BY JIM MISUNAS
RUSSELL – For the second consecutive year, Hoisington shocked a top-seeded baseball team with a big inning. The Cardinals stunned No. 1 seed Holcomb 10-4 keyed by a 5-run sixth inning in Tuesday’s 3A Russell regional. The Cardinals completed an identical upset 13-5 against No. 1 seed Hesston in 2023.
The Cardinals (15-10) kept the momentum and dominated Cimarron/Ingalls 13-2 to qualify for 3A state baseball for the second consecutive year.
CARDINALS 13, CIMARRON 2 (1ST) – Hoisington pitcher Preston Roat (4-1) struck out three batters and threw a 3-hitter.
Carson Mason led the offense with three batted in. Tony Moore homered and knocked home a pair of runs. Mason Martin, Rhen Galla, Lane French, Marcus Ingram, Brodie Crites, Aiden Hekele, Gratton Dalton also drove in runs.
Martin scored on Galla's groundout and Moore scored on French's single in the first inning. Moore's home run ignited a 6-run third inning. Hekele and Dalton delivered RBI singles. Mason ripped a 2-run single and scored on a wild pitch for an 8-0 lead.
Ingram scored on Dalton's groundball. French scored on a Crites groundout for a 10-2 lead. In a 3-run sixth, Dalton scored on a groundout. Moore and Ingram delivered RBI singles.
CARDINALS 10, HOLCOMB 4 (SEMIFINAL) – Tied 4-4, Carson Mason drew a 2-out walk when the Cardinals roughed up Holcomb ace pitcher Korbin Johnson (6-2).
Martin singled home Mason after a stolen base. Galla singled in Martin. Moore tripled home Galla. Moore scored on a wild pitch. Ingram doubled in Lane French for a 9-4 lead.
Cardinal pitcher Moore (5-1) struck out nine batters and retired the side in order four times after a shaky first inning. The Cardinals gained momentum when Holcomb’s Davin Hernandez hit into 1-2-3 double play groundball as Moore escaped a bases-loaded jam.
Holcomb scored two first-inning runs on a throwing error and Damon Mesa and Ethan Zapata added RBI singles for a 4-0 lead. The Longhorns (19-6) managed three hits after the opening inning.
Hoisington batted 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position in the first three innings. Two runners reached base in the first. Hekele scored on Dalton’s single, but Dalton was thrown out on a steal attempt to end the inning. Galla and Moore reached base in the third, but Ingram hit into a inning-ending double play.
The Cardinals scored three unearned runs when the Longhorns committed four errors.
Mason delivered an RBI single to score Crites. Hekele scored on an error. Mason scored on Mason Martin’s groundout for a 4-4 tie.
Hoisington 206 113 – 13 1 20
Cimarron 002 000 –2 3 3
Roat and Ingram. Heddlesten, Averhoff (4), Kopper (6) and Dye. W–Roat 5-1. L–Heddlesten. 2B–H–Dalton; C–Schlesener. HR–H–Moore.
Hoisington 010 305 1 – 10 9 1
Holcomb 400 000 0 – 4 7 6
Moore and Ingram. Korbin Johnson, Shultz (6) and Olvedo. W—Moore, 5-1. L—C. Johnson 6-2. 2B—H--Ingram. 3B—H—Moore.
