Warriors too much for Spoofhounds in Sectionals
DAVID MERRILL/DAILY FORUM
Maryville’s Zach Patton connects with a pitch in the seventh inning against Smithville on Tuesday. Patton flied out on the play and Maryville lost 7-1.
SMITHVILLE, Mo. — Maryville’s baseball team went into Tuesday night’s Class 4 Sectional contest against Smithville playing the best ball of its season.
Once the Spoofhounds were no longer inside the confines of Phil Welch Stadium, however, the baseball magic seemed to wear off.
Smithville topped Maryville 7-1 to end the Hounds’ season at 13-10. Trey Hoover hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth, accounting for the lone Maryville run.
It was the final game for seniors Alex Bean, Tomas Coalson, Hoover, John Zimmerman, Hunter Jewett, and Chase Staples.
Bean, who will continue his baseball career at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, said he wouldn’t trade this season for the world.
“I’ve played ball with most of these guys my whole life, and we’ve always fought,” he said. “There are some teams that are more talented than us, but we’re always there. We want to play ball. I think we showed up today, but that first inning killed us.”
The Spoofhounds did fight, but the Warriors, the No. 1 seed out of District 15, put up five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Maryville was never able to fully recover.
Maryville went down in order in the top of the first and Smithville’s Bobby Orr led off the bottom of the frame with a double. A walk and a single loaded the bases for Kyle Heckenbach, who deposited a line drive into right field, bringing home the first two runs of the game.
Smithville scored the other three runs on a Maryville fielding error, and a two-RBI double before three straight groundouts ended the inning.
Bean, who got the start on the mound, didn’t record an out. Cameron Staples quickly took over and quieted the Warrior bats.
Smithville coach John Speer gave a lot of credit to Bean, but said it was just his guys’ day.
“We play a pretty tough competition throughout the year,” he said. “Bean is one of the better arms we’ve seen, but we’ve also seen some of the best Class 5 pitching. I think that helps us when playoff time comes. Alex is a great pitcher, but we had his number today.”
As good as Staples was, Smithville’s Logan Brown was better. The senior pitched the full game, striking out five while walking just two. He allowed five Maryville hits with the home run being the lone extra-base hit.
He also stranded five Maryville runners on base.
Staples kept the Warriors off the board until the fourth when Peyton Bellmer drove in one run with a single.
Karsen Reid answered Hoover’s home run with an RBI double in the sixth to push the lead to 7-1, which held until the final out.
Take away the first inning and Smithville outscored Maryville just 2-1.
This marked the second time this season the Spoofhounds fell to the Warriors.
The first loss, which was also played in Smithville, came on a 10-0 defeat.
Maryville coach Monica Woods knew her team was going to have to put up runs to have a chance.
“We just weren’t getting the hits that we have been getting,” she said. “When we’re going against a team like this, we have to score a lot of runs. We just didn’t come out and get enough consistent hits.”
Zimmerman, who also played basketball and football for the Spoofhounds, said Brown being left-handed may have had an effect.
“He’s a great pitcher, he’s sneaky, and he’s left-handed,” he said. “We haven’t seen a lot of left-handers this season. I felt like we were making good contact, we just hit it right at them.”
DAVID MERRILL/DAILY FORUM
Maryville’s Alex Bean takes a throw from Trey Hoover at third base as he tries to catch Smithville’s Karsen Reid trying to steal. Reid was safe on the play and Maryville lost 7-1.
DAVID MERRILL/DAILY FORUM
Maryville’s Cameron Staples goes into his windup against Smithville on Tuesday. Staples allowed just one run in his three innings of work, but the Spooofhounds lost 7-1.
