Great Bend Braves lose AAA opener

TOPEKA — The Pittsburg Patriots defeated Great Bend 1-0 to hand the Legion Braves their second straight state loss. The Braves (15-10) needed to win five straight games to win the AAA state baseball championship.

Pittsburgh pitchers Quinten Fears and Carson Nickelson combined for 16 strikeouts.

Braves pitcher Slade Mohr threw six shutout innings. Pittsburg’s Indica Holloway drove in Jayden Brown in the seventh inning on a hit-by-pitch, stolen base and sacrifice bunt.

Mohr and Trenton Kern had two hits for the Braves. The Braves stranded two baserunners in the second, third and fourth innings. The Braves went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and struck out 16 of 21 in their first baseball game in 15 days.

Big Bend 000 000 0 — 0 2 0

Pittsburgh 000 000 1 — 1 5 1

Mohr and Milsap. Fears, Nickelson (7) and Akins. W—Nickelson. L—Mohr, 1-2.

AAA CONDITION—TOPEKA

ROUND 1—Pittsburg def. Leavenworth; Chanute 10, Ottawa 5

SECOND ROUND – Pittsburgh 1, Great Bend 0; Topeka Senators 8, Chanute 1

THIRD ROUND SATURDAY—G5—Great Bend 15-10 vs. Ottawa 11-13, 11 a.m.; G6—Leavenworth 15-12 vs. Chanute 8-6, 1:30 p.m.; G7—4:30 p.m.

FOURTH ROUND SATURDAY—G8—Pittsburg 15-10 vs. Topeka Senators 21-11, 6:30

AA STATE—CONCORDIA

FIRST ROUND—Hiawatha 6, Marysville 4; Concordia 5, Corning 3; Iola 8, Norton 0; Smith County vs. Independence

ROUND TWO—Hiawatha vs. Smith County/Independence winner; Concordia vs. Iola; Marysville vs. Smith County/Independence loser; Norton vs. Corning