Cherokees defeat Post 63 for SEMO Invitational title

~ The 18-and-under team finished the tournament with a 6-0 record

By the time the sixth inning of the championship game rolled around Sunday, the Cherokees Baseball 18-and-under team looked like it comfortably would claim the SEMO Invitational title for a second time in the tournament's two years of existence.

The Cherokees had a six-run lead at Notre Dame Regional High School, playing on the field they call home.

But the team would have to overcome one big crisis before posting a 13-4 victory over its cross-town, and mostly friendly, rival.

With a pair of Post 63 runs already cutting the lead to 8-4 and two outs and two runners on base, Jeremy Essner hit a line drive in the direction of Cherokees shortstop Colton Young, who played with Essner at Notre Dame.

The ball short-hopped Young's glove and he rushed to second base for a force out, making some contact with the incoming runner in the process. The runner was called safe, so Young fired the ball to first, a step too late to retire Essner.

Cherokees coach Jamie Puckett charged onto the field to argue that base runner Andrew Williams had interfered with Young at second base and did not leave until he'd been thrown out of the game and bear-hugged from behind by an umpire in order to restrain him.

Once the hubbub was complete, Tyler Glidewell walked to the plate as the potential tying run.

Glidewell hit one of the hardest balls of the game for Post 63, but it hung in the left-center field gap just long enough for center fielder Cody Livesay to track it down and end the most significant challenge his team felt Sunday.

The Cherokees finished the tournament with a 6-0 record while Post 63 finished 5-1.

"It's definitely a big, big accomplishment," said second baseman Ethan Essner, a Notre Dame graduate. "That's what we had set our minds on at the beginning."

The Cherokees were happy to win on their home field as well as against some former teammates.

"They have a few guys that played on our team," Cherokees third baseman Mike Ferrera explained, refering to the Cherokees. "We know a bunch of them."

Ferrera homered off Post 63 starter Tanner Hiett twice, driving home two runs each time. The first came in a four-run second inning for the Cherokees.

"They're a good team," Hiett said. "They just hit the ball. I threw strikes, and that's all you can ask for."

Although both teams were playing their sixth game in four days, both were able to send fresh starters to the mound.

While Post 63 fell a win short of a title, Hiett said his team should have earned some respect with its performance against the 22-team field

"There are these great prospect teams and people think we're just a legion team and we're not worthy of being in the championship, but I think we showed all tournament that we are," he said. "It's definitely an awesome experience for us."

As it was for the Cherokees, who added another title to their program's collection.

"It was just fun to come out here and have a competitive atmosphere with all my friends," Essner said. "It was fun to get out here and get at them."