2A State Semi-Final Game 1 – Kennard v Abbott

It is sunny, it is already warm at 8:30 on Wednesday morning, but we get to watch baseball again today.  What a glorious world in which we live.  The home team Abbott Panthers (21-4) would face the Kennard Tigers (22-12) in the first game of the day.  The battery for the Tigers would be Jaden Kulms on the mound with Keyton Lumbreraz receiving pitches.  The Panthers would send Will Kazda to the hill with Karsyn Johnson catching.

Abbott pitcher, Will Kazda would record 2 outs on 4 pitches before giving up the first hit of the state tournament to Keyton Lumbreraz.  Keyton would steal second base before Kazda would strikeout Dakota Murray looking to end the top of the first.  Abbott wouldn’t waste much time getting on the board.  The leadoff batter struck out but 3 singles in a row would plate Preston Putejovsky.  Hogan Warren would also hit into a fielder’s choice but score Kazda in the process.

It would just take 8 pitches to record 3 outs in the top of the 2^nd for Will Kazda.  Although Kulms would face 4 batters, he would record 3 quick outs.  Tristan Burgess would start the top of the 3^rd off with a double.  Nine-hole hitter Liam McMinn would work a walk.  Kulms would take one for the team to load the bases.  The Tiger scoring got started with a Kade Hauck sacrifice fly to right scoring Burgess.

Kazda continued to struggle walking Keyton  Lumbreraz.  Dakota Murray would line one up the middle and score two runs for the Tigers.  But the pitcher’s best friend would end the inning.  Dowdy grounded into a 1-6-3 double play.  In the bottom of the 3^rd, Abbott gets caught trying to be aggressive and runs into a 1-3-6 double play ending at 3rd base. A 5-3 ground out puts the Tigers back in the dugout.

After a leadoff walk by Ashton Kammer, the Tigers would switch to some small ball.  A sacrifice bunt by Nikolas Dowdy would move him to 2^nd.  Another sacrifice bunt (fielders’ choice) would force an error at third base and plate Kammer.  Kazda would get to flyouts to the outfield.   The damage was done.  At the midpoint in was now 4-2 Kennard.  Hogan Warren would lead off the bottom of the 4th with a single past the second baseman. This would be followed by a double by Max Stalker.  Schulz would score the runner from 3^rd and Stalker would score on passed ball to give us a new ballgame.  Sustala would walk but the inning ends on lineout to the shortstop.

Will Kazda recorded 2 quick outs on a pop out to third and a fly out to right field before walking Dakota Murray.  He would get Elijah Dowdy to strikeout looking to end top of the 5^th.  Jaden Kulms would match those efforts with two quick flyouts to centerfield and then a groundout to shortstop Ashton Kammer.  At the end of the 5^th, it was still 4-4.

It would be another quick inning for Kazda, shutting down the Tigers in order on a flyout to left and 2 strikeouts.  With 2 outs, an error by second baseman Kade Hauck would put Schulz on board but 1 pitch later, the Tigers were in the dugout after a ground out to Kulms and a quick flip to Dakota Murray.

With one out, Kulms would bloop a single and then steal second.  Hauck would ground out to the second baseman.  Kulms moved up to 3^rd on a passed ball.  A ground out leaves him at 3^rd.  In the bottom of the 7^th, the Tiger’s Kulms gets a line out to second and a ground out to third before hitting Kadyn Johnson who promptly steals second.  Kazda is intentionally walked to put runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  With his only hit of the game, Connor Sullins singles to left and scores  Johnson from second.  Abbott advances to play the winner of Nazareth and Fayetteville.

WP – Will Kazda
LP –  Jaden Kulms

Player of the Game: Connor Sullins