Bulls drop first two pool games, recover to reach tourney semis

Adam Pope was cruising along with a two-hitter through four innings Friday afternoon, and his Lids Missouri Bulls were following suit, leading Jefferson City Post 5 3-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning.

That's when things fell apart.

Post 5 plated four runs in the bottom of the inning and held on for a 5-4 victory over the Bulls at Notre Dame Regional High School in the first pool play game for both teams in the Pastime Midwest Select Tournament.

"He left a couple pitches up in the zone that inning," Bulls coach Todd Pennington said.

And Post 5 took advantage. Sam Bowels led off the bottom of the fifth with a base hit. Alec Verhoff followed with a dribbler between third and the mound. Pope pounced on the ball but threw wildly to first, which put runners at second and third. Logan Vogel's single to right scored Bowels, and Will Robertson's double to the fence in center plated Verhoff with the tying run.

Lids Missouri Bulls starter Brock Beacham pitches to a Jefferson City Post 5 batter during the first inning Friday at the Pastime Midwest Select Tournament.

Adam Grunden followed with a single to second that scored Vogel, and Robertson later scored on a wild pitch to put Post 5 in front 5-3.

The Bulls (11-6) rallied in the top of the seventh. Collin Prather was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and pinch-hitter Graham Ruopp singled him to second. Both moved up on a wild pitch, putting runners at second and third with Chase Urhahn at the plate. Urhahn rolled a grounder to short, and Bowels, the Post 5 shortstop, threw to third to retire Ruopp, conceding Prather's run that pulled the Bulls within 5-4. That brought up Levi Brening, who was 2 for 3 with a home run for the Bulls.

Trying to get a runner in scoring position for Brening, Pennington gave Urhahn the sign to steal, but Urhahn was thrown out at second on a perfect peg from Post 5 catcher Zach Hudspeth. Brening struck out to end the game.

"They made the plays when they needed to," Pennington said. "That's the sign of a good team."

Post 5 (5-3) flashed its leather throughout the game. The Bulls' Chase Hagerty was cut down at home in the third inning trying to score from second on Aiden MacMahon's single to right. In the fourth, Brandon Stuckenschneider belted a drive to the right-field corner, but he was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple on a perfect relay from Post 5 second baseman Dylan Hoelscher.

Jefferson City Post 5 catcher Zach Hudspeth prepares to tag out Lids Missouri Bulls runner Chase Hagerty during the third inning.

"Defense was the story of the game for us right there," said Post 5 coach Ethan Williams, noting not only his squad's early-inning defense but the two defensive plays in the top of the seventh. "That was a heads-up play at shortstop, and then we threw out a guy at second."

Post 5 did most of its offensive damage from the top of its lineup. Their first three hitters -- Logan Vogel, Robertson and Grunden -- combined to go 5 for 8 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBIs.

Grunden settled down after a shaky start and finished with a seven-hitter, allowing four runs -- all earned -- walking two and striking out seven. He hit one batter.

"He kept us in the ballgame," Williams said. "He battled in the beginning of the game, but he settled in. He's probably our top guy, and we wanted to let him finish the game."

Pope went six innings, allowing five runs -- just one earned -- on six hits, walking six and striking out six.

The Bulls dropped a 5-1 decision to the Midwest Mules in their second game on Friday but rebounded with two impressive wins Saturday.

They defeated the Indiana Chiefs of Hammond 12-3 early Saturday before beating the St. Louis Dirtbags 18U team 10-0. Their 2-2 pool play record coupled with a plus-11 run differential earned them a spot in today's semifinal round. They will play at 10 a.m. at Notre Dame. The other semifinal will played at 9 a.m. at Capaha Field while the tournament championship will begin at 12:15 p.m. at Notre Dame.

Missouri Bulls 110 010 1 -- 4 7 1

Jefferson City 501 0 40 X -- 5 6 2

WP -- Adam Grunden. LP -- Adam Pope. HR -- Levi Brening (B). 2B -- Will Robertson (JC), Dylan Boston (B), Brandon Stuckenschneider (B), Chase Hagerty (B). Multiple hits -- Jefferson City Post 5: Logan Vogel 2-3, Robertson 2-2; Bulls: Brening 2-4.