Hounds’ district magic comes alive again
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
Sophomore center fielder Tomas Coalson shakes hands with teammates on his way to the dugout after making a diving catch in the outfield and throwing out a runner at home plate to save a run in the second inning. Maryville beat Lafayette, 17-1, in the first round of districts.
Maryville baseball coach Matt Houchin has been waiting for Monday’s game for a few years.
When he first joined the baseball coaching staff six years ago, the Spoofhounds played n Class 4. And for three straight years, the Spoofhounds got knocked out of districts in the first round by Lafayette.
Monday night was payback. And then some.
Making the move back to Class 4 after a pair of appearances in the Class 3, District 16 title game the Spoofhounds drew the Irish, and immediately went on a revenge tear en route to a 17-1 five-inning victory at Missouri Western.
“The last few years we’ve been able to do some things in districts and move on and play for a district title,” Houchin said. “We won one, were runner up the second time. This is an opportunity for us to start that trend over in Class 4.
“When I started as an assistant coach six year ago, we got knocked out in the first round three years in a row, and it was by Lafayette three years in a row. It’s really nice for me to be come back, get bumped up to Class 4 and go get a win against them this time to open up district play.”
The Spoofhounds scored four runs in the first two innings, and a pair of sterling plays in center field from sophomore Tomas Coalson kept it that way going into the third.
With one out, Coalson laid out to take away a double, then with two outs and a runner on second, a slow-roller made it past a diving Jakob Woods at shortstop, and Coalson came up firing after charging the ball to nail the would-be run at the plate.
“Both of those plays really energized the whole team,” Houchin said. “Our dugout just went nuts. When they came in for the inning, all the guys hoped out and congratulated him. It really sparked us and sent us up to the plate with great confidence.”
An error and a two-run single from sophomore Alex Bean pushed the lead to 7-0 in the third.
Lafayette did manage to plate a run in the bottom of the fourth on a pair of doubles, but the Spoofhounds put together their best single inning of the season in the fifth to all but complete what is easily the most comfortable district win in recent memory.
Junior right fielder Keston Oltman led off the fifth with a walk and junior left fielder Dakota Beemer singled. Then with one out, sophomore second baseman John Zimmerman singled in Oltman. A walk by Bean loaded the bases, and then with two outs the Hounds went on a tear.
Sophomore catcher Trey Hoover singled in a pair before senior Jack Macias, pinch-hitting for junior designated hitter Dustin Piper, reached on an error. Senior first baseman Jacob Cacek walked and Oltman drove in two more with a double to stretch the lead to 13-1. Beemer and Coalson then added RBI singles before Zimmerman drove in the final two runs of the night with his second single of the inning.
“That was a very fun inning,” Houchin said. “We put the ball in play with authority. We didn’t just get it in play, we hit it in play, moved guys around and made things happen. Everybody just fed off each other. It was a total team effort.”
Bean worked around a two-out single in the home half of the inning to seal the victory and eliminate a sour taste from the last time the Hounds played at Missouri Western — a 6-5 loss in extra innings to Lafayette on April 2.
“You trade a conference win for a district win,” Houchin said. “District wins keep you alive. Conference wins are awesome and obviously help out your regular season, but now’s the time you’ve got to win to stay alive. Win one game at a time.”
Bean, Coalson and Zimmerman all recorded a pair of hits while Beemer singled in three of four at-bats. Bean allowed six hits and one walk over five innings.
“He (Bean) did a phenomenal job for us,” Houchin said. “… All of his stuff was working for him and he was able to stay in control of his pitches. Any time you can keep the ball down and get ground balls and some popups, you’re doing a great job on the mound.
“What’s been fun with him this year is to see him go from a role player pitcher — a guy we were gonna use in a couple innings here and there — to a guy we can count on in a starting role to start the first round of district play.”
Maryville (7-8), the No. 5 seed, faces top-seeded Savannah at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Missouri Western. Savannah won the previous two meetings this season, 3-2 in nine innings April 14 and 12-2 in the Pony Express Tournament semifinals.
“They’re a great team,” Houchin said. “… Good pitching, they hit the ball well. It’s going to take a very quality effort from us, but I think we’re up to the task. We’re not gonna back down, we’re gonna go after them just like we would everybody else.”
In the other semifinal, No. 2 seed Benton will take on Chillicothe, which beat Cameron 14-4 in the District 16 opener Monday afternoon.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
Maryville sophomore center fielder Tomas Coalson lays out to make a catch during the second inning of the Hounds’ 17-1 win over Lafayette in the first round of Class 4, District 16 play Monday. Coalson, who was also 2-for-3 with two RBI at the plate, also had an outfield assist in the second inning to keep the Irish off the scoreboard.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
Maryville sophomore Alex Bean, who started the season as the No. 3 pitcher for the Spoofhounds started the Class 4, District 16 opener Monday night, allowing six hits, a walk and just one run in the Hounds’ 17-1 win over Lafayette.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
Maryville junior right fielder Keston Oltman watches a flyball into his glove during Monday night’s 17-1 win over Lafayette in the first round of the Class 4, District 16 Tournament.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
Maryville junior left fielder Dakota Beemer takes a cut at a pitch during the Spoofhounds’ 17-1 win over Lafayette in the Class 4, District 16 opener. Beemer was 3-for-4 with an RBI.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
Maryville freshman shortstop Jakob Woods fires to first after scooping up a grounder behind the mound during the Spoofhounds’ 17-1 win over Lafayette in the first round of the Class 4, District 16 Tournament Monday night in St. Joseph.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
Maryville senior third baseman David McGary rockets a throw across the diamond to force on a Lafayette runner at first base during the first round of districts Monday night. Maryville won 17-1 to move on to Tuesday’s semifinals against top-seeded Savannah.
