Heading into Friday’s game in the Emporia Baseball Classic, the Emporia High baseball team knew it had its hands full with the eighth ranked team and defending runners-up in Class 5A, Spring Hill.
Having already played a difficult schedule, the Spartans learned from miscues earlier in the season to hang on for a 5-4 victory over the Broncos.
The Spartans struck early with a 2-0 lead after one, highlighted by an RBI single by Madden Seidl. Spring Hill responded with two in the fourth and took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans capitalized on a Spring Hill error to take a 4-3 lead. Luke Pitman gave the Spartans an insurance run in the sixth scoring on a wild pitch. Spring Hill threatened in the seventh with Owen Ruge on the mound, but Chase Harrington came in for his second save of the season.
Harrington said after giving up a hit to Spring Hill’s Keaton Neal, a Florida commit, he had to remain locked in.
Ruge said the Spartans were up for the challenge.
Emporia High coach Anthony Markowitz said he was proud of how his team competed from start to finish.
Ruge earned the win going 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and nine strikeouts
Emporia High (13-7) wraps up the classic at 2 p.m. against 5A No. 4 Basehor-Linwood.
Friday’s scores
Mill Valley 10, Basheor Linwood 2
St. Thomas Aquinas 10, Washburn Rural 2
