Marshfield rides fifth-inning surge to district championship
By Tyler F. Thompson
(For OzarksSportsZone.com)
On a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon in the Ozarks, the Marshfield Blue Jays (23-11) stormed the field at Springfield-Central with their eyes on the prize as they battled the Zizzers of West Plains (17-13) for the Class 5 District 6 championship.
As the clouds parted, the Jays — after scoring early and then falling behind 4-2 — responded with a four-run fifth inning en route to the 9-4 final.
The Blue Jays will play the Camdenton-Union winner at the Class 5 quarterfinals on May 30. Time is TBD.
A 30-plus-game season can take its toll, and Marshfield head coach William Pate — whose team sustained serious injuries to commence the 2025 campaign, credits the work ethic that began back in the fall.
Junior Hunter Fryman broke three bones in his face prior to the season opener.
“It takes a lot to prepare [for the season]. It really dates back into the fall, but this week, we put a lot into what we talked about as our approach offensively and defensively, and the boys really honed in on that. We knew we would have to be versatile during games at times.”
And versatile they were, laying down textbook bunts, advancing the runners via sac bunts and sac flies.
But the Jays would not be holding up the district hardware without the resiliency and fortitude of junior hurler, Carson Adams.
“Give them everything I got,” Adams said of his approach. “I knew I was going to get a shot, and [I] wanted to make the most of it. It has been a rollercoaster. A lot of hard work from everyone. It has been a fun ride. Not a single guy took a day off.”
Adams came on in relief in the third and didn’t allow a run.
In fact, no runner advanced past third base in his five-inning performance.
The fact that Adams even suited up the past few days was a blessing, as he sustained a torn UCL in his thumb in the season opener.
“He looked really good today,” Pate said of Adams. “I am really proud of him. He just went out there and cruised the rest of the way. He did a great job.”
Prior to his brief performance in the semifinals, the last time Adams pitched was early May against Webb City.
Before that, the last time he toed the rubber was March 22.
But you wouldn’t have known it given his presence on the mound.
“He has been a two-year starter for us,” Pate said. “That really helps. He has played a lot of baseball. We knew, if we made a postseason run, we would have a chance to get him back.”
After plating two runs in the opening frame on a Braden Jensen sac fly and a sac bunt by Case Steinbach, the Zizzers responded with four in the bottom of the second.
West Plains previously defeated state powerhouse and two-time state champion Willard, 2-1, during semifinals action.
Offensively in the fifth, Carter James connected for the two-run single, giving the Jays the 6-4 lead.
Easton Curley drove in a run on his single in the fifth.
Jensen said keeping a level head after falling behind 4-2 in the second frame was vital to the win.
“Just relax, be a team. Just go attack. It has happened before,” he said.
In the sixth, Jensen cleared the left-centerfield fence on his 2-run bomb.
“I went up there just trying to attack, just trying to get on,” Jensen said of his fifth-inning moonshot over the left-centerfield fence. “Just happy to help out my team.”
