By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 7 seed Hayden completed its Cinderella run to the Class 3A state baseball championship Friday night, taking a 5-3 win over top seed Wichita Trinity at Tointon Family Stadium.
Hayden hoists the Class 3A championship trophy after Friday's 5-3 win over Wichita Trinity. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Hayden celebrates with the Class 3A trophy in hand after earning the state title with a 5-3 win over Wichita Trinity. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Hayden junior pitcher Liam Annand went 6.2 innings, picking up the win while allowing three runs on just four hits before sophomore Aiden Roberts closed out the victory with an inning of relief as the Wildcats picked up their first state title since 2015.
You look across our roster, we don’t have many seniors, almost everyone is coming back,” Hayden coach Bill Arnold told KSHSAA Covered. “It means a lot just for the growth they made throughout the year. I’m very proud of them.”
Hayden junior Liam Annand picked up the pitching win in Friday's 5-3 win over Wichita Trinity in the Class 3A state title game. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
The Wildcats, who finished an 18-12 season, pushed three runs across in the first inning to take control.
After singles by Mason Becker and Brady Heinen, a fielder's choice by Cooper Grace and a single by Evan Lenherr produced the first run.
Sophomore Kade Mitchell then doubled in two runs to make it a 3-0 Hayden lead.
“It’s very comforting to pitch with a three-run lead,” Annand told KSHSAA Covered. “I just love to feed off our dugout’s energy.”
The Wildcats added a fourth run in the top of the third, with Mitchell once again getting the RBI on a single, scoring Kyren Waggoner.
Becker rounded out the scoring for Hayden in the fourth, scoring on a Wichita Trinity error after walking.
Mitchell went two for three with three RBI.
Trintiy scored its three runs behind a three-run triple from shortstop Josiah Sems in the third.
Joaquain Sanchez took the loss for Trinity, pitching 6.1 innings while giving up all five Hayden runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked on. Sems came on in relief due to the pitch count in the seventh.
Hayden left eight runners on base while Trinity stranded four.
Hayden combined a potent offense with a stingy defense in the tournament, only committing one error in the three games while pitching dominated each opponent. Wildcat hurlers only walked four batters in the three-game series.
Hayden reached the championship game with a 12-5 semifinal win over No. 6 seed Hoisington.
Easton Blosser went 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on five hits with two strike outs while sophomore Connor Hannika finished up, allowing no runs and no hits with three strikeouts.
Hoisington used three pitchers -- starter Preston Roat, Mason Martin and Kolter Hahn.
Hayden sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning, scoring six runs behind basehits from Lenherr, Waggoner, Annand, Mitchell and Heinen. The Wildcats were also aided by a Cardinal error.
Hayden added two more runs in the third and four runs in the sixth.
Hosington avoided a run rule game in the sixth inning by scoring four runs, with Hanika coming in to shut the door.
