Photo by Bridget Weishaar – The state-bound Valley Falls Dragon baseball team celebrates with the regional trophy.
by Bridget Weishaar
For the third time in the past four years, the Valley Falls Dragon baseball team will return to the 2A state tournament in Great Bend.
The third-seeded Dragons ousted the Kansas City Christian Panthers 7-6 in the top of the seventh inning to win the regional championship May 14.
The Dragons started strong, putting two runs on the board in the first inning. Junior Hayden Kearney singled and came around to score on a bad pitch followed by Collin Kearney who singled and scored on a miss by the catcher.
The second inning was quiet on both sides with each team only sending four batters to the plate.
The third inning brought the majority of the games action for both teams. The Panthers scored five runs on five walks and two hit by pitches. The Dragons answered with one run on a walk, bringing the score 3-5.
KCC sent five to the plate in the top of the fourth, stranding one. The Dragons picked up a lead off walk in the inning. A pitching change for KCC would retire the following three batters.
KCC got a base runner in the fifth when their third batter was hit by a pitch, leaving one. Two early walks in the inning led to the Valley Falls picking up two runs, tying the score at 5.
The top of the sixth was hopeful for the Panthers. The lead off runner hit a well-placed ball to a gap in right field followed by a walk and a batter hit by a pitch, loading the bases. The Panthers tagged on a fly ball, scoring just one run before being shut down by the Dragons.
The Dragons’ bats were hot in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Damian Cervantez starting the inning off reaching on an error. Cervantez stole second on an overthrow, putting himself in scoring position. Senior Zac Evans traded places with Cervantez on a stand up double to left, scoring the first run of the inning for the Dragons. The Dragons second run came from Evans crossing the plate on Collin Kearney’s hit to right. The Dragons took the lead 7-6 heading into the final inning of the game.
The Panthers threatened in the seventh with a walk and a single, but couldn’t get the job done. Catcher Collin Kearney ran down a ball in foul territory, ending the hopes of the Panthers.
The Dragons defeated the the Maranatha Eagles in the first round by a score of 9-1. In the semi-final round, the Dragons toppled the Pleasant Ridge Rams 7-2, advancing to championship play.
The Dragons were seated third in the bracket, carrying a 14-4 record into regional play.
“We are a young team with eight underclassman in our starting lineup, and only one junior and one senior,” head coach Luke Burns said. “Those kids have really stepped up behind the great leadership of Zac Kearney and Hayden Kearney.”
Regional roster for the Dragons inclueded Damian Cervantez, fr., Zachary Evans, sr., Grady Smith, fr., Brady Nellis, so., Carter Pickerell, so., Flint Seymour, so., Ashdan Reeves, so., Grant Meyer, so., Hayden Kearney, jr., Collin Kearney, so., Dylan Herring, so., and Brayson Miller, fr.
Burns became the head coach in 2021 and will be making his second trip to Great Bend in charge of the team. In 2012, Burns himself was a sophomore on the team, winning a fourth-place title. His senior year, the team was eliminated in the first round of state play.
Other 2A action saw the Oskaloosa Bears eliminate the McLouth Bulldogs by a score of 10-0 in the first round. The Bulldogs defeated the Troy Trojans in a play-in game to reach the first round of regionals, 11-7.
The Bears fell to the KCC Panthers in the semi-final round 0-2. The Jefferson County North Chargers were eliminated by a score of 8-1 in the opening round.
In 3A play, the Perry-Lecompton Kaws and the Jefferson West Tigers were in the same bracket at Ozawkie. Both teams survived the first round of action, the Kaws defeating the Doniphan West Mustangs 4-1, and the Jefferson West Tigers taking down Effingham, 11-4.
In the semi-final round, the Kaws were eliminated by the top seeded Bishop Ward Cyclones 7-0. The Tigers were defeated in a heartbreaking seventh inning loss 3-2 by the Sabetha Blue Jays.
State 2A tournament play will begin May 23 at the Great Bend Sports Complex. A full schedule appears elsewhere in this edition.