High School Baseball: Falcons 5, Cubs 4
MANHATTAN The ecstasy of battling all the way back to erase a four-run deficit ebbed into agony an hour later for Humboldt Highs baseball team.
A ninth-inning fielding error allowed Riley County to plate the winning run in a 5-4 win over Humboldt in the Class 3A State Baseball Playoffs.
The loss ends Humboldts season at 20-4.
Riley County seized the early momentum, taking advantage of a pair of Humboldt errors in the first inning to lead 4-0 with just one out.
But Humboldt starter Josh Vanatta settled down nicely from there.
He wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam to end the frame without allowing any more damage, then proceeded to hold Riley County hitless over the next seven innings.
Over his eight innings of work, Vanatta allowed five hits and two walks, while striking out three.
Meanwhile, Humboldts offense hit its stride in the top of the fourth, following a risky gamble by Riley County head coach Weston Steiner.
Steiner pulled Falcon starter, Dalton Engle, after he tossed his 30th pitch in the second inning, in a move to keep Engle eligible to pitch Friday, as long as Riley County advanced that far.
It almost backfired.
Humboldts Conor Haviland led off the fourth against reliever Josh Grynkiewicz with a single and scored on a Dagen Goodner triple. Taylor Lassman and Josh Hull delivered back-to-back RBI singles to close the gap to 4-3. A hit batsman loaded the bases before Humboldts Jackson Aikins came back from a 1-2 count to earn a walk, driving in the tying run.
But like Riley County three innings prior, Humboldts rally ended with the bases still loaded.
A walk and hit batter put two Falcon runners on base in the bottom of the fourth with two out, before Vanatta induced a ground ball to end the threat.
He then retired the next 12 Riley County batters before reaching is 105-pitch limit after the eighth inning.
Humboldt put runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but both runners were gunned down on the bases, effectively dousing both scoring chances.
