The Emporia AAA American Legion baseball team has won a State Championship.
Hayden Baumwart doubled with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 6th inning lifting Post 5 to a 7-5 win over Hays in the Championship game.
Both teams scored 2 runs in the first inning. Sawyer Slayden drove in Hayden Baumwart and Jace Stewart with a single for Post 5.
Hays would score 2 runs in the 4th and added a run in the 5th to take a 5-2 lead.
Beau Baumgardner hit a two run home run in the 5th inning to cut the deficit to 5-4.
In the 6th inning Post 5 scored 3 runs on Baumwarts bases loaded double.
To get to the Championship game Post 5 slipped past Iola 3-2 in 11 innings. Jace Stewart drove in the winning run, Sawyer Slayden, with a single.
With the wins the Post 5 Seniors, of Coach Anthony Markowitz, are now 34-2.
The Post 5 Seniors will begin play in the Mid-South Regional tournament in Hastings, Nebraska beginning on Wednesday. They will play a team from Festus, Missouri. The Missouri Runner up.
The Champions from Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas are also playing in the tournament. The winner advances to the World Series to be played in Shelby, North Carolina August 15th thru 20th.
This is the 3rd AAA American Legion State Championship for Emporia Post 5.
They won State titles in 2001 and 2011.
This group of players also won the A American Legion State Championship in 2017.