Canton-Galva?Competing in the Moundridge Class 2-1A regional baseball bracket, the No. 5 Eagles (2-12) opened with a quarterfinal, 13-2, run-rule victory over No. 4 Herington (2-10) Monday.
After scoring a run in the first inning, the Eagles pushed the lead to 4-2 after two. They added three runs in the fourth and six in the fifth.
Ryan Grant went 3-for-4 at-bat, including a triple, and had one run batted in. Tanner Klingensmith, Nick Bray and Jacob Struber each went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Struber?s three-run double cleared the bases and ended the game.
Klingensmith threw all five innings for the win. He gave up two hits and two runs, both earned. He walked five hitters and struck out five.
?(Klingensmith) walked a few too many the first couple of innings, which led to the two runs but settled down to retire Herington in order the last three innings,? coach Kelly Nelson said. ?We didn?t commit an error in the game.?
With the win, Canton-Galva advanced to face No. 1 Mound?ridge (10-10) in the semifinals, but lost 7-6.
The Eagles claimed a 3-1 lead after three innings and led 4-3 after five. But Moundridge tied the game at 6-6 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth and added the winning run in the final inning.
?We played really hard and competed until the very end,? Nelson said. ?We had two errors that proved costly.?
Grant has three hits, including a triple, in four at-bats while Klingensmith, Struber and Ethan Loyd each went 2-for-4 with a RBI. Klingensmith hit triple and Struber a double.
Dailey pitched 52?3 innings for CGHS, giving up eight hits and six runs (four earned) while walking three and striking out two.
Connor Farnham absorbed the pitching loss on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.
?We ended the year 3-15, coming off a year with only one win, and we had no seniors (and) started three freshmen and four sophomores,? Nelson said. ?We showed improvement and played our best games of the year these last two games.
?With everybody back, we are looking for a much better year next year.?
Moundridge went on to fall to No. 2 Inman (10-9) in the championship game, 8-1.
The Canton-Galva softball team (2-14), meanwhile, entered the Class 2-1A regional tournament at Canton-Galva as the No. 5 seed at 2-14 and defeated No. 4 Ellinwood (4-10), 13-6, May 13. The Eagles then faced No. 1 Moundridge (9-9), who had enjoyed a first-round bye, and fell, 8-3, in the semifinals.
