Mavericks’ season ends

Coach encouraged after finishing 24-13

? The Lawrence Mavericks’ season ended abruptly when they lost their second game in less than a day Saturday in the double-elimination Class A American Legion state baseball tournament.

The Mavericks fell to Hays, 11-3, and again were unable to muster offense when they needed it. The Mavericks lost 8-3 to Manhattan on Friday.

Although the Mavericks managed only three runs for the second straight night, coach Brad Stoll said poor defense was the main reason for Saturday’s defeat.

“We gave them five outs in two different innings, and it really hurt us,” he said. “They had a six-run second, and it’s hard to come back from that. We didn’t play real clean.”

Tom Schuh took the loss for Lawrence.

The Mavericks finished the season at 24-13 after going 1-2 in the tournament.

“We were a really young team,” Stoll said. “We were all 15-year-olds except for one kid, and I thought we played a really competitive schedule.

“We lived up to some high expectations, and we’re looking forward to what these guys can do in their high school careers and, hopefully, next year in the American Legion.”