Many close calls for the Crusaders vs. Vikings Tuesday.

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington Crusader baseball team for the most part saw little offensive production through two games at its Class 4A Regional at Sellers Park in which it finished regional runner up.

Wellington would lose to Rose Hill 11-0 in a five-inning run rule game in the regional championship Monday night at Sellers Park. But it was the Crusaders improbable 2-1 comeback against Winfield in game one that made the price of admission worth it.

The Crusaders were down to their final out trailing Winfield 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, with nobody on base and being dominated by Viking pitcher Taylor Woods, who up to that point was throwing a one-hitter. To make matters worse, the Dukes No. 3 and 4 hitters Trevor Nance and Austin Dunn had already been thrown out at first. 

But there’s a saying that “it ain’t over until it’s over,” and boy they weren’t a kidding in this game.

Facing Wellington’s final out, Adam Condit singled to prolong the game. Then Jaden Hines stepped to the plate, and on a 2-1 pitch, buried the ball into centerfield. The Viking player could not quite reach the ball as it glazed his glove and fell into the outfield gaps. That sent Hines to second for a double and brought Condit home to tie the game at 1-all.

The game appeared to go into extra innings when junior hitter Jared Shields hit a hard grounder that was fielded by Viking shortstop Brett Roark. But his throw to first was well off the mark allowing Shields safety at first and allowing pinch runner Zach Botkins to come home on a walk-off error.

Wellington had somehow escaped with a first round victory – its first since 2008.

Trevor Nance throws a two-hitter Monday.

Nance had an impressive start on the mound going the full seven innings with 10 strikeouts, one walk and allowing just two hits.

Up until that point, Wellington had little to celebrate. Condit was the lone hitter to hit off Woods, breaking up a no hitter in the second inning.

With Nance on the mound and the Crusaders playing good defense, the game was a stalemate through three innings. Then Winfield’s John Hill doubled in the top of the fourth. The Hill was making his way to third on a fielders’ choice, when first baseman Wes Gilmore was looking instead for a double play. He would overthrow Chase Nuss at third and that allowed Hill to come home to take a 1-0 lead.

In this game, that run appeared insurmountable, and for the next three innings it was and Wellington couldn’t even smell the bases offensively.

But after pulling off dramatic seventh inning theatrics, Wellington was set to play Rose Hill in the regional championship against Rose Hill – a team the Dukes swept in the regular season.

But this time, things got ugly in a hurry. Rose Hill would score on a Nate Scantlin two-run homer over the right field wall in the top of the first, and the Rockets would never look back. Rose Hill would add four runs in the second and one run in the third to make it 7-0.

Rose Hill would end the game scoring four more in the fifth. Wellington’s lone scoring threat came in the bottom of the fifth when Jared Shields doubled and got to third with no outs. But the Crusaders still could not get him home and the season ended quietly for the Dukes.

The Rockets will now advance to Salina. For Wellington, it ends an impressive season — the best in memory — in which it finished 12-6 and was co-champions of the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV. The Crusaders had a bit of an abbreviated season due to the rain. The final two regular season double-headers were cancelled including a double-header against Clearwater in which the league championship was on the line.

Wellington Regional box scores:

1  2  3  4  5  6  7     R   H  E

Mulvane     0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0   1   4

Rose Hill    0  0  0  1  0  1  X     2   4   0

W – Cotten  L – LeClair

1  2  3  4  5  6  7     R   H   E

Winfield      0  0  0  1  0  0  0     1   2    3

Wellington  0  0  0  0  0  0  2     2   3    1

W – Nance  L – Woods

1  2  3  4  5    R  H  E

Rose Hill     2  4  1  0  4   11  9  1

Wellington   0  0  0  0  0    0   3  2

W – McBride   L – Condit

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