Manhattan High baseball opened its season with a sweep at the Free State tournament in Lawrence on Saturday, beating a pair of South Dakota schools in Brandon Valley 6-3 before rolling past O’Gorman 18-3.
The Indians moved to 2-0 to start the year behind a big day from Asher Newton and Mclain Aslin.
Newton went 7-for-7 across the doubleheader, including a three-hit performance in the opener and four hits in Game 2, while Aslin drove in four runs in the second game to pace the offense.
In Game 1, Manhattan used timely hitting and steady pitching to secure a 6-3 win over Brandon Valley.
After allowing a run in the top of the first, the Indians answered immediately as Carter Goodpasture tied the game with a fielder’s choice in the bottom half.
Manhattan took control in the third inning when Greyson Wassenberg delivered a two-run single to give the Indians a 3-1 lead. The Indians added runs across the middle innings to build a 6-1 advantage.
Brandon Valley cut into the lead with a two-run home run in the sixth, but Brayson Gnirk worked through the late pressure to finish the complete game. Gnirk allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out six and walking one.
Newton led the offense, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and three stolen bases. Gnirk added two hits, while Wassenberg drove in two runs. Jackson Goos drew three walks as Manhattan was fundamentally sound with nine walks and six stolen bases.
Game 2 followed a much different script, as Manhattan’s offense erupted early and never slowed in an 18-3, four-inning win over O’Gorman.
The Indians scored seven runs in the first inning, highlighted by triples from Sawyer Newton and Easton Duff and an RBI single from Brayson Gnirk. Manhattan added another run in the second before breaking the game open in the fourth with a 10-run inning.
Aslin delivered the biggest swings in that frame, driving in multiple runs as part of his four-RBI game. The inning featured a mix of hits and plate discipline, including RBI singles from Asher Newton and Greyson Wassenberg, along with multiple walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Newton set the tone at the top of the lineup, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs, while Crocker added two hits and two RBIs. Duff contributed a triple and two RBIs, and Aslin finished with two hits, two walks and four RBIs.
Carter Goodpasture earned the win on the mound, allowing three runs on five hits over three innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Easton Duff worked a scoreless inning in relief, striking out two.
Manhattan totaled 12 hits, drew 11 walks and committed no errors in the win.
The Indians will be back in action Friday at Topeka High.