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Sports

Lawrence stays alive with 19-2 victory

J-W Staff Reports

August 3, 2008

Pittsburg — Jake Green hit a three-run home run during a nine-run sixth inning, Matthew Abel stole five bases, and the Lawrence Raiders began what they hope will be a long march through the losers bracket with 19-2 victory over Arkansas City on Saturday in the state American Legion baseball tournament.

The Raiders (30-18) will play at 11 a.m. today against Blue Valley Northwest, the team that defeated them in the first round.

"I guess you could say we've got some revenge on our minds," Raiders coach Shaun Edmondson said.

A victory over BV Northwest would propel the Raiders into another game at 9 tonight.

"We plan on playing a doubleheader," Edmondson said.

The Raiders will need two wins today, two on Monday and one on Tuesday to win the tournament and advance to the regional in Minot, N.D.

"We responded really well to the situation," Edmondson said. "We've got to win six games in a row, and we took care of the first one today. It's nothing we can't handle. We've won six games in a row during the regular season. We're still going to play it game by game, pitch by pitch, but our overall mission is to win six in a row, and then go off to North Dakota.

"It's a fun part of the season when you get to end people's season," he said, "and that's our mission, to end as many people's seasons as we can."

Travis Spurling pitched five scoreless innings and picked up his sixth victory.

Abel went 4-for-4, and his five stolen bases gave him 58 for the season. Joe Kornbrust also had four of the Raiders' 16 hits.

"We did a good job of executing offensively," Edmondson said, "and our pitchers did a nice job of throwing strikes."