Pittsburg ? Matthew Abel went 4-for-5, including a go-ahead base-loaded triple in the seventh inning, and the Lawrence Raiders defeated Hays, 9-8, on Wednesday in the first round of the state Legion AAA baseball tournament.

The Raiders will play a winners’ bracket game at 5 p.m. today against Tonganoxie, which defeated Atchison, 4-3.

The Raiders trailed, 8-4, before Chris Parker hit a two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning.

“We had some really timely hitting,” Raiders coach Wilson Kilmer said.

Noble came on in the sixth and didn’t allow a run the rest of the game.

The Raiders (17-23) have won four of their last five games.

“That’s one of the reasons we played a strong schedule,” Kilmer said, “and it seems to be paying off.”

Tonganoxie advanced after scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth.

Down 3-2 in the final frame, Grant Ebbert knocked in the game-winning run with a single to right field.

The ninth-inning rally began when Corey Klinkenburg slapped a single to right. Blaize Oelschlaeger doubled to score Klinkenburg and was in scoring position for Ebbert.

“It was a big celebration after the game. Grant just does what he does,” Tonganoxie coach Pat Bailey said. “He hit that one pretty well.”

Post 41 lost twice to Atchison this past week at a state-qualifying zone tournament in Leavenworth. Bailey said his team just executed better this time around.

“Our pitching was good,” Bailey said. “Blaize (Oelschlaeger) wasn’t at his best, probably, but when they hit the ball, we were playing defense — that sure helps.”