By Tristan James (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Ash Grove kept its perfect season going with a 10-5 win over Iberia in the Class 2 state quarterfinals. The Pirates advanced to the final four and improved to 23-0 with the win.
“It’s incredible. This is the best group of kids you could even ask for. They deserve every ounce of this,” Ash Grove head coach Berrah Brown said.
Ash Grove, ranked No. 1 in Class 2, used strong pitching performances from junior Bryce Davis and senior Parker Crow to beat No. 3 Iberia.
Crow got things going offensively in the first with a walk and stolen base to put himself in scoring position. Davis drove Crow in with two outs via a single to center field.
Iberia answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead.
Crow got things going again in the third inning with a lead off single. Senior Wyatt Dennis executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to allow Davis another shot at an RBI. Davis hit a groundball through the left side of the infield to drive in Crow and tie the game.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Ash Grove took a one-run lead back in the fourth inning before the bats came alive in the fifth inning giving Ash Grove a 6-2 lead into the bottom fifth inning. That lead expanded to 9-2 after the top of the sixth inning.
Iberia added three in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Parker Crow came on to shut down the rally with a strikeout to end the inning.
Ash Grove added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to make it 10-5 before Crow got a groundout and two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game.
“Man we have been trying to get here for so long. We have just been cut short. This year we got the bats rolling. Have to keep those bats rolling and we are a tough team to beat,” Crow said.
Ash Grove will face Maysville in the Class 2 state semifinals at 7 pm on Monday at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark.
