By Staff

            In one of the Class 2-1A state regionals, the Little River baseball team continued to roll by defeating Canton/Galva by 10 runs, 12-2 in the regional semi-finals.

            With the win the Redskins move ahead to the regional finals against Salina Sacred Heart while the Canton/Galva Eagles close out the 2023 season with a record of 9-11.

            Little River jumped out early to take a 3-0 lead and held a 5-2 advantage after both teams put a pair of runs on the board in the third. Little River then closed the game out with four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to earn the final 10-run victory.

            The Eagles had five hits from five players including Gavin Robertson, Braison Alcala, Ryder Norstrom, Noah Collins, and Emmitt Neufeldt. Collins and Neufeldt scored for the Eagles.

            Garrett Maltbie and Ross Burrill worked the mound for Canton/Galva and struck out six.

            For Little River, Kayston Cox was 2-for-2 and Logan Renken went 2-for-3 to led the offense with Renken recording four runs batted in and Cox getting two. Corbin Herbst also had a pair of runs batted in. CJ Herzog hit for a double while both Dalton Mantz and Cox pounded out triples in the game. Renken and Braden Young each had a pair of stolen bases.

            Logan Renken went the distance on the mound, giving up just five hits and one earned run with no walks and eight strikeouts.

LITTLE RIVER REDSKIN BASEBALL vs. CANTON/GALVA EAGLES at Class 2-1A Regionals

Scoring: LITTLE RIVER > 3-0-2-4-3-x-x = 12-10-2; CANTON/GALVA > 0-0-2-0-0-x-x = 2-5-1

LITTLE RIVER HITTING (ab-r-h-rbi-bb): Braden Young > 2-3-1-0-2; Dalton Mantz > 3-2-1-1-0; Logan Renken > 3-1-2-4-1; Grant Stephens > 3-2-1-1-0; Kayston Cox > 2-2-2-2-1; Spencer Strecker > 2-0-0-0-1; Carter Stansbury > 2-0-0-0-1; Corbin Herbst > 2-1-1-2-1; C J Herzog > 3-1-2-0-0.  Team Totals > 22-12-10-10-7.  2B (1) > Herzog – 1.  3B (2) > Mantz, Cox – 1.  SB (8) > Renken, Young – 2; Stephens, Cox, Herbst, Strecker – 1.

LITTLE RIVER PITCHING (ip-p-h-r-er-bb-so): Logan Renken > 5.0-80-5-2-1-0-8.

CANTON/GALVA HITTING (ab-r-h-rbi-bb): Gavin Robertson > 3-0-1-1-0; Ross Burrill > 2-0-0-0-0; Garrett Maltbie > 2-0-0-0-0; Braison Alcala > 2-0-1-0-0; Dylan Cherry > 2-0-0-0-0; Ryder Norstrom > 2-0-1-0-0; Noah Collins > 2-1-1-0-0; Ethan Unruh > 2-0-0-0-0; Emmitt Neufeldt > 2-1-1-0-0.  Team Totals > 19-2-5-1-0.   SB (1) > Robertson – 1.

CANTON/GALVA PITCHING (ip-p-h-r-er-bb-so): Ross Burrill > 2.0-26-2-3-3-1-2; Garrett Maltbie > 3.1-90-8-9-7-6-4.  Team Totals > 4.1-96-10-12-10-7-6.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)