The Emporia Spartan 16s baseball team opened the Sam Ellis Classic with a 5-4 victory over the Overbrook Bombers Friday afternoon.
Max Rusco had the game-winning RBI on a triple in the top of the seventh inning that broke a 4-all game.
Madden Seidl was the winning pitcher and also recorded the final out on a line drive.
Emporia trailed 1-0 after one before taking a brief 2-1 lead through 1.5 innings. Overbrook led 3-2 after three before the Spartans scored one each in the fourth and fifth for a 4-3 lead. Overbrook tied the game at four after five innings.
Rusco went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Ruge went 3-for-4 at the plate and got the save on the mound.
In the 2nd game, the 16’s were outscored by the Topeka Senators 6-5 in 9 innings.
The Senators, made up of players 19 and under, scored 2 runs in the 1st and 2nd innings. They would add a run in the 5th. Emporia scored a run in the 5th and tied the game with 4 runs in the 6th. Owen Ruge had the big hit, a 3 run-scoring double. The score remained tied until the top of the 9th.
For Coach Brady McAfee there were big steps taken Friday.
The 16s will have to wait until the Senators and Bombers play Saturday to find out when they play again. They could play at 5 pm or 7 pm or wait until Sunday to play again.
Friday’s scores:
Topeka Scrappers 15 Ottawa 0.
Topeka Scrappers 6 Burlington 2.
Saturdays schedule:
10 am Kansas Senators vs Overbrook Bombers
12 pm Burlington vs Ottawa
5 pm 1st bracket game
7 pm 2nd bracket game
