THS opened the season Thursday in Kansas City, Kan. The Chieftains routed the Golden Bears, 8-1, in Game 1, but dropped the second game, 13-12.

Tonganoxie opened the first game with 2 runs in the first inning. Turner responded with a run in the second, but Tonganoxie then answered with a run of its own and took a 3-1 lead in the third. The team added insurance runs it wouldn’t need in the sixth and seventh innings, 8-1.

Turner committed 4 errors to Tonganoxie’s 1. The Chieftains also knocked out 10 hits.

Game 2 ended up being wild back-and-forth rubber match.

Tonganoxie took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the third, but Turner responded with 4 runs and took the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the third. Tonganoxie tied it, 5-5, in the top of the sixth before Turner scored 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning and reclaimed the lead, 8-5.

Tonganoxie had more late-inning magic with 3 runs in the seventh. The Chieftains forced extra innings after keeping Turner scoreless in the bottom of the seventh. Tonganoxie then scored 4 in the eighth and pulled ahead, 12-8.

Unfortunately for the Chieftains, they couldn’t slow down a Turner rally of its own. The Bears scored 5 in the bottom of the seventh and earned the walk-off 13-12 victory in eighth innings.

Tonganoxie bounced back, though, for a home-opening doubleheader sweep Monday against Mission Valley at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.

Tonganoxie won the first game, 7-6, despite committing 6 errors and sailed to victory, 11-0, in five innings in the second game.

Mission Valley jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first game, but THS responded with a run in the first and 4 more in the third for a 5-3 lead. Down 6-3, the Vikings tied the game in the top of the seventh, but the Chieftains were able to earn a walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh.

In Game 2, THS didn’t waste any time. The Chieftains scored 4 in the first and 7 in the third on the way to an 11-0 mercy rule-shortened victory.

Next up for Tonganoxie will be the first Frontier League games of the season against Spring Hill. The Chieftains and Broncos will face off Thursday for a doubleheader at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.

THS then will have a doubleheader this coming Tuesday in Kansas City, Kan., against Bishop Ward and then two days later April 10 at Eudora.

Tonganoxie 8, Turner 1

Tonganoxie 201 003 2 — 8 10 1

Turner 010 000 0 — 1 4 4

Turner 13, Tonganoxie 12 (8)

Tonganoxie 012 011 34 — 12 12 3

Turner 004 013 05 — 13 9 4

Tonganoxie 7, Mission Valley 6

Mission Valley 300 00 3 — 6 9 0

Tonganoxie 104 100 1 — 7 6 6

Tonganoxie 11, Mission Valley 0 (5)

Mission Valley 000 00 — 0 0 1

Tonganoxie 407 0x — 11 8 1