Salina ? The Lawrence Raiders went back to playing their typical small-ball strategy but still came up big in their second-round game of the Class AAA American Legion state tournament.

Tallying seven stolen bases in as many innings, the Raiders run-ruled the Blue Valley Jaguars, 11-1 Saturday at Dean Evans Stadium.

“We’ve been pretty versatile with what we’ve done offensively,” Raiders coach Shaun Edmondson said. “Some days we’re hitting balls out of the yard and off the wall, while other days we’re bunting and stealing bags. We’ve been doing a pretty good job offensively right now.

“We stole a lot of bases today, and that’s when we started scoring runs. It just took a little longer than it has in the last few games. In the whole post season, there’s only been one game where we haven’t scored double-digits, and we scored nine in that one, so we’re averaging about 12 runs a game.”

Hunter Scheib, Travis Sanders and Matthew Abel led the team with two stolen bases each. Those same three, along with Patrick Johnson, scored two runs apiece, as well.

The team’s aggressive base running also put pressure on the Jaguars’ defense, which committed four errors.

“If we can run and hit like we did today, there’s going to be a lot of trouble for teams’ defense,” said second baseman Kyle Cross, whose two-run double in the seventh was the Raiders’ only extra-base hit in the game. “And when we can hit like we do power-wise and add all those key factors together ,then we’re going to win games big, like we did today.”

The Raiders jumped out in front in the first inning when John Novotny singled home Sanders. The Raiders put two more on the board in the fourth when Joe Kornbrust scored on a bases-loaded walk to Sanders and a wild-pitch plated Johnson.

With a 3-1 lead after five innings, the Raiders busted open the tight contest in the sixth, scoring three runs. They scored another five in the bottom of the seventh.

Seven of the Raiders’ 11 hits came in those final innings.

“We just started getting our timing down at the plate and started getting used to the pitcher,” said left fielder Ben Wilson, who went 2-for-2 with two RBIs after being walked in his first three at-bats. “As innings going on, you adapt to the pitcher, and so I think that’s what happened. We have good bats in the order, and we just started putting the ball in play.”

While the Raiders figured out the Jaguars’ pitchers, the same could not be said of Blue Valley against Raiders starting pitcher Caleb Gress.

The only run Gress gave up in his seven innings on the mound was a leadoff home run in the fifth. The four other hits that Blue Valley collected were singles, and two of those were infield singles.

Gress also stranded 10 Blue Valley base runners – seven in scoring position.

“Caleb always throws hard and has good stuff and was just on today,” Sanders said. “He’ll probably say it wasn’t his best outing, but he got the job done. He’s just been pitching really well lately.”

The Raiders will send Daniel Green to the rubber today at 5 p.m. to face (Olathe South or Salina Falcons, which the Raiders run-ruled 14-4 in the opening round of last year’s state tournament).