Dylan Mjedle launched the Pittsburg Post 64 American Legion baseball team into its third straight state championship appearance with a walk-off RBI double in the 10th inning to defeat Olathe 7-6 in the semifinals on Friday night.
“I was pretty happy that I made solid contact with it,” Mjedle said about the hit. “When I saw my pitch like that, I just did what I knew how to and tried to hit a game winner. … I made the road easier for us to win this thing. We have to come out and take care of business tomorrow.”
Pittsburg will fight for a three-peat today in the state championship at 3.
Sam Gilbert led off the 10th for Pittsburg with a single. He darted to second right before Mjedle crushed the ball to the right-center gap and rushed home to score the game-winning run.
“It was not a surprise,” Pittsburg head coach Mike Watt said. “Dylan has been one of our hottest hitters.”
As soon as Olathe took out starter Alex Howard in the eighth with a 6-4 lead, Pittsburg began its comeback bid on new pitcher Corey Williams.
Gilbert beat a slow-hit grounder to the shortstop for a leadoff single. After Jesse Watt reached on walk, Mjelde bunted a ball that rolled along the foul line just staying fair to load the bases.
Jordan Elliot and Joe Saia both hit into fielder’s choices to bring home runs to tie the game at 6-6.
Howard kept Pittsburg hitters in check for majority of his outing. In seven innings pitched, Howard allowed six hits and two earned runs, while striking out 10.
In four of his seven innings, he retired the batters in order. The third inning, the only inning he got into trouble, Pittsburg burned him for four runs.
“I think he did a great job of keeping us off balance,” Watt said. “He very seldom threw a fastball. When he did, he spotted it up. He just did a great job. We give him a lot of credit. We have been pretty hot at the plate and he shut us down.”
Aaron Snow led the inning off the third with a double. He came home on a Tyler Jack double to score the first run for Pittsburg.
Gilbert tied the game with a two-run single to center field. After moving to second on a balk, Gilbert stole second and Olathe catcher Kyle Pruitt threw the ball away and Gilbert darted home to give Pittsburg a 4-3 lead.
The lead would not last long as Olathe’s John Oler and Tyler Newell scored runs to put Olathe up 5-4.
Howard batted in Williams in the eighth to go up 6-4, but the lead wasn’t big enough.
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Dylan Mjedle launched the Pittsburg Post 64 American Legion baseball team into its third straight state championship appearance with a walk-off RBI double in the 10th inning to defeat Olathe 7-6 in the semifinals on Friday night.
“I was pretty happy that I made solid contact with it,” Mjedle said about the hit. “When I saw my pitch like that, I just did what I knew how to and tried to hit a game winner. … I made the road easier for us to win this thing. We have to come out and take care of business tomorrow.”
Pittsburg will fight for a three-peat today in the state championship at 3.
Sam Gilbert led off the 10th for Pittsburg with a single. He darted to second right before Mjedle crushed the ball to the right-center gap and rushed home to score the game-winning run.
“It was not a surprise,” Pittsburg head coach Mike Watt said. “Dylan has been one of our hottest hitters.”
As soon as Olathe took out starter Alex Howard in the eighth with a 6-4 lead, Pittsburg began its comeback bid on new pitcher Corey Williams.
Gilbert beat a slow-hit grounder to the shortstop for a leadoff single. After Jesse Watt reached on walk, Mjelde bunted a ball that rolled along the foul line just staying fair to load the bases.
Jordan Elliot and Joe Saia both hit into fielder’s choices to bring home runs to tie the game at 6-6.
Howard kept Pittsburg hitters in check for majority of his outing. In seven innings pitched, Howard allowed six hits and two earned runs, while striking out 10.
In four of his seven innings, he retired the batters in order. The third inning, the only inning he got into trouble, Pittsburg burned him for four runs.
“I think he did a great job of keeping us off balance,” Watt said. “He very seldom threw a fastball. When he did, he spotted it up. He just did a great job. We give him a lot of credit. We have been pretty hot at the plate and he shut us down.”
Aaron Snow led the inning off the third with a double. He came home on a Tyler Jack double to score the first run for Pittsburg.
Gilbert tied the game with a two-run single to center field. After moving to second on a balk, Gilbert stole second and Olathe catcher Kyle Pruitt threw the ball away and Gilbert darted home to give Pittsburg a 4-3 lead.
The lead would not last long as Olathe’s John Oler and Tyler Newell scored runs to put Olathe up 5-4.
Howard batted in Williams in the eighth to go up 6-4, but the lead wasn’t big enough.
