Dunklin County falls in 12 innings in final

~ Anheuser-Busch claimed the title with a 6-5 victory.

Dunklin County had its top hitter at the plate with two outs and two on in the bottom of the 12th inning during the American Legion Zone 4 baseball tournament Sunday afternoon in Jackson.

But unlike Saturday, when Jeremy Patton hit two game-winning extra-inning home runs to keep Dunklin County alive in the tourney, he hit a ground ball up the middle. Anheuser-Busch shortstop James Johndrow, the hitting hero in Post 299's tourney-opening win Thursday, grabbed the ball and threw to first for the final out in A-B's 6-5 zone championship victory.

Anheuser-Busch (33-18) moves to the state tournament this Saturday in Jefferson City.

Dunklin County finished its season 28-18.

Post 299, the zone runner-up to Festus the past two seasons, scored a run in the top of the 12th inning on a sacrifice fly. Mike Anderson had opened the inning with a double, moved to third on a bunt and scored on Tom Belgeri's fly to right.

Dunklin County's first two batters in the bottom of the 12th were retired by winning pitcher Nick Boeser, but Post 303 had been there before. It had won three straight games in its last at-bat, scoring four in the ninth against Manchester in a 6-5 win, five with two outs in the 10th against Rock Memorial in an 11-8 walkoff win and two against A-B in a 2-0 11-inning win to set up the final game. Patton had the winning homers against Rock and A-B.

Leadoff hitter Taylor Laden singled and Dustin Hunter walked to set up Patton.

But Johndrow came up with the defensive play one inning after turning a double play with the bases loaded.

Dunklin County stranded eight runners in the final four frames. Patton was on third with one out in the 11th when A-B walked back-to-back batters and picked up the double play to end the threat.