By Brock Sisney (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
WEBB CITY — In a battle of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in Class 5, No. 1 Willard prevailed with a 5-4 victory Monday over Webb City at Chuck Barnes Field.
For most of the game, it looked as if Webb City had Willard’s number, holding onto a 2-0 lead after pushing across two in the first.
Webb City senior pitcher Cole Gayman and the Cardinals kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for the first four innings, aided by double plays turned in three straight innings. They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but on the baseball diamond, double plays are a pitcher’s best friend.
On the second time through the lineup against Gayman, however, the Tigers exploded for all five of their runs in the fifth on four hits and one costly error. Gayman also hit Cooper Hampton twice (the first time to start the inning and the second time to put Willard up 5-2) and walked a couple more batters as the wheels fell off for the Cardinals in this one half-inning.
“I thought we finally got some better bat speed,” Willard head coach Scott McGee said. “We were a little tentative at the plate the first time through the order, but our guys throughout the season have done a good job of adjusting for their second and third at-bats. We did so again today, ran the bases well, and did some good things there in that fifth inning.”
Meanwhile, Willard senior pitcher Dalen Stewart scuffled in the first inning, but then he calmed down and kept the Cardinals at two runs before departing after six innings.
“I thought he was a little bit jerky with his arm,” McGee said. “He’s a smooth pitcher. His power comes from his smoothness. He was just being a little bit too powerful, not quite as smooth. We got him settled down and he cruised. Through six, he was as good as he’s been all year, just like he was last Tuesday at Nixa. He’s our dude and we’re going to roll with him as long as we can every time he throws.”
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Down to its final out, Webb City sparked a rally in the seventh with two runs against Willard reliever Klayton Kiser. McGee called on Jared Miles and the junior promptly struck out Gayman with the tying run at third and the winning run at second.
“We got two quick outs and it just kinda got away from us a little bit,” McGee said. “Kiser has got electric stuff when he’s in the zone and he struggled a little bit with command there, so we went to Jared Miles and he came in and threw four straight curveballs. He just dominated. It was really good to see and it was a huge moment for Jared Miles.”
Willard improved to 14-6 overall and 3-1 Central Ozark Conference.
“Big win today,” McGee said. “Webb City’s an outstanding team, Coach (Flave) Darnell does a great job, and he’s going to improve that program. We’re ranked 1-2 in the state right now, so it’s a big win, but every win in the COC is a big win. That’s why I love being in this conference, because it prepares you for the postseason because every game is competitive. Tonight was no exception to that.”
The Tigers have consecutive road games Wednesday against Parkview and Thursday against Class 5 No. 6 and conference rival Carl Junction. Willard also plays Rolla and Marshfield on Saturday in a busy week of baseball.
On Monday, Webb City retired Willard in order in the first and leadoff man Devrin Weathers quickly sparked the Cardinals to a 1-0 lead after he singled, stole second, advanced to third on a flyout, and came home on a wild pitch. No. 3 hitter Shane Noel worked a walk and then worked his way around to score with the help of a Willard error and the crack of a Matt Woodmansee RBI double. Stewart began calming down after Woodmansee’s big hit.
The Cardinals turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the second, a 6-4-3 double play to end the third, and a foul out to third in the fourth turned into a double play when Noel gunned down Willard leadoff man Blake Hultgren trying to take advantage of Noel’s absence at third.
The Tigers did not lack their fair share of standout defensive plays, however, their day highlighted by center fielder’s Kyle Beeman phenomenal diving catch on a would-be double by Eli Goddard in the fourth.
Webb City’s Aiden Brock hit a two-out double in the sixth, but Stewart struck out Goddard swinging and preserved the 5-2 score entering the seventh.
Weathers reached base all four times Monday and his third single of the game kept Webb City alive down to their final out. Kiser hit Treghan Parker for a second runner and then eight of Kiser’s final nine pitches missed the zone for walks against Noel and Woodmansee.
Brought in to save the game with the lead down to one and both the tying and winning runs in scoring position, Miles needed only four pitches to strike out Gayman.
Webb City dropped to 13-3 overall and 3-2 COC, and the Cardinals return home Thursday against COC foe Branson. The Cardinals play Saturday against Francis Howell and Rock Bridge, teams with a combined 28 wins already this season.
