KINGMAN, Kan. — No. 10 Haven used a pair of late scoring innings Wednesday to knock off No. 7 Kingman/Norwich 6-3 in a Class 3A baseball regional quarterfinal.
The Wildcats improved to 14-11 and advanced to next Tuesday’s regional semifinal at No. 2 Burlington, which defeated No. 15 Fredonia 14-0. Kingman/Norwich ended its season 16-9.
Haven struck first in the opening inning when Wyatt Bontrager singled to right field to score Tanner Loughrie. Kingman/Norwich answered with two runs in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead, but the Wildcats responded in the fourth.
Chris Barrientos tied the game with an RBI double to center field, scoring Wyatt Porting. Brogan Wray followed with an RBI single to left field to give Haven a 3-2 lead.
After Kingman/Norwich tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by D Kelly, Haven took control in the fifth. Korbin Graham delivered an RBI single to score Jaxson Wilder, and Graham later scored to give the Wildcats a 5-3 lead. Haven added an insurance run in the sixth when Loughrie hit a sacrifice fly to score Wray.
Wray led Haven at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Loughrie, Bontrager, Graham and Barrientos each drove in a run. Turner added two hits for the Wildcats.
Preston Inlow earned the win for Haven, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked four. Wray worked the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing no runs and striking out one.
Noah Manthe took the loss for Kingman/Norwich, allowing five runs, five earned, on seven hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked four.