By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Sacred Heart baseball season met an unfortunate end in Wednesday’s regional semifinals as the bats went cold and the Knights fell to Ellis 4-3.
It was an incredibly quick, 90-minute affair that saw just seven runs and eight hits throughout the seven-inning runtime.
Ellis did all of their damage in the bottom of the second, where a walk and four hits brought in four Railer runs.
Sacred Heart responded with a 2-RBI single of their own by Leo Ngiraindong in the fourth inning, but from there, both pitchers buckled down, and there would be no more hits for the rest of the game.
The Knights did capitalize on a walk in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the lead to one on a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as Sacred Heart got, dropping the semifinal 4-3.
Cayson Ivey and Brady Wells both pitched well on the hill, their effort matched by Ben Byers, who allowed just three runs on four hits, walking three and striking out two in a complete game win.
Sacred Heart’s season drew to a close at 18-8 while Ellis advanced to play TMP in the regional final, a game the Monarchs would dominate, winning 15-0 to punch their ticket to state.