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By LUKE THOMPSON
Special to the Traveler

The Ark City Post 18 Black Diamonds battled through a shaky start and five errors to defeat El Dorado Post 81 11-4 in the championship of the Kansas Region 4 American Legion Baseball Tournament.

It was Ark City's second seven-run win in as many days as they easily claimed the first place plaque and qualified for the state tournament next weekend.

Colt "C-Lo" Loehrs went 4 for 6 with five RBIs to lead the way for Ark City. Kipp Voth went 6 2/3 innings without giving up an earned run to get the win for the Black Diamonds.

The Black Diamonds broke it open in the 7th against El Dorado starter Clay McKenna when the top five hitters in the lineup scored before Drew Jenkins came on for El Dorado and ended the rally.

A two-run double by Loehrs and a two-run single by Jake Richardson were the key hits in the inning. Ark City got out to an early lead on a cooler Friday night at City Ballpark in the top of the first when Jesse Hensley scored on a single from Loehrs.

El Dorado answered in the bottom of the inning when leadoff hitter Roger Nightengale took advantage of an error and scored on a sacrifice fly in an inning where El Dorado was unable to get a hit.

Despite the unearned run in the first, Voth settled in and didn't allow an El Dorado runner past first base in the next three innings. But he got no help from his offense until the fifth inning.

"We had talked about getting off to a fast start, and we didn't do a good job," said Ark City manager Aaron Bucher. "We were just pressing a little."

In the fifth, Jake Oberlechner scored an unconventional unearned run to give Ark City a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. After an error by the shortstop, Seth O'Daniel started for second before McKenna even started his delivery, forcing the pitcher to throw to the second baseman and catch him in a rundown. O'Daniel avoided becoming the third out just long enough to allow Oberlechner to score from third. Bucher said it was a designed play the team has practiced but doesn't run often in games.

El Dorado nearly got right back in the game when they took advantage of an error by Loehrs to score three runs. After Voth threw a wild pitch and gave up a couple of two-out singles, Jake Bushyhead came in and induced a groundout to the shortstop to end the threat.

Loehrs ended any thoughts of a comeback by El Dorado with his second RBI double in as many innings. A passed ball and a wild pitch later, he scored his second run of the game.

Ark City added one more insurance run in the ninth, and Bushyhead retired seven of the nine batters he faced to close out the game for Post 18. Even though his team won, Bucher wasn't happy about his team's five errors, which helped make all four of El Dorado's runs unearned. He knows the competition next week will be much tougher.

"It's hard to win games (at state) when you have to get extra outs," Buchen said.

Ark City begins state tournament play on Friday, and Bucher stressed the need for his team to be ready to play. The losers bracket is not the path he wants his team to take on their quest for a state title.

"The first game is the most important," he said.

Above: Colt Loehrs, who went 4 for 6 against El Dorado as the Black Diamonds qualified for state, tags out a runner at third Friday.