CHAFFEE JR. LEGION OUSTED AT REGIONAL

CHANUTE, Kan. -- A horrendous start was too much for Chaffee's Junior American Legion baseball team to overcome Monday morning as the squad was eliminated from the Mid-States Regional Tournament.

Chaffee committed six errors in the first three innings as Minnesota jumped out to an 8-0 lead, then held on for a 9-6 victory in the loser's bracket final.

Still, despite the setback, which came on the heels of Sunday's 6-1 loss to Louisiana, Chaffee placed third in the eight-team regional and ended the season with a record of 31-12.

"To finish third is a great accomplishment," said Chaffee manager Joe Rice. "I can't say enough about these kids. Every week we challenged them to raise their level of play a little bit more and they responded in every case."

Minnesota, which came back through the loser's bracket after dropping its first tourney game, scored three runs in the first inning, one in the second and four in the third.

But Chaffee was far from finished. The team scored twice in the fourth and exploded with a four-run fifth. Minnesota scored its final run in the seventh but Chaffee had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh when the game ended.

"This was one time our rally didn't pull us out," said Rice, whose squad had recorded several comeback wins earlier in the playoffs. "It took us a while to start playing, but we were right there. If we have one less error or one more hit, we're back in it playing for the championship. But it just wasn't to be."

Matt Stroup was the losing pitcher. He allowed nine hits and walked six in three innings, but only one of the eight runs he gave up was earned because of the errors.

Justin Simpher hurled the final four innings, allowing one run and three hits.

Chaffee had seven hits, two apiece by Perry Rice and Travis Hanback.