MANHATTAN — Desperation turned into exhilaration and then frustration Friday for Humboldt High’s baseball team.
The Cubs, in a bid for the school’s first-ever state baseball championship, staged a jaw-dropping eight-run comeback to erase an 8-0 deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning against Wichita Collegiate.
But the magic ended there as Collegiate regained its composure, and then put across a run in the top of the eighth inning to secure a 9-8 win in the Class 3A state semifinals.
The loss dropped Humboldt into Friday’s third-place game against Santa Fe Trail.
Collegiate was slated to play Columbus later Friday for the state crown.
Due to the Register’s press deadline, results from the final round were unavailable.
FRIDAY’S roller coaster came one day after a sterling tournament opener one day earlier, when the Cubs dodged raindrops and rode the right arm of senior Trey Sommer to a 4-1 win over Hoisington.
Humboldt’s lone senior, Trey Sommer, rocketed a two-run homer to left field in the first inning in addition to tossing a complete game two-hitter.
Mason Sterling also delivered a two-run single into left field in the bottom of the third for the Cubs to take a 4-1 lead and the eventual win.
“That’s how we play. We’re not going to put up a ton of runs but we came up with some timely hits. Trey filled up the strike zone and we played good defense behind him,” Humboldt head coach Mike Miller said. “We couldn’t have drawn it up any better the way he (Sommer) pitched today.”
Hoisington (15-8) took a one-run lead in the top of the first inning, scored on a Sommer wild pitch that allowed Antonio Gonzalez-Moore to cross home plate.
The game began in a heavy rain and Sommer walked a couple of batters. After settling in, Sommer sat down three batters in a row in the second, third and fourth innings.
At bat, Sommer unloaded a two-run blast over the left field fence that also scored Sam Hull for the early 2-1 lead.
“The home run just kind of set the mood for everybody and I think we all had that sudden burst of energy and we all played well after that,” said Sommer. “I feel like that’s one of my biggest jobs as the only senior — being able to set that energy.”
Sterling’s two-run single in the third inning plated Blake Ellis and Colden Cook for the 4-1 advantage.
“He’s (Sterling) been doing it for the past couple weeks now,” said Miller. “In regionals he came up with some big hits and for him to come up in that key spot with two outs in a 2-1 game, that’s huge for a freshman to do that. I’m really proud of him.”
