The Northeast Kansas League American Legion Preseason tournament continued on Saturday at Somerset park in Sabetha with a pair of consolation bracket games and the semifinals, also.

On the consolation bracket it was close game between Frankfort and Holton, but Frankfort notch the 8-6 win and will play for fifth place today at Somerset park in Sabetha against Royal Valley won took down Hiawatha 11-3 in five innings of work. So Frankfort and Royal Valley will vie for fifth place, will Holton and Hiawatha will meet up for seventh place in the NEK League tournament.

For the semifinals it was it was two close games statistically wise but things seemed to line up for Seneca and Sabetha to each earn wins in their respective semifinals matchup. Seneca would play first and take on Atchison notching a 5-1 win.

Seneca got on the board early plating one-run in the bottom of the first inning after Dylan Kramer walked and Eric Huerter continued his hot bat at the tournament with this fourth triple of the tourney, bringing home Kramer for the first score of the game, giving Seneca a 1-0 win after one inning. Seneca wouldn't stop there as they take advantage of three more walks in the second inning to plate four runs, giving them a 5-0 lead after just two innings.

Seneca wouldn't score anymore in the matchup but wouldn't need to as Atchison struggled to get hits and baserunners. Atchison only had one baserunner in the first four innings and didn't get their first hit until the fifth inning when the had a pair of doubles which allowed them to score their only run of the game. It was Seneca's pitching again that stifled their opponent, as Cody Heiman went six innings, giving up three hits and only one run to Atchison, while he also tallied 10 strikeouts.

For Atchison Derek Beveal, Austin Gibson and Hunter Olberding were the only Atchison players to notch hits. For Seneca, Huerter finished with a 1-3 hit, with his fourth triple of the tournament and an RBI, Dylan Kramer went 1-1 with two RBI, a run scored on top of a walk and hit by pitch. David Olberding, also had another solid night for Seneca in the win with a 2-2 performance with a RBI and run scored.

Seneca punched their ticket to the championship game of the NEK League tournament, as they try to repeat as the tourney champion. They will meet Sabetha later today at 7:30, you can here the game at Kanzaland radio and online (click here).

Sabetha took on Doniphan County in the other semifinal matchup, as Sabetha earned the 7-3 win. Both teams would go down one-two-three in the first inning but the second inning was a little kinder to the offense for both teams. Sabetha would capitalize on a leadoff walk in the top of the second to score the first run of the game, while Doniphan County would counter in the bottom of the inning plating two-runs off a two-RBI double by the shortstop, Colton Masters. Sabetha wouldn't be down for long as they came around to score in the top of the this time scoring off a leadoff single in the third inning.

The game tied at 2-2 stayed that way until the sixth inning with neither team really mustering any offense until then. In the top of the sixth that's when things opened up for Sabetha behind four walks and three hits they plated five runs to open up the game, as Sabetha batted around in the sixth. Doniphan County not completely out of it tired to make a comeback, as they got two baserunners on to lead things off in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of two errors, one runner would come around to score but that would be it for Doniphan County for the rest of the game.

Sabetha's pitcher, Brendon Garrett seemed to be dialed in tallying 10 strikeouts going the complete game giving up three runs on two hits and three walks; Donpihan County used three pitchers on the night. Zach Langford and Colton Masters were the only Doniphan County players to register a hit on the night, while Jordan Thornberry, Paden Halter and Langford. It was the middle of the order and the leadoff man for Sabetha who had the best nights as Graham Droge went 1-2 with two runs scored and two walks, while Taylor Baumen 2-3 with a run scored, RBI and walk. Also, leadoff man Nolan Keim went 2-4 with two RBI's and run scored.

Championship game of the NEK League tournament is setup to be a good one between Sabetha (7-1) and Seneca (4-0) tonight at 7:30pm; you can listen to the game on Kanzaland radio and online (click here).

Box Scores Below:

Atchison  0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Final 1
Seneca    1 4 0 0 0 0 X Final 5

Atchison: 3 hits, 1 error, 6 LOB 
      Dustin Gosa 0-3; Logan Blakely 0-3; Thad Hawk 0-3; Hunter Olberding 1-1 w/2B & 2 BB's; Jake
      Sowers 0-2 w/BB; Austin Gibson 1-2 w/2B & RBI; Cody Calhoun 0-1 w/RS (RS as courtesy runner
      for Hunter Olberding) Geoffery Vaugh 0-3; Jimmy Priest 0-2 w/BB; Sam Cooney 0-2; Derek Beveal 
      1-2

LP: Hunter Olberding  6 IP, 5 hits, 5 runs, 6 BB's, HBP & 6 K's

Seneca: 5 hits, 0 errors, 6 LOB
       Zach Rottinghaus 0-3; Dylan Kramer 1-1 w/2 RBI, BB & HBP; Eric Huerter 1-3 w/3B & RBI; Cody 
       Heiman 1-2 w/BB & SB; Dustin Deters 0-3; Tate Hanzlieck 0-2 w/BB; Alex Hermesch 0-2 w/BB;
       Curtus Stallbaumer 0-2 w/RS & SB; Eric Sperfslage 0-0 w/BB; Michael Rottinghaus 0-2 w/RS
       & BB; David Olberding 2-2 w/RS & RBI

WP: Cody Heiman  6 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 2 BB & 10 K's
        Dylan Kramer  1 IP, 0 runs, 2 BB's & 2 K's

Sabetha                    0 1 1 0 0 5 0 Final 7
Doniphan County    0 2 0 0 0 1 0 Final 3

Sabetha: 8 hits, 2 errors, 6 LOB
      Nolan Keim 2-4 w/RS & 2 RBI; Thaine Allen 1-4; Riley Wells 0-3 w/BB; Graham Droge 1-2 w/
      2RS & 2 BB's; Taylor Baumen 2-3 w/RS, RBI & BB; Issac Russell 0-3 w/BB & ROE; Tate
      Steinlage 1-3 w/RS, RBI & BB; Kyle Stallbaumer 1-3 w/RBI; Benji Stoller 0-2 w/HBP

WP: Brenden Garrett  7 IP, 2 hits, 3 runs (1 unearned), 3 BB's & 10 K's

Doniphan County: 2 hits, 2 errors, 4 LOB
      Kolby Scott 0-3 w/BB; Jordan Thornbery 0-3 w/RS, ROE; Zach Halter 0-3 w/ROE; Derek Nold 0-3;
      Paden Halter 0-2 w/RS, RBI & BB; Cody Bennett 0-2 w/BB; Zach Langford 1-3 w/RS; Colton
      Masters 1-3 w/2B & 2 RBI; Britain Wendt 0-3

LP: Derek Nold 5 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 3 BB's, HBP & 5 K's
       Jordan Thornberry -- IP, 1 hit, 3 runs, 2 BB's (losing pitcher)
       Cody Bennett  2 IP, 2 hits, BB 7 2 K's