Saints Unable to Hold Early Lead in Season-Ending Loss

WICHITA, Kan. – The Seward baseball team jumped out to a 7-0 lead over No. 22-ranked Hutchinson on Thursday, but the Saints could not hold on in an 18-10 seven-inning loss at Eck Stadium in a Plains District Tournament elimination game.

The eighth-seeded Saints' 2026 season comes to an end with a 25-38 record, while fourth-seeded Hutchinson moves to 46-14 and will play another elimination game on Friday.

The Saints plated multiple runs in each of the first three innings, building a 7-0 lead in the top of the third. Blaine Chancy and Diego Valero-Munoz drove in runs in the first, Isai Santaella homered in the second, and Jhett Huffman and Jacob Urias tacked onto the lead in the third. The Saints chased Blue Dragon starter Karter Chamberlain after two and a third as he surrendered seven runs on eight hits.

Seward had just three hits over the final four innings while Hutchinson outscored them 14-3 during that span. The Blue Dragons got on the board in the bottom of the third with a four-spot and added seven more in the fourth to take the lead.

Braden Whipple got the start on the mound for Seward, allowing five runs in three innings with two walks and two punchouts. Beau Lang (L, 4-6) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of relief.

Noah McCombs (W, 3-1) threw the final 4.2 innings for Hutch, allowing three runs on three hits.

Five runs in the bottom of the seventh helped Hutchinson to the run-rule win.

Grant Cox, Chancy, Munoz, Huffman and Urias all had multi-hit games for Seward. Chancy drove in four runs.

Hutch outhit Seward 19-11. The Blue Dragons made four errors, Seward made none.