During a season of many highs captured by a third consecutive year qualifying for the Class C State Baseball Championships, Wayne High saw their season come to an end in heartbreak.
Back at Fricke Field in Papillion, #6 Wayne competed against #3 Adams Central for a second time in four days but this time with an elimination game on the line.
Thanks to a sixth inning sac-fly RBI, Adams Central held onto the 1-0 win to improve to 23-6 as the Blue Devils ended their season at 19-11. The 19 wins now becomes the most wins in a single season for Wayne High.
Head Blue Devil baseball coach, Adam Hoffman said he is proud of this group.
"They had a good year," said Hoffman. "I know it doesn't mean much to them right now because they're are feeling not the best. But they really played well down here (state tournament) and represented us well. Unfortunately again we just came up short."
Wayne High finished with three hits being led by a double from senior Gavin Redden. Sophomore Chase Sturm and junior Parker Patefield both singled.
Coach Hoffman highlighted what he saw on the final play of the game.
"If it was going to be through we were sending him to score," Hoffman added. "He (Adams Central first basemen) did a good job of getting a glove on it and knocking it down and the second basemen came over and gloved it and it's just one of those things."
The Patriots ended the game with a 4-5 putout with Redden rounding the bag at third and unable to get back on the throw with the ball staying in the field off a two-strike base hit from Sturm.
Junior Gavin Anderson (69 pitches) suffered the complete game loss in six innings allowing an earned run off four hits while striking out one batter and walking two.
Coach Hoffman mentioned this senior class showed how to be a good teammate.
"They showed our underclassmen what it means to be a good teammate whether they were on the field or not," Hoffman mentioned. "So, hopefully that's one thing our guys (returners) can take from that and carry on with us in the future."
Seniors were Brayden Rajaee-Hallgren, Gavin Redden, Calvin Ankeny and Alex Rodriguez.
