Bronco Baseball Splits at Larned

Game 1: Larned 8, Russell-Victoria 6
Game 2: Russell-Victoria 7, Larned 4

The Russell-Victoria Bronco Baseball team took their quest for a top four seed and a home game in the first round of the upcoming Regional Tournament to Larned on Tuesday afternoon and wound up splitting a doubleheader.  The Indians tallied runs in the late innings to win Game 1, 8-6 before the Broncos bounced back to win the nightcap, 7-4 to snap a three-game losing streak that came on the heels of a 10-game winning streak.

Tuesday's doubleheader was moved up to a Noon start from the usual time of 4 p.m. in order to get the games in before forecasted rain was expected to arrive later Tuesday afternoon.

Russell-Victoria took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning before Larned responded in the bottom of the frame with a five-run outburst to lead 5-1. The Indians held a 6-2 advantage after three frames before the Broncos scored four runs in the top of the fourth to knot the score at 6-6.  Single runs by Larned in the fifth and sixth innings provided them with an 8-6 lead which they held onto in taking the opener.

Wyatt Griffin and Pierce Schoenberger paced the Russell-Victoria offense with two hits apiece but the Broncos were plagued by five errors. Schoenberger (0-1) took the loss in relief of Griffin who started and pitched the first four innings.

Game 2 was just the opposite of the opener as it was Russell-Victoria which plated five runs in the second inning after trailing 1-0.  Single runs in the third and fourth frames widened the advantage to 7-2 before Larned scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings but could draw no closer.

Griffin and Jaxon Ross led the Broncos with two hits apiece while Trey Zorn (2-0) picked up the win with Ross finishing off the game by pitching three innings.

Russell-Victoria (14-10) will wrap up the regular season with a road trip to Salina on Thursday, May 8 to face Sacred Heart.  First pitch for Game 1 is set for 4 p.m.