Omaha, Neb. ? Lawrence’s Raiders allowed seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and their furious ninth-inning rally fell short in a 15-14 loss to Eden Prairie (Minn.) in an American Legion Central Plains Regional game Friday night at Isaacson Field.

The Raiders (1-1) will face Coralville Post 721, the Iowa state champion, in an elimination game at 4:30 p.m. today.

After falling behind 15-11, Lawrence struck for three runs in the top of the ninth before succumbing.

Ryan Engel led off with a single up the middle, and scored on Tyler Blankenship’s lone hit of the night, a triple to left field. Blankenship scored after a dropped third strike was thrown to first for the putout.

Brett Lisher then coaxed a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a pitching change, Lisher moved to third on a fly out, and scored on Jake Hoover’s double to left-center field. But the tying run was stranded on second when Carl Lisher flied out.

The ninth inning was the Raiders’ second rally of the night. Trailing 4-0 after three innings, they scored nine runs during the next three innings, including five runs in the top of the sixth, to take a 9-6 lead.

Eden Prairie (2-0) answered with single runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings before the decisive eighth.

Hoover, who took the loss after pitching the decisive frame, led the way at the plate. He was 4-for-6 with a double and a triple and had two runs and four RBIs.

Every Raider had at least one hit as Lawrence racked up 14 runs on 20 hits, including triples by Hoover, Blankenship and Brett Lisher.

Eden Prairie (Minn.) 15,

Lawrence Raiders 14

Raiders 000 225 023 — 14 20 4

Eden Prairie 004 201 17x — 15 17 1

W–Cole Hytian (1-0). L–Jake Hoover (0-1). Sv–Troy Peterson (1).

2B–Raiders: Chris Coleman, Hoover, Joe Crane; Eden Prairie: Justin Milo, Joe Pierce, Peterson. 3B–Raiders: Tyler Blankenship, Brett Lisher, Hoover.

Raiders highlights: Hoover 4-for-6, 2 runs, 4 RBIs; Coleman 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Ryan Engel 3-for-6, 2 runs, RBI; Brett Lisher 2-for-4, 3 runs, RBI; Taylor Martin 2-for-5, 2 runs, RBI.