By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Jakoeby McDannald had already cleared the bases once.
When he came up with the bases loaded again in the seventh inning, he had to come through for his boys.
McDannald would smack his second three-run triple of the day to help Fair Grove clinch its first final four berth in program history.
“It was just the cherry on top,” McDannald said. “It felt amazing. Got the crowd and everyone going. I love doing things that my boys like.”
The junior infielder went 3-for-3 with two triples and six RBIs in Fair Grove’s come-from-behind, 11-5 victory over Clever in Friday’s Class 3 quarterfinal at Mark Worley Field at Meador Park in Springfield.
After Fair Grove fell into an early 5-1 deficit, McDannald brought the Eagles to life in the top of the third with his first bases-clearing triple of the day.
Clever had intentionally walked Fair Grove’s 3-hole hitter, Gavin Thomason, to bring up McDannald in the cleanup spot with the bases loaded and one out.
“It’s happened a few times this year,” McDannald said of the preceding intentional walk. “But I think every time, it hasn’t ended up the way they wanted it.”
Fair Grove will play Portageville (24-9 overall) in the Class 3 state semifinals at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 4 at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark.
It will be unprecedented territory for the Eagles’ baseball program.
“This group of seniors here, boys and girls, are hard to match,” said Fair Grove coach William Reed. “The girls have done a tremendous job, and the boys are trying to compete on that end too with some final fours of their own.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Fair Grove (27-5 overall, No. 4-ranked in Class 3 state coaches’ poll) is playing well at the right time. The Eagles went undefeated in Mid-Lakes Conference play (7-0) this spring and have won 13 of their last 14 games overall.
Postseason play has seen the Eagles rally from late deficits and emerge victorious. Fair Grove’s previous three games before Friday were all decided by one run.
“From a coaching side, I don’t know if it’s done anything but our theme for this year is ‘Believe,’” Reed said. “We’re going to believe until we can’t believe anymore. These guys have had some remarkable wins, in the postseason especially. They just don’t give up and they believe in themselves.”
Said McDannald: “We have a great group of guys. We’re like a family around here. We play for each other.”
Clever jumped out to an early 5-1 lead on Friday, taking advantage of five walks issued by Fair Grove starter Gavin Thomason. Owen Hall’s two-run single put Clever up 4-1 in the second inning and forced Fair Grove to dip into its bullpen.
Eagles seniors Carson Krider and Spensar Seiger righted the ship in relief. They held Clever scoreless and allowed just five hits (all singles) over the next five innings.
“We think we have a lot of quality depth for a Class 3 team,” Reed said. “We were fortunate to come into this game with only one guy ineligible to throw. We have a lot of confidence in our seniors who followed Gavin today. They’ve thrown a ton of innings the last two years.”
Still trailing in the top of the sixth, Fair Grove went ahead 6-5 by scoring on back-to-back passed balls.
“We’ve got some aggressive (baserunners) and sometimes that comes back to get us,” Reed said. “But if they get a good jump, they try to take the extra base. In a game like this, you have to get every 90 feet you can get.”
Clever’s starting pitcher, freshman Brecken Vestal, allowed four hits and struck out seven in five innings of work. He struck out the side in order in the fifth and left with Clever ahead 5-4.
Fair Grove took the lead once Clever turned to its bullpen. McDannald’s second bases-clearing triple put the Eagles ahead 10-5 in the top of the seventh inning.
“He’s had some good hits for us,” Reed said of McDannald. “He’s such a calm kid. He doesn’t get too high or too low, so his reactions are pretty impressive. He’s got a great stroke to the opposite field and good zone awareness. He got a pitch to drive a couple times, and he had some fun there.”
Clever finishes 17-14 overall, but 0-3 against Fair Grove this season. The Bluejays were seeking their first final fourth berth since 2012 and will graduate six seniors from this year’s squad.
