Derek Francis threw a one-hit complete game shutout, leading Manhattan High to the 6A state tournament with an 8-0 victory over Junction City in the regional finals on Wednesday night. The Indians beat Topeka High 8-2 in the semifinal round, and were led offensively by Chris Turner, who had six RBI’s in the two games. MHS missed out on the state tournament a year ago with a narrow loss to Lawrence, and are back in Lawrence after a berth in 2010.
6A state tournament pairings will be released after two more regional finals are played Thursday. But, Manhattan High will play in the quarterfinals next Friday at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, with semifinals and finals on Saturday.
