GIRARD, Kan. — Girard baseball improved to 19-5 on the season and advanced one game closer to state tournament qualification with a 10-0 run-rule win in six innings Wednesday against Galena during a Class 3A Regional 2 Regional 1 quarterfinal at Red Wutke Park.

Girard pitchers Kam Smith and Bryor Schultz combined on a two-hit shutout. Smith earned the win and he allowed no runs on one hit with eight strikeouts and no walks over five innings. Schultz pitched a scoreless sixth with one hit allowed and one strikeout and no walks over one inning. Smith threw 55 and Schultz 17 pitches.

Offensively, Girard produced 10 runs on 16 hits and six different players enjoyed multi-hit and three had multi-RBI performances. Aiden Ashbacher tallied four hits, Robbie Bruning and Schultz three each and Blake Brokob, Jaxton Smith and Ben Cullen two each. Bruning drove in four runs and Brokob and Smith two each.

The Trojans plated three runs in the third and fourth and four more in the sixth.

Galena (7-17) had hits from Carston Osborne and Chase Cottrell.

Girard hosts No. 8-seeded Cherryvale (14-8) in a semifinal game next Tuesday. The Trojans and the Chargers play 25 minutes after the first semifinal between No. 4 Iola (15-7) and No. Heritage Christian Academy (16-10).

"He (Kam Smith) makes me a good coach when he pitches," Girard baseball coach Bob Fornelli said. "He gives us a good chance to win each and every day. Really proud of his effort today. We didn't use him too much so we've got him locked in and ready to go on Tuesday.

"I thought we had pretty good at-bats for the most part. Last week, we struck out 15 times. I think we struck out only one time (Wednesday). We put balls in play and that gives us a chance to win."

"It was a good win for all the guys," Girard pitcher Kam Smith said. "I think we came out with good energy, which we've lacked the past few weeks. It was a good win, a good team effort and we came out hot. We just need to keep it going.

"In my mind, it was just filling up the strike zone. Let the guys work behind me. I knew they would put the ball in play and just compete as hard as I can throughout the strike zone and hopefully good things will happen. We've just to keep working hard.

"The guys had good approaches today. They had good energy and they were focused. They put the ball in play and ended up in the right spots, which is all you can ask for from the offense when you're pitching. It was a good job by the guys."

Fornelli, a longtime successful college baseball coach, talked about the regional format and what's ahead for the Trojans.

"It's my first time doing it, so I don't know," Fornelli said. "Yeah, I like it. We get an opportunity to play at home next Tuesday. Hopefully, we'll come out and play well. Everybody's going to rest their guys with six days between games. Everybody's going to have their 1 and 2 next week. Our 1 and 2 are pretty good, so hopefully they give us an opportunity to win. You've got to score in high school baseball. If we score, we'll be really good.

"We love playing at home. There's not a better park in Kansas than what we have here in Girard. So, excited about the opportunity to play next Tuesday. We've just got to go out and play well."

Galena 000 000 — 0 2 0

Girard 003 304 — 10 16 0

C.J. Pielach, Trey Robinson (5) and Chase Cottrell; Kam Smith, Bryor Schultz (6) and Blake Brokob. W: Smith. L: Pielach. 2B—GHS: Jaxton Smith, Bryor Schultz 2. 3B—GHS: Robbie Bruning, Aiden Ashbacher.

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/