Tigers sweep Chanute, forge tri-championship

CHANUTE -- Fort Scott High School's sweep of Chanute here Wednesday gave the Tigers a piece of a three-way tie for the Southeast Kansas League baseball championship, which it its third consecutive league title.

The Tigers finished 9-3 in the SEK along with Labette County and Pittsburg, the latter two splitting a doubleheader with each other Tuesday in Altamont. Had either LCHS or Pittsburg swept their twinbill, Fort Scott wouldn't have been able to finish better than second.

The Tigers (15-4 overall) defeated Chanute in game one on Wednesday 6-1 and took game two 9-1. These games were originally scheduled for Thursday but moved due to an unfavorable weather forecast.

Aj Smith's second-inning single scored Carter Young with the game's first run, the former hit by a pitch with one out. Grant Goldston's fourth-inning single plated Mason Knopp with an unearned run to make it 2-0.

Kaleb DeLaTorre doubled the score with a 2-run home run in the top of the fifth, which brought Alex Fink home as well. Chanute (3-7, 7-9) scored its lone run in the sixth inning.

Young hit his second homer of the season in the top of the seventh with Mason Knopp scoring on the play to provide the final margin.

Knopp (5-1) pitched six innings, allowing 6 hits and one walk while striking out 10. Goldston finished up, walking 2 batters but striking out 3.

The Tigers had 8 hits, 2 by Goldston.

Chanute scored first in game two, a single run off a double and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second. Fort Scott tied it in the bottom of the inning as DeLaTorre hit a leadoff double, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout.

The Tigers broke the game open in the top of the fifth, scoring 7 times. Jake Bradbury and DeLaTorre drew back-to-back walks to lead things off. They both stole the base ahead while Chase Brown was batting. Brown reached on a dropped pop-up, which allowed both runners to score.

Brown ended up at third on the play and scored on Knopp's single to center. Young's double scored Knopp. Then Goldston singled to center and ended up on second after an error. Benjamin Labbe's one-out single scored Young. Labbe then stole second with Goldston scoring on an error. Fink and Bradbury both drew walks ahead of DeLaTorre's sacrifice fly that plated Labbe to make it 8-1.

The final run scored in the top of the seventh when DeLaTorre's flair single to left brought Labbe in to score.

Fort Scott had 12 hits in total with Bradbury, DeLaTorre, Young, Goldston and Labbe picking up 2 each.

Ryan Pickert (4-1) allowed one run on 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 over the first 6 innings. Jarrett Lyon finished up, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out 2 in the seventh.

Fort Scott will be the host of the Class 4A-Division I Regional Tournament, which begins Mponday at Dave Regan Stadium. Details are provided in the summary below.

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Game One

Fort Scott.......................... 010 120 2 -- 6 8 1

Chanute............................. 000 001 0 -- 1 6 2

WP -- Knopp (5-1). LP -- Martinez.

HR -- Fort Scott: DeLaTorre (1, 5th inn., 1 on, 1 out), Young (2, 7th inn., 1 on, 1 out).

Game Two

Fort Scott......................... 001 070 1 -- 9 12 0

Chanute............................. 010 000 0 -- 1 3 4

WP -- Pickert (4-1). LP -- Manbeck.

HR -- None.