Defense, pitching, and timely hitting helped Seward advance to their third straight Region 6 championship game Sunday. Seward turned three double plays including a game ending twin killing to beat Garden City 7-3 at Lawrence Dumont Stadium. Paul Pulley (7-3) pitched seven strong innings for the win and Willie Gustin pitched two scoreless innings for his sixth save. Gustin was also 4-5 at the plate with a two RBI triple.
The Saints scored three in the third powered by a two RBI Gustin three bagger after he failed to lay down a bunt. Jake Barrios hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. The guys in green took a 4-0 lead when Eddie Williams singled home Jon Mestas with two outs i nthe sixth. The Broncbusters (41-22) scored two in the bottom of the sixth when Desmond Roberts doubled home two with two outs. The Busters made it 4-3 when they scored a run in the eighth on a ground out. Pulley was lifted after a beanball and a walk before Gustin only allowed the one run charged to Pulley. The Saints scored three in the ninth. Jake Barrios drove home Tanner Rainey with a single before Garden closer Tyler Rogers walked home two more runs.
Seward is 43-18 and plays Garden or Colby in the Region 6 title game. The Saints were runner up to Hutchinson last year and Cowley two years ago. Seward plays at 4 p.m. on Talkradio 1270 and kscbnews.net. If Seward loses game one, there will be a game two.
