Sunday's games Wellington wins two to advance to finals

Wellington had to win back-to-back games Sunday in order to reach the championship game of the Kansas Cal Ripken Baseball 12-Year-Old State Tournament. In order to do that, they Braves would have to beat the team that bumped them into the losers' bracket in the very first game of the tournament Friday afternoon.

First, Ottawa reached the championship game by defeating Cimarron River, 13-5, in the winners' bracket final. Then Wellington defeated Winfield, 7-4, and Cimarron River, 9-6.

Ottawa scored in every inning of its game with Cimarron River while the Rattlers couldn't get on the board until the bottom of the fourth inning.

Ottawa's hits were spread through its lineup. Seven players had one each while another one had two of the All-Stars' 10 safeties.

Lorenzo Pando had two hits for Liberal, one of which was a two-run home run in the fourth. Dylan Berens also had two hits.

Winfield scored twice in the top of the first inning of its game against Wellington. But the Braves scored three in the bottom of the inning and added one run to its total in each of its remaining turns at bat.

Jaden Hines had two hits and drove in three runs for Wellington. Austin Dunn also had two hits for the Braves.

Michael Kent went two for three at the plate to lead Winfield.

Dutch Brownlee allowed two run on two hits and three walks while striking out two as he was Wellington's winning pitcher. Will Adler was the pitcher for Winfield, going the distance. To show that he was a hard-luck pitcher, he didn't walk anyone, struck out eight and only three of the runs he allowed were earned.

Cimarron River then faced Wellington in a rematch of the first game of the tournament. The Rattlers were looking to win and get another rematch, this time with Ottawa. And they came out strong with a five-run first inning.

Dunn hit a solo home run in the top of the first. In the fourth, Cimarron River's pitching turned shaky and Wellington took advantage. The Braves needed only one hit to score five runs in that inning. Skylar Brand drove in the go-ahead run on a groundout to first.

Wellington added another run in the fifth and two in the sixth to make it 9-5. Cimarron River tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth as Devon Hall lined the first pitch of the inning off the right-center field fence for a double. Alex Mendoza got him in from third on a well-executed bunt for a one-out single.

But Wellington changed pitchers, putting Dunn on the hill. He struck out both batters he faced to preserve the win.

Dunn was the only player in the game with two hits.