SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
Class 3A — Hesston 7, Sabetha 6
MANHATTAN, Kan. — No. 5 Hesston pulled off a dramatic comeback on Friday at Tointon Family Stadium, erasing a six-run deficit and walking off No. 8 Sabetha 7-6 in the Class 3A state baseball semifinals.
The win comes a day after the Swathers picked up their first-ever state tournament victory. They improve to 18-6 on the season, while the Bluejays fall to 17-13 and will play for 3rd Place this afternoon.
Andrew Huxman delivered the game-winning hit with a single down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring the decisive run after Hesston rallied from a 6-0 hole.
Sabetha jumped in front early, scoring one run on an error in the first and five more in the second on a string of hits, including a double by Jayton Meyer and a single by Reid Mitchell.
Hesston chipped away at the lead before completing the comeback in the seventh. Tanner McAllister tied the game and Huxman followed with the walk-off hit to send the Swathers to the championship.
Tim Rhodes earned the win in relief, tossing three hitless innings with four strikeouts and three walks. Huxman started the game on the mound, allowing three hits and six runs, four earned, over two innings.
McAllister led the way for the Hesston offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Keagan Shelite added two hits, and Jacob Burkholder stole a pair of bases.
Sabetha starter Isaac Hartter allowed seven runs (five earned) over six and one-third innings, striking out four. Mitchell went 2-for-4 to lead the Bluejays, while Meyer drove in two runs.
The Swathers will play at 5 p.m. in the title game against No. 3 Wichita-Trinity Academy.
Sabetha - 240 000 0 - 6 3 2
Hesston - 001 400 2 - 7 9 2
W: Rhodes. L: Hartter.