WEBB CITY, Mo. — The College Heights Christian Cougars dug themselves an 8-0 hole after three innings during their Class 2 District 12 quarterfinal game on Friday night against the third-seeded Miller Cardinals at Chuck Barnes Field.
College Heights’ bats came alive in the sixth and seventh innings with two runs in the sixth and the seventh erasing half of the Cougars’ deficit and resulting in a season-ending 8-4 loss.
“Yeah, it’s tough to dig yourself in such a big hole, especially against a very good baseball team,” College Heights coach Phillip Jordan said. “I’m very proud of the guys for not calling it a night. We fought and had a couple good innings there. The ball bounces a different way, maybe we’re making it a little more competitive, but the guys never quit and in a situation like that, that’s what you want to see.”
College Heights pitchers Ben Thomas, Jayce Walker and Josh Anderson combined to allow two hits against the Cardinals, but they also combined for 12 walks and two hit batters that allowed Miller scoring opportunities despite being outhit 10-2 on the night.
The Cardinals scored four in the first and their first hit did not produce a run, a single by starting pitcher Garrett Stewart.
Miller scored one in the second and three more in the third without a hit in either inning, as the Cardinals did not get their second hit until an infield single in the fifth.
“It was uncharacteristic with walks tonight,” Jordan said. “We’re typically in the zone pretty well … I don’t know … we didn’t throw strikes and that’s why we lost the game. Obviously, like you said, we outhit them … we had a few errors … but, at the same time, you can’t walk 12-13 guys and expect to win a baseball game.”
Thomas, Smoke Ezell and Caleb Evans sparked College Heights’ rally with consecutive singles to load the bases in the sixth.
College Heights’ first run scored on a double play turned by Miller and Phillip Thompson hit an RBI double for an 8-2 score.
In the last chance seventh, College Heights again loaded the bases to start with a Walker single, a walk by Anderson, and a Kelton Welch hit by pitch.
The Cougars managed two more runs to close out the scoring, before the game and their season ended on an Austin Miller groundout to Miller first baseman Owen Pritchett.
College Heights, who defeated Miller 6-4 back on April 10, ends the season 7-13 overall and Cougar seniors Thomas and Bo Sitton played their final games in a College Heights uniform.
“Bo is a team player,” Jordan said. “He’s a selfless player. He brings a lot of joy and excitement to the team. He works hard.
“Ben loves baseball more than any kid I’ve ever coached and he’s also very selfless and plays the game the right way. He’s a kid that I hope the younger guys on our team look up to and try to emulate as they continue their high school career. If they do that, we’ll see lots of good things.”
More than half of the Cougars’ starting lineup this season were sophomores.
“Experience is a great teacher,” Jordan said. “We’ve had some great experiences … learned some great lessons and maybe not great experiences. We’ve lost a lot of baseball games the last two years. Yeah, you hope as we get older, now that sophomores and juniors are juniors and seniors, that’s when you hope to see good things happen and some of those close losses turn into wins. Hopefully, next year, we’ll be able to put a good season together.”
Miller improved to 16-10 overall and the Cardinals advance to the semifinals on Monday against second-seeded and eighth-ranked in Class 2 by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association, Marion C. Early (21-6).
Top-seeded and top-ranked Ash Grove (19-0) plays fifth-seeded Pierce City (9-12) in the other semifinal Monday. Pierce City defeated Jasper 6-3 in the first quarterfinal Friday.
