Through four innings, the Emporia High baseball team was right with St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday afternoon at Soden’s Grove.
However, Aquinas was able to use two big late innings for an 8-3 victory over the Spartans to conclude the Spartan Classic.
Emporia High jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first inning after Caydrick Crouch scored on a passed ball. Aquinas responded with two in the second before the Spartans responded with a pair of runs in the third. Andrew Ruxton gave the Spartans a 3-2 lead on a 2-run single. After that, Aquinas scored three in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead and tacked on three more in the seventh.
Ruxton took the loss on the mound, going six innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits and six strikeouts while also going 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs. Madden Seidl also went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Emporia High coach Anthony Markowitz said the Spartans competed with the Saints, who are usually a team that qualifies for state.
Emporia concludes the regular season at 8-14. The Spartans will now await their regional assignment with the game being played during the week of May 13.
