By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With Washburn Rural baseball on the verge of ending a 74-year-old title drought on Saturday in the Class 6A championsip game at Wichita State's Eck Stadium, Junior Blues senior catcher Aidan Newbery came through with a play that lived up to the moment.
Washburn Rural celebrates its first state baseball title in 74 years with a dogpile at Eck Stadium after Saturday's 4-3 win over Free State. [Photo by Selena Favela/TSN]
With the Junior Blues nursing a 4-3 lead with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and Free State's potential game-tying run at third base, Rural senior relief pitcher Isaac Ansley's pitch temporarily got away from Newbery and Firebird senior Eli Berns darted towards home in attempt to knot the score.
Washburn Rural senior catcher Aidan Newbery tags out the runner at the plate to clinch Washburn Rural's Class 6A state baseball championship Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The umpire calls the play at the plate to end Washburn Rural's 4-3 win over Free State in the Class 6A state championship game. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior catcher Aidan Newbery and pitcher Issac Ainsley celebrate the ending of Saturday's 4-3 win over Free State in the Class 6A championship game. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
But Newbery made the play of the day, corraling the ball as it rolled away and diving back towards home plate to apply the tag on Bern, ending the game and giving the Junior Blues the state title they had coveted for so, so long.
"I saw the ball right next to me and I knew I just needed to run as hard as I could and how it happened, no matter what,'' Newbery said. "All I did was just hold onto it as hard as I could and then just make a play. I figured I was closer (than Ansley) and I knew I wanted it so I just took it. Words can't desribe how amazing this is.''
"I thought it was going to be close, but when you think of these games and you dream about them, that's not the play that you think it ends on for sure,'' Washburn Rural coach Jay Mastin said.
Washburn Rural, which finished its season 22-8, took control of the championship game in the very first inning, scoring three runs on two hits, a walk and a Firebird error to go in front 3-0.
Newbery had the big blow in the inning, blasting a two-run double, before Washburn Rural junior Dominic Nimz plated the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
Free State (26-5) got on the board in the bottom of the first on a run-scoring single from junior Ferris Dinkel but Washburn Rural made it a 4-1 game in the fourth, with an RBI single from senior Austin Ditch scoring junior Trenton Gray, who opened the inning with a walk.
The Junior Blues would then spend the remainder of the game fighting off Free State, which scored a run in the fifth and a run in the sixth to get within a run.
Senior Isaac Ansley came on to record the save in Washburn Rural's 4-3 win over Free State in Saturday's Class 6A state championship game at Eck Stadium. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
But Rural junior pitcher Preston Bahr and Ansley stranded five Firebird baserunners over those two innings as the Junior Blues protected the lead.
That set up the dramactic bottom of the seventh, which ended in a wild Washburn Rural title celebration.
"Getting those three runs in the first inning and being able to play with the lead the entire game I think was key for sure,'' Mastin said.
"It's really about these kids this year and everything that they put into it, all the hard work, all the determination and grit and that paid off.''
Bahr picked up the pitching win with 5 2/3 innings of solid work before Ansley came on to get the save with the final four outs.
Bahr scattered nine hits while striking out three and walking just one batter.
"There were some tough times,'' Bahr said. "Their four-hole (Owen Lester) had me, but I was just battling through, knowing I had a great defense, knowing that we have the best defense in the state. It feels great.''
Offensively, Newbery had three hits for the Junior Blues and senior Drew Moore two.
CLASS 6A CHAMPIONSHIP
WASHBURN RURAL 4, FREE STATE 3
Washburn Rural (22-8) 300 100 0 -- 4 8 0
Free State (26-5) 010 011 0 -- 3 10 2
Bahr, Ansley (6) and Newbery. Young and Laubach. W -- Bahr. L -- Young. 2B -- Washburn Rural: Newbery. Free State: Dinkel.
