Emporia’s Jake Loucks was almost unhittable on Wednesday night against the 19U Dodge City Rangers, allowing four base hits in a complete-game 4-3 victory in the first round of the Class AAA American Legion state tournament at Demon Field.
With the victory, Emporia will play Olathe tonight at 8:30. Dodge City will move into the loser’s bracket and play Manhattan 30 minutes after the 10 a.m. game is finished.
Loucks bid for a no-hitter ended in the fifth when Jared Helfrich beat out a grounder to second base.
Loucks allowed one hit going into the eighth, but Dodge City picked up three that inning, starting a comeback bid.
Josh Ginther had the Rangers’ second hit of the game in the eighth with a bloop single after Tyson Carpenter reached by getting hit by pitch.
Steven Mills had the second Rangers’ hit of the inning, singling to shallow right and bringing home Carpenter.
Ernie Fernandez kept it going, hitting a grounder that got through the infield, bringing home Ginther, placing the score at 4-2.
Zach Harvey may have not got a hit, but got Dodge City within one with a sacrifice fly.
While Dodge City waited until the end of the game to start hitting, Emporia did not waste any time getting things started, as the first three batters reached and two scored.
Rangers’ left fielder Colby Penick gunned down Brett Lechien at the plate after Loucks singled.
Loucks’ single, did however, bring home Matt Fry for the first run of the game.
In the third, it was Rangers center fielder Nick Brady’s turn to throw out Lechien at the plate and rob Loucks of an RBI.
Lechien finally scored in the fifth. He was caught leading off too much and darted home, Rangers third baseman Fernandez did not make a clean catch on the pickoff throw and could not gun him out at the plate.
Lechien reached on a single and moved to second on error. Loucks had his third hit of the game and Lechien ran hard to third and made the turn towards home, but after being thrown out twice in the same situation, he wisely returned to third.
Loucks scored his second run of the game shortly after, as Casey Atchinson drove him in for the second time of the game, putting Emporia up 4-0.
Loucks finished the game going 4-for-4 with one RBI and two runs.
Game notes — Rangers third baseman Fernandez left the game in the eighth after getting injured sliding into second base on a steal.
