NEOSHO, Mo. — Strafford scored three times in the top of the 12th inning to break a 5-5 tie en route to an 8-5 win over Neosho to clinch the inaugural Roy B. Shaver Classic championship game on Saturday at Roy B. Shaver Field.
The Indians (4-0) scored four times in the top of the first inning to take the early momentum before the Wildcats chipped away at the lead until tying the game at 4-4 by the end of the third inning. Strafford scored in the top of the fifth before Neosho tied the game up again at 5-all with a run in the last of the sixth inning. After five scoreless innings and multiple chances by both teams to push across the go-ahead run, Strafford plated three runs in the top of the 12th inning to earn the win.
“It shows the grit of this team (in the way they compete),” Neosho coach Bo Helsel said. “I was just talking to them down there and I said these are the games, granted I hate losing, but these are the games that we need to play to show that we can compete in the COC and to compete in districts. … We never led all day. To go 12 innings and not have one lead is tough. It is the first game we didn’t lead in and getting to that point was a grind.
“This team is built different. The mentality is different in the dugout. We had a sophomore on the mound who gave up four runs in the first inning and he shut them down the next three innings. That is just the type of grit we have on this team.”
HOT START
The loss was the first of the season for the Wildcats, who have a 4-1 record and have already matched last year’s win total. While surpassing that number with a Roy B. Shaver title plaque would have been nice, it’s clear by Neosho’s start to 2022 that the Wildcats are playing inspired baseball in Helsel’s first year with the program.
“Our kids are playing well,” Helsel said of the Wildcats’ start. “Obviously, we would have loved to have this one. But, the first year in the tournament—the turnout was great, the players were engaged, the coaches were engaged. The opposing teams did great. I loved it. Our kids love this atmosphere. That is different from past years.”
ON THE MOUND
Dakota Ames started and took a no-decision after allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits, three walks and three strikeouts in six innings for the Indians. Mason Denning pitched two scoreless relief innings and allowed one hit and walked two. Gabe Moore earned the win in relief, pitching four scoreless innings while allowing two hits, walking two and striking out two.
Quenton Hughes started for Neosho and took a no-decision after allowing four runs on seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts in four innings. Wyatt Shadwick pitched one inning and gave up one run on one hit, a walk and three strikeouts. Carson Williams took the tough-luck loss after allowing three runs on nine hits, a walk and four strikeouts in seven-plus innings of work.
“Carson Williams came in the sixth (inning) and just grinded,” Helsel said. “He is one of my hardest workers. He came in and shut them down. He gives up his share of hits, but he always strands those runners. … He pitched the game of his life for sure.”
GAME ACTION
Strafford took the momentum in the first inning after plating four runs, all coming with two outs. Lane Boswell drove in the first run with a single to center field before back to back walks loaded the bases. Evan Helton followed with a double to the gap in right-center field to score three more runs and cap the inning.
Neosho answered with a two-out run in the bottom of the first inning to cut the deficit down to three. Eli Zar picked up the RBI with a single to score River Brill.
The Wildcats added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning to get within one of the lead. Carter Baslee started the inning with a leadoff single before coming around to score on a one-out triple to right-center by Reese Miller. Williams plated Miller in the next at-bat with an RBI groundout.
Like it did in the first two innings, Neosho got the leadoff man on in the bottom of the third inning after Austin Rodriguez reached on an error. And like they did in the first two at-bats, the Wildcats pushed across a run for a third straight inning, this time tying the game at 4-4. Rodriguez moved to second on a single from Shadwick and scored on a Zar groundout.
“The percentages (of scoring) go way up when you get the leadoff runner on,” Helsel said. “So many things can happen. You can bunt, you can steal, you can do all kinds of stuff. … It is big for us to get that leadoff guy on base any way possible.”
Strafford reached the scoreboard for the first time since the opening frame when Boswell walked to lead off the top of the fifth before moving to third on a single from Isaac Berg and scoring on a wild pitch to give the Indians a 5-4 lead.
Neosho tied the game back up in the bottom of the sixth inning. The first two runners reached and moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt from Williams. Brill tied the game at 5-5 with an RBI groundout.
Strafford started the top of the seventh with back to back singles before a sac bunt moved both runners into scoring position. The Wildcats got out of the jam after Williams earned a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat.
Neosho had the bases loaded in the eighth inning before a groundout ended the inning. The Wildcats threatened to end the game in the last of the ninth inning after Baslee singled to shallow left with Zar on second, but Zar was thrown out at the plate to preserve the tie.
The Wildcats loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. Colton Southern flew out to left field, with the runner being thrown out at the plate for the second straight inning.
“We had our chances,” Helsel said. “You get those opportunities with the bases loaded and you have to do something. Maybe I was pushing the baserunners to go, but these are high school arms and I wanted to test them to try and get the run in. We had four opportunities for one big hit, and we just didn’t get it today. That is the way baseball goes sometimes.”
Strafford pushed across three runs in the top of the 12th inning to take the momentum after five scoreless innings by both teams. After an out to leadoff the inning, the Indians loaded the bases after a walk, an infield hit and a hit-by-pitch. Ames followed with a single through the left side to score the go-ahead run. JD Hunt singled to left for an RBI and Denning added a sac fly to make the score 8-0.
IN THE BOX
Hunt had four hits and an RBI to lead Strafford at the plate. Blake Cowan and Boswell each had three hits, with Cowan scoring a run and Boswell driving in a run.
Baslee had three hits and a walk scored a run to lead Neosho. Hughes and Williams had base hits, while Miller tripled, scored a run and drove in one. Williams had an RBI.
ON DECK
Neosho is at St. Mary’s Colgan on Tuesday at Jaycee Ballpark.
