Grand Island's players haven't been allowed to utter the word "final" during the Class A State Tournament.
That word now is in play.
The eighth-seeded Islanders continued their perfect postseason run with a 4-3 victory against third-seeded Millard North in the winners' bracket final Wednesday at Haymarket Park.
The win advances Grand Island (19-13) into Friday's 10 a.m. championship game against the survivor of Thursday's two elimination games. If the Islanders lose that game, a second winner-takes-all game will follow.
"We tabooed the ’final' word all week," Islander coach Rick Kissack said. "We've shied away from that. Now it can come out."
For the first time in its three state tournament games, the Islanders didn't trail. They built up a 4-0 lead, then held on as Millard North (24-6) loaded the bases in both the fifth and sixth innings.
"This was exciting," Kissack said. "That's the way it should be in a winner's bracket final. It should be exciting, and it was that."
The Islanders have handed the Mustangs half of their losses this year, including a district tournament championship game that allowed G.I. to qualify for state by the same 4-3 score.
"We're definitely confident," first baseman Kirby Wells said. "We're playing well. If a game gets to be a nail-biter, we bear down and do what we have to do to win it."
That included another strong outing by Kash Kalkowski, who earned his second win in five days. After coasting through the first four innings on 39 pitches, he finished with 107 in a complete-game five-hitter. Kalkowski struck out six and walked two.
"We've asked (Kalkowski) to come back, and it's been four days (since he pitched against Omaha Creighton Prep)," Kissack said. "He battled. We left some guys on base who would have made it easier."
Grand Island stranded 11 baserunners, but Kalkowski got out of the two bases-loaded jams with the lead intact.
Millard North first loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with one out on a single by Tyler Hoffmann and a pair of walks. Kalkowski struck out Zach Pfeiffer and got Blake Brisson to hit into a fielder's choice.
"The first time I got nervous (in the tournament) was about the fifth inning. …We were lucky enough to get a couple of runs early and fight (Millard North) off," Kissack said.
The Mustangs put a scare into the Islanders in the sixth. Brady Hohl reached on an error, and Ryan Scheetz, Brett Koehn and Ben Homer hit consecutive singles to cut it to 4-1. Sacrifice flies by Luke Abkes and Hoffmann closed the lead to one run, but Kalkowski struck out Brent Benson to end the threat.
He followed that with a 1-2-3 seventh.
Kalkowski, a Nebraska recruit who improved to 7-1, was happy to get the win, especially after losing a 1-0 pitchers' dual at Haymarket Park last year at state to Elkhorn and current Cornhusker Matt Freeman.
"Last year I pitched a great game against Elkhorn and Freeman," Kalkowski said. "I was excited to play shortstop here yesterday and getting to pitch here today."
Grand Island's offense continued to produce the runs necessary to advance. In the second inning, Nathan Zook singled and Casey Griffin and Brandon Tjaden walked to load the bases.
Wells' grounder to third was sent wide and high to home by Homer, allowing both Zook and Griffin to score.
The Islanders made it 3-0 in the third. Luke Farrar, who went 2-for-3, doubled for the only extra-base hit in the game. Zook added a two-out single to plate Farrar.
Kalkowski and Millard North's Ryan Scheetz kept the score at 3-0 until the top of the sixth. Grand Island tacked on another insurance run -- which later proved to be much needed -- when Wells scored on a bases-loaded walk to Farrar.
Catcher Slade Bolles said everything is coming together for the Islanders during their march to the championship game.
"It's from hard work and a lot of team chemistry," he said. "We want to win. We're not ready for this (season) to be done.
"We came into the tournament as the only unranked team. We've made a nice run. We play the field well. Our pitching staff has been great. We are pretty solid right now. We're not beating ourselves."
Kissack said Wells will get the start in Friday's championship game. He is 5-2 with two saves and a 2.65 ERA.
Wells' start would end a streak of 38 innings pitched by either Kalkowski or Eric Schwieger, who are a combined 5-0 with a total of seven earned runs given up in the postseason.
Grand Island (19-13) 021 001 0-4 6 2
Millard North (24-6) 000 003 0-3 5 2
WP-Kalkowski (7-1). LP-Scheetz (4-2). 2B-GI, Farrar.
Nebraska State Baseball Tournament Glance
Class A
Saturday's Game
At Sherman Field
Grand Island 8, Omaha Creighton Prep 2
Monday's Games
At Sherman Field
Omaha Westside 3, Papillion-La Vista South 0
Millard North 4, Lincoln Southeast 2
Millard West 3, Lincoln North Star 2
Tuesday's Games
At Sherman Field
Omaha Creighton Prep 15, Papillion-La Vista South 5
Lincoln North Star 9, Lincoln Southeast 8
At Haymarket Park
Grand Island 2, Omaha Westside 1
Millard North 1, Millard West 0
Wednesday's Games
At Sherman Field
Millard West 8, Omaha Creighton Prep 7
Lincoln North Star 8, Omaha Westside 4
At Haymarket Park
Grand Island 4, Millard North 3
Thursday's Games
At Sherman Field
Game 12: Millard West (28-7) vs. Lincoln North Star (20-9), 4 p.m.
Game 13: Game 12 winner vs. Millard North (24-6), 7 p.m.
Friday's Games
At Haymarket Park
Game 14: Grand Island (19-13) vs. Game 13 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 15: if necessary, 20 minutes after Game 14
Class B
Monday's Games
At Den Hartog Field
Gretna 5, Omaha Roncalli 4, 9 innings
Omaha Gross 11, Lincoln Pius X 1
Ralston 6, Omaha Skutt 3
Elkhorn 13, Blair 9
Tuesday's Games
At Den Hartog Field
Lincoln Pius X 3, Omaha Roncalli 1
Omaha Skutt 9, Blair 2
At Haymarket Park
Omaha Gross 7, Gretna 6 (8 innings)
Elkhorn 5, Ralston 3
Wednesday's Games
At Den Hartog Field
Lincoln Pius X 14, Ralston 8
Omaha Skutt 3, Gretna 0
At Haymarket Park
Elkhorn 2, Omaha Gross 1
Thursday's Games
At Den Hartog Field
Game 12: Lincoln Pius X (14-13) vs. Omaha Skutt (13-12), 4 p.m.
Game 13: Game 12 winner vs. Omaha Gross (16-11), 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 17
At Haymarket Park
Game 14: Elkhorn (20-9) vs. Game 13 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 15: if necessary, 20 minutes after Game 14
