Reds one win away from State Tournament berth (2024)

WAHOO- The Wahoo State Bank Post 82 Seniors are on the verge of making their second straight trip to the Class B State Legion Baseball Tournament after a 3-0 start at the B4 Area Tournament at home. So far, the Reds have succeeded with a balanced defense and offensive attack.

Easily the most dominant win of the tournament for Wahoo came against ZKE Storage on July 27. Behind a three-hit shutout from Eli Johnston, the Reds picked up a 4-0 victory.

The win also helped the Reds save their pitching arms for the back half of the tournament when they might need them the most.

“Especially in a district tournament like this, and us having limited pitching, we had to find a way to manage our pitching the best we could,” Johnston said. “We did a good job last night saving Sam and Jesse, so they could go tonight. I was just on tonight and now we got guys like Jonas, Jesse, Sam Cody, and Carsen for the rest of the tournament so we can go and get it done.”

Through the first four innings of the game, it was a defensive battle with neither team scoring any runs. Wahoo finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with four runs.

Jase Kaminski started off the half-inning with a single to center. That was followed up with a bunt by Alex Borchers, fielded by the third baseman.

The throw to first pulled the second baseman to the inside of the bag which resulted in a collision with Borchers and the ball getting away.

Kaminski reacted well on the play and came around to score. Moving up to second on the passed ball was Borchers.

With one out, Sam Marxsen hit a ball deep enough for Borchers to score from third. Two more runs were driven in later in the inning on a single by Isaiah Nagle to right field which made it a four-run contest.

Johnston used those runs to his advantage giving up just two hits the rest of the way. In total, he pitched all seven innings and retired 11 Seward batters on strikes.

Finishing with two hits and two RBIs in the win was Nagle while Marxsen and Borchers both had one RBI apiece.

In the semifinals of the tournament on June 28, Wahoo took on the only other undefeated team in York. Behind a solid start, the Reds knocked off the Cornerstone Bank Seniors 5-2.

Wahoo came out swinging the bats well with back-to-back singles from Conor Booth and Marxsen. Two batters later, Cody Hesser drove in Booth with a groundout that made it 1-0.

For the second straight inning, the Reds led things off with a hit when Carson Sabatka singled to left field. Another single by Alex Barry to center allowed Sabatka to reach home and put Wahoo up by two runs.

With the bases loaded and one out in the third, Sabatka hit a sac fly to left field that scored Marxsen. In the next at-bat, Jase Kaminski singled to right field knocking in Hesser and pushing the Reds advantage out to 4-0.

Wahoo had another bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a walk, a single by Kaminski, and a hit batter. Borchers put the ball into play which scored one and put the Reds up by five.

There was a mini-comeback by York in the sixth with two runs, but it wasn’t enough to erase the hole they dug themselves into.

All driving in one run in the victory for the Reds were Hesser, Sabatka, Kaminski, and Borchers.

On the mound, Jonas Schnakenberg was solid, going 5.2 innings, giving up two earned runs, and striking out 12 batters. Stebbing went 1.1 innings in relief, gave up no earned runs, and struck out one batter.

To start the tournament on July 26, Wahoo came from behind to defeat the Aurora Pinnacle Bank Seniors 8-4.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first, the Reds responded with two runs in the second, one in the third, four in the fourth, and then one in the sixth as they built an 8-2 edge.

Knocking in one run apiece in the victory for Wahoo were Booth, Marxsen, Sabatka, Barry, and Stebbing.

Marxsen was the starting pitcher and went four innings, gave up two earned runs, and retired eight batters on strikes. Going two innings in relief with one strikeout was Stebbing while Fox pitched one inning and retired two batters on strikes.

Wahoo played the winner of York and Seward for the B4 Area Tournament Title on July 30 at Sam Crawford Field. Either team would have to beat the Reds twice to win the tournament.