CHANUTE ? A bittersweet Sunday ended on a bitter note for the Lawrence Outlaws in the losers’ bracket of the AAA American Legion state baseball tournament.

After run-ruling Arkansas City, 12-2, Sunday afternoon at Katy Park, the Outlaws were run-ruled by Chanute, 14-4, in Sunday night’s elimination game.

“We were up 3-0, and the wheels kind of fell off,” Outlaws coach Matt Schubert said. “We never really recovered.”

Schubert’s team led 3-0 after after 21/2 innings. Then Chanute exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third as Outlaws starter Nathan Hardman gave up four hits and surrendered three walks, and third baseman Cory Cooper made two errors.

Cooper had been the hitting standout in the afternoon contest, driving in six runs with a grand slam, a walk with the bases loaded and a sacrifice fly.

“We just fell behind, and we fell apart,” Cooper said after the season-ending loss to Chanute.

Chanute applied the coup de grace by scoring five runs in the seventh inning off Outlaws relievers Josh Winter and Joe Kaup.

The game-ending run crossed on a Kaup wild pitch.

In Friday’s tourney opener, the Outlaws had edged Chanute, 5-4, in 10 innings, but Chanute raked Hardman, Winter, Kaup and Josh Sanderson for 13 hits.

“I thought we had enough pitching,” Schubert said, “but we just didn’t pitch well.”

Raiders steamroll into finals Outlaws ousted by host Chanute, 14-4

The Outlaws collected only six hits off Chanute left-hander A.J. Evans — five singles and a double by Cole Massey. Matt Falk had two of the safeties and drove in a run.

Cooper also had an RBI single, giving him seven RBIs on the day.

Disappointed about the loss Sunday night, Cooper nevertheless looked at the big picture.

“We did good this season,” he said. “No one expected us to make state, so, yeah, I think we did good.”

Schubert’s second and last season with the Outlaws — he has taken a job as a teacher and coach in Greenfield, Mo. — was his best.

“I know I had high expectations,” Schubert said, “and I think the kids had high expectations, but I don’t think many people knew what we had.”

Basically Lawrence’s Legion B-team, the Outlaws weren’t expected to reach state, much less be among the last four teams still kicking.

But they overachieved.

Only three teams remain in the eight-team tourney. Chanute and Pittsburg will play at 10 a.m. today.

The winner will meet the Lawrence Raiders in the championship contest at 1 p.m.