By Charles Chaney
For the Herald
WICHITA, Kan. — Four hours of rain delays weren’t enough to keep the Everett Merchants from their first National Baseball Congress World Series final since 1988.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning Saturday, Everett player-coach Ty Holm slapped a curveball to right-center field, scoring pinch-hitter Connor McCluskey from first base to bring home the eventual winning run in the Merchants’ 10-9 victory over the Hays (Kansas) Larks.
The win puts Everett into Sunday’s 5 p.m. final against either the Kansas Stars or the Cheney (Kansas) Diamond Dawgs. Tournament officials are attempting to play the second semifinal late Saturday night.
Jake Levin closed out the ninth inning to keep the Merchants’ storybook run alive.
“(The) 1988 (team) was a special group in my 44 years of coaching,” Merchants manager Harold Pyatte said. “This group is pretty special, too.”
The Merchants didn’t lose their edge after a second rain delay that lasted three hours, 40 minutes, and when the game resumed with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning tied 9-9, Everett quickly turned a double play to get back into the dugout.
“That double play was huge,” Holm said. “I got a good knock and Colton gave us the lead.”
Levin, who worked 31⁄3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory for Everett, induced a flyout to center field to end the game.
“This group is special,” Levin said. “Playing for Coach and with these guys, this is the happiest moment of my life.”
The Merchants grabbed the first lead when Austin Atwell hit his first home run of the tournament, putting Everett up 4-0. Matt Thompson doubled to left, scoring Aaron Cook from first base to make it 5-0.
Hays answered back in the bottom half, scoring six runs on seven hits to take a 6-5 lead.
As the rain slowed the Merchants, Hays found strength within the storm. The rain fell and the runs continued to pile up for the Larks. Hays scored one run in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the fifth, pushing its lead to 9-5.
The comeback kids from Washington did it again as a run in the seventh brought the score to within 9-6.
In the eighth, Isaiah Aluko doubled to center, scoring Holm and Levin. Atwell would get his third RBI of the game, scoring Aluko to tie the contest, setting the stage for the Merchants’ heroics in the ninth.
“We beat Santa Barbara, the Larks,” Pyatte said. “We’ll even beat the Stars tomorrow, just you watch.”
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