Tonganoxie High baseball overpowers Abilene, 10-5, in state quarterfinals
Shawn Linenberger
The Tonganoxie High baseball team celebrates after winning a Class 4A regional championship May 17, 2022, at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds, THS defeated Holton, 10-0, in the in the regional semifinals and then knocked off defending state champion Bishop Miege, 6-4, in the regional finals.
Abilene made quite the splash early on Thursday in the Cowboys’ first trip to the state baseball tournament.
With two on base, AHS senior pitcher Stockton Timbrook sent a Mason Davenport pitch over the wall in straightaway center at Dean Evans Stadium in the top of the first inning and Abilene quickly had a 3-0 lead against Tonganoxie.
THS, though, as it did against Bishop Miege in the regional finals, would do the same in the Class 4A quarterfinals. And this time, the Chieftains would do it much sooner.
Tonganoxie answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the first. The Chieftains would then chase Timbrooik, who was pulled midway through the second inning. The starting pitcher wasn’t able to hold Tonganoxie in check and Tonganoxie eventually had a 7-3 lead after two innings.
Davenport, meanwhile, settled down after that first inning as Tonganoxie built a 9-3 lead before eventually winning, 10-5.
Tonganoxie improved to 19-3 on the season, while Abilene finished its first trip to state with a 13-9 record. The Cowboys’ baseball program was established in 2000.
THS now will face Frontier League foe Paola at 1:15 p.m. Friday. The Panthers are the No. 6 seed. Tonganoxie won the lone regular season meeting between the two schools, 5-1.
The consolation game will be at 3:30 p.m. and the championship at 5:45 p.m.
No. 1 McPherson (21-2) takes on another Frontier League team in No. 5 Ottawa (16-6) at 11 a.m. in the other semifinal game.
BASEBALL
6A
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Blue Valley West (20-2) vs. No. 8 Shawnee Mission East (10-12)
No. 4 Washburn Rural (17-5) vs. No. 5 Derby (16-6)
No. 2 Manhattan (19-3) vs. No. 7 Blue Valley Northwest (14-8)
No. 3 Olathe West (18-4) vs. No. 6 Free State (15-7)
5A
Quarterfinals
No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas 10, No. 1 Seaman 9
No. 4 Blue Valley Southwest 10, No. 5 De Soto 0
No. 2 Bishop Carroll 2, Shawnee Heights 0
No. 6 Valley Center 6, No. 3 Goddard 5
Semifinals
No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas (14-9) vs. No. 4 Blue Valley Southwest (17-6)
No. 2 Bishop Carroll (19-4) vs. No. 7 Shawnee Heights (19-4)
4A
Quarterfinals
No. 1 McPherson 7, No. 8 El Dorado 3
No. 5 Ottawa 5, No. 4 Iola 3
No. 2 Tonganoxie 10, No. 7 Abilene 5
No. 6 Paola 5, No. 3 Clay Center/Wakefield 0
Semifinals
No. 1 McPherson (21-2) vs. No. 5 Ottawa (16-6)
No. 2 Tonganoxie (19-3) vs. No. 6 Paola (15-7)
3A
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Wichita Collegiate 7, No. 8 Goodland 1
No. 4 Girard 8, No. 5 Thomas More Prep-Marian/LaCrosse 2
No. 2 Bishop Ward 9, No. 7 Halstead 0
No. 3 Columbus 5, No. 6 Sabetha 4
Semifinals
No. 1 Wichita Collegiate (21-1) vs. No. 4 Girard (21-3)
No. 2 Bishop Ward (22-2) vs. No. 3 Columbus (21-2)
2-1A
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Colony-Crest 5, No. 8 Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan 3
No. 5 Little River 7, No. 4 Elkhart 5
No. 2 Mission Valley 10, No. 7 Whitewater-Remington 0
No. 3 Valley Falls 4, No. 8 Howard-West Elk 1
Semifinals
No. 1 Colony-Crest (24-0) vs. No. 5 Little River (19-5)
No. 2 Mission Valley (21-1) vs. No. 3 Valley Falls (20-3)
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- The Tonganoxie High baseball team celebrates after winning a Class 4A regional championship May 17, 2022, at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds, THS defeated Holton, 10-0, in the in the regional semifinals and then knocked off defending state champion Bishop Miege, 6-4, in the regional finals.