Manhattan took a loss in both games of their doubleheader to Topeka Seaman on Friday. The games ended 2-5 and 3-8, Manhattan is now 7-3.

The first game started off slowly, with no runs scored until the third inning. Freshman pitcher Cade Perkins started the first game and, according to head coach Don Hess, played well. Manhattan gave up two runs in the top of the fourth and then conceded two 1-2-3 innings back to back in the bottom of the fourth and fifth. The score at 2-0 going into the sixth when senior Zac Cox was brought in to pitch. MHS almost tied it up in the bottom of the sixth with two runs scored from an RBI by junior Dom Huber that brought senior Ben Gallagher and freshman Braden Dinkle home. It looked like Manhattan might make a come back in the seventh, but they conceded two runs in the top of the inning and the bottom of the seventh finished quickly, with a double play from Seaman, finishing the game at 2-5.

“I think we put up a really good fight first game,” Gallagher said. “I think we performed pretty well but we just couldn’t [win it]. Our balls landed in gloves and theirs landed in gaps … we just got the short end of the stick.”

Manhattan came into the second game looking less motivated than usual, they took two runs against them in the top of the first inning with senior Jackson Walker pitching.

“In the second [game] we … lost focus,” sophomore Dayne Aschenbrenner said. “We needed more intensity than we came out with, there wasn’t enough fire.”

Manhattan had a chance to come back in the bottom of the inning with bases loaded but came out scoreless. Manhattan continued to concede runs throughout the game and struggled to score themselves. MHS did score three runs later in the game, but it wasn’t enough to come back and the game ended 3-8.

“I think the first game we played really well, [Seaman] just made a lot of defensive stops,” Hess said. “We hit the ball hard, we did everything right. Our hits just didn’t drop like theirs did and they were able to pull it out. Second game we had a few physical miscues I would like to have not had and a couple mental mistakes, but it was still a good game, we just didn’t play like we were in a position to win it.”

The Vikings are the defending 5A State Champions were expected to be a challenge.

“We knew they’d be good but we definitely expected to perform a little better than [we did],” Gallagher said. “We just couldn’t [score], … our pitchers gave us a chance but we just couldn’t … get runs in.”

Manhattan plays Highland Park away on Tuesday and then comes back to face Washburn Rural, at home next Friday.

“We just [need to] be ready to recognize that we need to take [the loss] and move on,” Hess