McDonald County Splits With District Champs

PHOTO BY RICK PECK McDonald County’s Victor Payne dives back to third base ahead of a pickoff attempt during Webb City’s 7-5 win June 10 at McDonald County High School.
PHOTO BY RICK PECK McDonald County’s Victor Payne dives back to third base ahead of a pickoff attempt during Webb City’s 7-5 win June 10 at McDonald County High School.

McDonald County's 18-and-under baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh and held on for a 6-5 win over Carl Junction in a nine-inning game played June 9 at McDonald County High School.

"A nine-inning game is a grind," said coach Skyler Rawlins. "Jamie (Hanke) threw really well and got us to the eighth inning and the bullpen came in and threw strikes and got the job done. Offensively, we were able to get the big hit when we needed it and we did a good job advancing runners when we had the opportunity. We beat a good team. This was a quality win."

Carl Junction won the Missouri Class 3 District 12 High School Baseball Tournament on its way to a quarterfinal appearance in the state tournament.

Carl Junction broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth with a run on two hits and an error. McDonald County answered in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs. Mason Hendrix led off with a single and advanced to third when Trenton Frazier and Dylan Teague both bunted for hits.

Emanuel Baisch drove in a run with a single before Brock Burnett grounded out to drive in the second run of the inning.

McDonald County broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh with four runs on three hits. Lakota Rose was hit with a pitch to lead off. Emitt Dalton tripled for one run before Baisch followed with his second RBI single of the game. Burnett walked in front of an RBI double by Hanke. McDonald County's final run of the inning came when Dagan Stites' grounder was misplayed for an error.

Frazier took over for Hanke to start the eighth, allowing three runs on three hits before getting out the jam on a popup and ground out. Carl Junction scored a run on a walk and an error in the ninth, but Frazier secured the win with a fly ball and ground out.

Hanke finished by allowing one run on six hits in seven innings for the win. Frazier picked up the save, allowing four runs on three hits in two innings.

Baisch had three hits and two RBIs and Dalton had two hits and an RBI to lead the offense. Also picking hits were Burnett, Hendrix, Frazier, Teague, Hanke and Victor Payne.

McDonald County nearly made two wins in two nights over district champions, but Webb City (Missouri Class 4 District 12 champion) rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh to pull out a 7-5 win June 10 at MCHS.

"I thought we competed really well against a dang good ball club," said coach Bo Bergen. "We had them on the ropes, but sometimes against a good club things like that will happen. I was happy with the way we played."

Hendrix held Webb City to three runs on six hits through six innings. Webb city scored all three of those runs in the fourth when they put together four hits to go with a McDonald County error for the only runs they could manage against Hendrix.

Webb City's three-run inning erased a 3-0 McDonald County lead. McDonald County scored a run in the second when Dalton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the game's first run. McDonald county added two runs in the third on a single by Burnett, an RBI single by Payne and a fielder's choice by Hendrix.

McDonald County took a 4-3 lead in the fifth on a single by Hanke and a sacrifice fly by Frazier.

Payne started the seventh in relief of Hendrix, but a walk, a hit and a bloop single tied the game with one out. Webb City took a 5-4 lead on a error before Rose surrendered a pair of hits to let in the final two runs.

McDonald County scored a run in the bottom half of the inning on singles by Hanke and Hendrix.

Hendrix and Hanke led the offense with two hits each. Dalton, Burnett, Payne and Austin Davis had one each.

Webb City claimed a 4-0 win in the five-inning nightcap. Tyler Sellers took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits. Burnett and Hanke had the McDonald County hits.

Sports on 06/18/2015