C2D3: Krauss sends Indians to semis with walk off double

CHAFFEE - Down to the final out, Liam Krauss roped a two-run double off the center field wall to propel the St. Vincent Indians to the Class 2 District 3 semifinals with a 5-4 win over the Bloomfield Wildcats on Friday at Harmon Field in Chaffee.

After entering the inning trailing 4-2, Krauss stepped to the plate with his team down 4-3.

“I just wanted to go out there and do my job as a hitter,” Krauss said. “Being in the four hole there’s a lot of pressure so you just have to focus up and hit the balls that matter.”

Krauss said when he saw the pitch leave the pitcher’s hand, he liked what he saw.

“I saw it coming and I was like ‘Oh he messed up’,” Krauss said. “I just wanted to do my job there and get those last two runs in and win this game.”

While the afternoon ended on a high note for the Indians, things looked bleak through the first six innings.

The Wildcats would fall behind 1-0, but they would respond with four-straight runs to take a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

“We just came out a little flat,” Indians coach Corey Sauer said. “We didn’t give up though.”

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Kaden Kassel would draw a walk to start the rally.

A single from Trevor Moonier followed and then a sacrifice fly from Simon Barber to send Christian Schaaf to the plate with a runner on second and two-outs.

Schaaf would walk to then set the stage for Krauss.

“Liam’s been one of our best hitters for a couple years now,” Sauer said. “He’s really the perfect guy in that spot. He doesn’t let a whole lot bother him when he’s at the plate.”

The Indians would score five runs on five hits in the win.

Leading the offense was Trevor Moonier who went 3-for-4. In the win, Simon Barber and Liam Krauss had a pair of RBIs.

For the Wildcats, it was Carter Edwards and Layton McWilliams leading the way with a pair of hits in the loss.

Starting the game on the mound for Bloomfield was Caleb Upchurch who tossed five innings allowing one earned run while walking one and striking out seven.

St. Vincent gave the ball to Jake Seabaugh who went 4.2 innings allowing two earned runs on seven hits and striking out four.

Grant Abernathy earned the win on the mound in relief, giving the Indians two clean innings while striking out four.

Bloomfield ends its season with a record of 6-15.

St. Vincent (14-8) advances to the semifinals of the Class 2 District 3 Tournament where the Indians will take on the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13 at Harmon Field in Chaffee.