By John Mesh
The Hutchinson Monarchs hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Santa Barbara Foresters In the quarterfinals of the 90th National Baseball Congress World Series Thursday night at Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium.
The Monarchs defeated the Foresters in a rematch of last year’s final won by Hutchinson.
Hutchinson (31-9) will play the Kansas Cannons Friday in the semifinals.
The other semifinal game will feature the Hays Larks vs. the Seattle Cheney Studs/Lonestar Baseball Club North quarterfinal winner. That game was played late Thursday night.
Semifinal game times will be determined. The championship game will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Santa Barbara scored one run in the top of the second inning, which started with a leadoff double, to take a 1-0 lead.
The Monarchs tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single by Camden Johnson (Wichita State University/Boerne, Texas) that scored Cooper Wesslund (Hutchinson CC/UNO/Lincoln, Neb.).
Jaden Gustafson (Wichita State/Maize High School) put the Monarchs ahead 2-1. He drove in his seventh run of the NBCWS with a fielder’s choice to score Brett Smajstria (Sam Houston State/Pearland, Texas).
The Monarchs got out of a two-out jam in the top of the fourth inning when starting pitcher Bradyn McClure (Butler Community College/Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel) ended the threat with his fifth strikeout of the game.
The Monarchs went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, still leading the Foresters 2-1.
Hutchinson’s McClure pitched a second straight 1-2-3 inning for the Monarchs in the top of the sixth inning.
Gustafson singled up the middle in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 18 games. The hit tied him for the third-longest streak in team history. The Monarchs stranded him at first base and still led the Foresters 2-1.
The Foresters stranded a potential game-tying run at third base in the top of the seventh inning.
Hutchinson put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t score them. The Monarchs maintained a 2-1 lead.
Reece Usselman (Coastal Carolina/Langley, British Columbia) took over the mound for the Monarchs in the top of the eighth inning. Usselman needed just five pitches to retire the Foresters.
Catcher Reese Ratchford (Oklahoma City University/Sulphur, Okla.) made a web gem catch on a bunt.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Johnson reached first base on a bunt single down the third-base line and scored on a Santa Barbara error to give the Monarchs a 3-1 lead.
Ian Lanik (Emporia State University/Waverly High School/Eagle, Neb.) came in close for the Monarchs in the top of the ninth inning.
With an error and a base hit, the Foresters put runners on first base and second base with no outs in the ninth. After Wesslund made a great catch in foul territory for the first out of the inning for the Monarchs, the Foresters loaded the bases.
Lanik got a strikeout for the second out, but the Foresters scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-2. Lanik got another strikeout and the Monarchs won 3-2.
McLure pitched seven innings for the Monarchs to get the win. He allowed four hits, one earned run, walked one and struck out five.
Usselman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Lanik allowed two hits, one unearned run and struck out two for the save.
Johnson had two of the Monarchs’ four hits.
In other games Thursday at the NBCWS, the Kansas Cannons (from Augusta) eliminated the Derby Twins 9-8, Tulsa Sandlot eliminated the San Diego Stars 9-7 (in a game that was suspended Wednesday night because of a storm) and the Hays Larks defeated Tulsa Sandlot 4-2.
Thursday night was Little League night at the NBCWS. Kids wearing their team jerseys got in free.
2024 NBCWS bracket play
Wednesday, July 31
• Kansas Cannons 6, Haysville Aviators 3
• Hutchinson Monarchs 15, Liberal Bee Jays 4 (7 innings run rule)
• Lonestar Baseball Club North 10, GPS Legends 7
Thursday, Aug. 1 Quarterfinals
• Kansas Cannons 9, Derby Twins 8
• Tulsa Sandlot 9, San Diego Stars 7
• Hays Larks 4, Tulsa Sandlot 2
• Hutchinson Monarchs 3, Santa Barbara Foresters 2
• Seattle Cheney Studs vs. Lonestar Baseball Club North
Friday, Aug. 2 Semifinals
• Game time TBA: Hutchinson Monarchs vs. Kansas Cannons
• Game time TBA: Hays Larks vs. Seattle Cheney Studs/Lonestar Baseball Club North winner
Saturday, Aug. 3 Championship Game
• 7 p.m.: Semifinal winners