Paola shortstop Jonathan Pomatto tries to turn a double play during Tuesday’s regional baseball game in Ottawa. Paola fell to Ottawa 12-2 in the regional semifinal. (Photo by Andy Brown / andybrown@miconews.com)
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Magic runs out for upset-minded Panthers
After sending rival Osawatomie home, Paola boys fall to Ottawa on Tuesday
By Andy Brown, andybrown@miconews.com
With the extra-inning thriller against Osawatomie still in the back of their minds, the Paola baseball players tried to focus on the task at hand, and it was a big one.
After upsetting the No. 1-seed Trojans on Monday in Ottawa, the No. 8 Panthers tried for the second-straight shocker in as many days when they met the No. 4-seeded Ottawa Cyclones.
The magic simply ran out.
The Cyclones ended the Panthers’ season with a 12-2 victory in the Class 4A regional tournament in Ottawa. The loss gave the Panthers a 4-17 record. In the process, they had to say goodbye to seven seniors.
Ryan Sharp, Michael Thomas, Buzz Hermreck, Curtis Sharp, John Edwards, Matt Werkowitch and Jerin Kramer all played their final game for Paola.
The Cyclones had no problem running through its home regional. The Cyclones defeated the Louisburg Wildcats 16-1, and after their 10-run win over the Panthers, they defeated the Bulldogs 15-0 in the regional title game to earn another trip to the state tournament.
The Cyclones entered the regional tournament with just an 8-11 record.
Paola jumped on Ottawa early and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the lead didn’t last long. Ottawa took advantage of the Paola pitchers for six runs in the first and later held a 10-1 lead in the third.
Paola scratched across a run in the top of the fourth when Werkowitch led off with a double and later scored on an RBI single from Coty McNutt.
The Panthers could only connect on three hits off Ottawa hurler Cory Bell in the five-inning affair. On the other side, the Panthers used four different pitchers to try to calm the Cyclone offense, but didn’t have good luck — but neither did anyone else.
Ottawa scored a combined 43 runs in two days to earn a trip to the state tournament.
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After upsetting the No. 1-seed Trojans on Monday in Ottawa, the No. 8 Panthers tried for the second-straight shocker in as many days when they met the No. 4-seeded Ottawa Cyclones.
The magic simply ran out.
The Cyclones ended the Panthers’ season with a 12-2 victory in the Class 4A regional tournament in Ottawa. The loss gave the Panthers a 4-17 record. In the process, they had to say goodbye to seven seniors.
Ryan Sharp, Michael Thomas, Buzz Hermreck, Curtis Sharp, John Edwards, Matt Werkowitch and Jerin Kramer all played their final game for Paola.
The Cyclones had no problem running through its home regional. The Cyclones defeated the Louisburg Wildcats 16-1, and after their 10-run win over the Panthers, they defeated the Bulldogs 15-0 in the regional title game to earn another trip to the state tournament.
The Cyclones entered the regional tournament with just an 8-11 record.
Paola jumped on Ottawa early and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the lead didn’t last long. Ottawa took advantage of the Paola pitchers for six runs in the first and later held a 10-1 lead in the third.
Paola scratched across a run in the top of the fourth when Werkowitch led off with a double and later scored on an RBI single from Coty McNutt.
The Panthers could only connect on three hits off Ottawa hurler Cory Bell in the five-inning affair. On the other side, the Panthers used four different pitchers to try to calm the Cyclone offense, but didn’t have good luck — but neither did anyone else.
Ottawa scored a combined 43 runs in two days to earn a trip to the state tournament.