CARROLL, Iowa - With junior Chris Halbur on the mound, Carroll Kuemper likes its chances.

When the opponent is kicking the ball around, it really likes its chances.

East Sac County made four of its five errors in the first two innings, leading to four unearned runs, and Kuemper went on to a 5-1 Class 2-A district final baseball victory on Saturday at Merchants Park.

"This Halbur boy is a pretty good pitcher," East Sac County coach Scot McDonough said. "You just can't give them runs. You can't do it."

Kuemper, seeking its third straight trip to state and sixth overall, improved to 25-11 and will play Clarinda (11-18) in the Substate 8 final at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Harlan. The Knights, who are rated 10th in the state and fourth in western Iowa (Class 2-A/1-A), finished fourth in the Hawkeye Ten Conference. Clarinda was eighth.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Halbur, a returning all-stater who can  reach the lower 90s with his fastball, is drawing Division I interest. The right-hander, who has battled an ankle injury this year, allowed just four hits while striking out 11 and walking two, improving to 6-1.

His most anxious moments came in the fourth, when East Sac loaded the bases with one out on Zach Mason's single and Halbur's only walks.

After a visit from coach Randy Snyder, Halbur induced Bobby Peterson to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play.

"When I came out to make visits, he didn't want to talk to me," Snyder said with a smile. "He just wanted to work fast. I thought that double play kind of broke their back."

Halbur simultaneously high-fived David Hicks and Carter Ludwig as they pranced off the field after the twin killing.

"It's their second year working together, and they're smooth up the middle," Halbur said.

Down 1-0, Kuemper answered with a pair of runs in the first. Hicks reached on an error and Ludwig laid down a bunt single that was thrown away by Marcus Stoltenberg, allowing Hicks to tie the game.

Ludwig alertly took second when nobody covered, advanced to third on Logan Nolting's groundout and scored on Halbur's RBI ground ball to short that was misplayed for another error.

The Knights made it 4-1 in the bottom of the second. Alex Drees reached on an error, stole second and scored on Riley Bach's single. Bach took second on the throw home and eventually scored on Ludwig's single for a three-run lead.

Kuemper added an insurance run in the sixth when Drees walked, and courtesy runner AJ Pottebaum stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Bach's groundout.

Halbur struck out the side in the seventh to end it. Halbur, among others, was a member of the basketball team which lost to Clarinda in a substate final last winter.

"That should be incentive for us," Snyder said.

East Sac County (20-6)...................100 000 0 - 1 4 5

Carroll Kuemper (25-11).................220 001 x - 5 4 0

W: Chris Halbur (6-1). L: Hunter Blum (6-4). 2B: ES, Marcus Stoltenberg, Carter Niehaus.