Even though Post 41 went 2-2 in its four-team, double-elimination state-qualifier, the squad, technically, is considered the Zone 2 champions. That’s because Atchison, originally scheduled to host the Zone 1 bracket, had its opposition drop out. Atchison instead traveled to Leavenworth to compete with the Zone 2 teams, and the top two were awarded with a trip to the state tournament.

Coincidentally, Tonganoxie and Atchison will meet up in the first round at JayCee Ballpark with an 11 a.m. game on Wednesday.

That led to an anticlimactic zone championship game at Leavenworth Sportsfield on Saturday night. With both team’s coaches recognizing that their clubs would square off at state with much more on the line, neither lineup looked like it will Wednesday morning because the team’s didn’t want to show their hand.

“We more or less had a game for fun,” said Post 41 coach Pat Bailey, who has not been heading the staff at full strength while he recovers from recent kidney surgery.

Atchison defeated Tonganoxie, 9-8, in a shortened, four-inning game when the facility’s lights wouldn’t turn on.

Corey Klinkenburg went 2-for-2, Dallas Keller finished 2-for-2, Tucker Hollingsworth was 1-for-1 and Kyle Newton scored twice.

Although Post 41 handled Geiger at zone with two wins, Atchison gave the team much more trouble. The A’s pounded Tonganoxie, 14-4, on Friday night.

Post 41 only trailed by two after four, but a 12-run fifth inning from Atchison proved devastating.

Bailey said Tonganoxie can’t allow that to happen again at state. The defense, which gave up five errors in the fifth, will have to play at a higher level to avoid another huge stanza for the A’s.

AJ Gilbert started on the mound for Post 41 and initially pitched well, pretty much cruising through the first four innings.

Bailey said Tonganoxie is looking forward to forgetting the two losses and proving itself at state.

“I think the boys are excited to get another shot at Atchison,” Bailey said, adding that the team feels like it has yet to give the A’s its best shot.

Tonganoxie qualified for state with a 15-5 win over Geiger on Saturday afternoon. Post 41 ended it early with a 10-run spread in the seventh — a far cry from its first matchup with Geiger on Thursday, when Post 41 escaped with a win in a 15-13 squeaker.