opportunities late,” Hill said. “Left them loaded in the fifth, first and third in the sixth, and then get thrown out at the plate.
… “When you don’t get the key hits in a couple of different innings, you kind of get the air taken out of you. And it would have been easy to roll over and play dead, but our kids don’t do that.”
At the dish, Dinkel finished 3 of 3 with an RBI and a run scored. Lester was 2 of 4 with a run, while Berns also notched a multi-hit performance.
“In the early innings, we didn’t barrel things and didn’t put any pressure on them defensively,” Hill said. “And that’s a credit to (Bahr) for mixing things up.
“If anything, we were passive those first couple innings and that fed right into what he wanted to do on the mound.”
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Free State’s Nathan Young throws a pitch during the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Young scattered eight hits over seven innings of work, allowing four runs (one earned), while striking out five and walking two.
“I thought Nathan did a fantastic job after the first,” Hill said. “They kind of ambushed us early. It could have really got out of control, and he fought his way out of that.”
Free State loses seniors Zane Shaw, Young, Berns, Ben Graves, Karson Bowers, Ryan Vigna, Kyle Sikes, and Darin Fehr. Hill noted that over the past four years, the senior group has won a state championship, placed runner-up, and finished third twice at state.
“So they have a lot to reflect on and be proud of,” he said.
… “We ask a lot of our kids, and they’re always willing to give it,” Hill said. “We don’t coach effort, we don’t coach attitude, and that’s a credit to our kids.
“One of the things that we talk a lot about here is there are people who like to win and people who hate to lose. And you’d much rather be surrounded by people who hate to lose because they’re willing to go a little bit further than a guy who likes to win. And I think this senior class really embodied that mantra of hating to lose. And that made them go further in their development than otherwise.”
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Free State’s Finn Moore drops to his knees and buries his head in his helmet as Washburn Rural players celebrate behind him after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Washburn Rural players celebrate after winning the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State’s Finn Moore and Zane Shaw walk together back toward the team dugout after the final out in the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State’s players stand with their second-place medals in front of the state runner-up trophy after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State’s Ferris Dinkel buries his face into his jersey after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State’s Darin Fehr and Karson Bowers hug after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State’s Zane Shaw receives a hug after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State’s Carter Laubach tightly grips his glove with both hands as he walks toward the awaiting Free State fans after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State’s Ben Graves receives a hug after the 6A state championship baseball game on May 30 at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
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Free State senior Kyle Sikes.
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Free State senior Eli Berns.
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Free State senior Ben Graves.
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Free State senior Nathan Young.
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Free State senior Zane Shaw.
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Free State senior Karson Bowers.
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Free State senior Darin Fehr.
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Free State senior Ryan Vigna.
