Webb City responded when McDonald County applied a little pressure.
After falling behind 2-0 to McDonald County in the semifinals of the Missouri Class 5, District 6, Baseball Tournament, the Cardinals rallied with 14 unanswered runs to claim a 14-2 win on May 19 at Webb City High School.
McDonald County took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Weston Gordon led off the inning with an in-field shot. Destyn Dowd followed with a single to put runners on first and third with no out. Isaac Behm's soft liner to right field was dropped, allowing Gordon to score the game's first run. With one out, Ethan Lett grounded out to second base to drive in the second run of the inning.
The lead however was short-lived when Webb City answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning.
The Cardinals used a combination of small-ball, soft liners and a Mustang error to score five runs on four hits off of McDonald County starter Ethan Francisco. Two bunt singles and two McDonald County errors, one on a third bunt, set up Webb City's big inning.
Webb City shut out McDonald County the rest of the way. Cole Martin walked leading off the third before Webb City starter Eric Fitch was relieved by Cole Gayman. Gayman went the rest of the way without allowing a hit, with only Martin reaching on a walk and Wade Rickman getting hit by a pitch to mar the senior right-hander's performance.
Offensively, the Cardinals scored three runs in the third and six in the fourth to end the game after four and a half innings on the 10-run rule.
"We had a great year," coach Kevin Burgi said. "I choose not to think about this game. I choose to think about the good things. The kids did an outstanding job and I couldn't be more proud of those guys."
Francisco went two innings, allowing eight runs, four earned, on five hits while striking out two and walking two. Rylee Boyd worked the final two innings, giving up six runs on three hits while striking out four and walking four.
McDonald County's second-inning hits by Gordon and Destyn Dowd were the only McDonald County hits, while Martin reached all three of his plate appearances on two walks and a hit by pitch.
McDonald County finished the season with a 15-14 overall record, including a 5-1 mark in the West Division of the Big 8 Conference to share the West Division title with Nevada.
West Plains
Gordon held West Plains to four runs in four innings and Martin had three hits to drive in four runs to lead McDonald County to a 10-4 win in the opening round of the district tournament on May 18 at MCHS.
Gordon allowed four runs on four hits while striking out six and walking three. Francisco worked two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, shutting out the Zizzers on two hits while striking out two and walking one before Cross Dowd got the final out of the game.
West Plains took a 1-0 lead in the second when the Zizzers starting pitcher Jacob Ruhland hit a solo home run.
McDonald County answered with two runs in the third. Jack Parnell singled with one out before Martin hit a two-strike pitch over the right-field fence to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead.
West Plains tied the game in the fourth with a run on a walk, a hit by pitch and a single. The Zizzers then took a 4-2 lead in the fifth with two runs on a hit, a walk and an error.
But McDonald County responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning off of reliever Kyler Stowers to tie the game. Parnell walked in front of a double by Martin that put runners on second and third. Parnell then scored on a wild pitch with Martin scoring all the way from second when West Plains catcher Tank Sims' throw to the plate got past Stowers.
Stowers was forced into action when McDonald County successfully argued that Ruhland was out of the game after the Zizzer's substitutions in the top of the inning made him ineligible to return. Ruhland was pinch-hit for by Carter Bunch and when Bunch reached on an error, Evan Ackerson was inserted to pinch run. Umpires ruled that Ruhland was taken out of the game and therefore could not return on the high school rule that allows for a player to re-enter for the player who was inserted in his place.
The Mustangs broke the game open in the sixth, scoring six runs on two hits, three walks, an error and a hit by pitch. Martin and Levi Helm had the big hits in the inning, both delivering two-run doubles.
"When Jack (Parnell) gets on and Cole hits with runners on, it is really, really big," Burgi said. "Jack got on base all three times he batted. Obviously, Cole has been really good all year. He is the guy we have leaned on to drive in runs and he stepped up today. I am really proud of him. Weston did a good job on the mound. We knew he was a good matchup and did exactly what we thought he would do. Ethan was really, really good tonight."
Martin finished with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored. Cross Dowd added two hits. Helm and Parnell had one each. Parnell also reached on two walks and scored three runs.
