6A baseball: Derby, West fall in openers

Nerves got the best of Derby as the Panthers lost a 3-1 pitchers duel to Blue Valley and future Kansas Jayhawk Daniel Hegarty at Hoglund Ballpark.

“I felt like we were the better team,” Derby coach Todd Olmstead said. “But they came out on top.”

Blue Valley struck first when sophomore Walker Kinney singled to left field, scoring Hegarty and senior Michael Lane. Kinney was nabbed trying for second on the play but the damage had been done.

Derby managed one hit against Hegarty through four innings. It wasn’t until the fifth inning when Derby’s bats heated up.

Junior Alex Jacobs started the inning by getting on with a single. It was followed later in the inning as Alex McGill doubled to left field, scoring senior Cooper Welch from second. Brett Westerman was tagged out at the plate for the second out.

Blue Valley tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning.

Derby went down in order to end the game.

“We fought throughout the entire game,” Derby senior Tanner Olmstead said. “We showed heart all night long.”

Hegarty threw a complete game, giving up four hits and striking out five Panthers.

Blue Valley will play Olathe Northwest in the second semifinal game on Friday afternoon.

Olathe Northwest 16, Wichita West 1 — West (12-9) committed five errors and gave up 13 runs in the first two innings of a four-inning run-rule game.

Manhattan 3, Hutchinson 1 — A three-error third inning did in Hutchinson (9-14). Hutchinson took a 1-0 lead, but saw its lead evaporate in the third inning when three errors led to two Indian runs.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 8:13 PM with the headline "6A baseball: Derby, West fall in openers."