Elfrink's shutout leads Leopold baseball team to district title

ANNAPOLIS, Mo. -- Leopold starting pitcher Zachary Elfrink thought about his older brother Joe throughout the Wildcats' 4-0 victory in the Class 1 District 3 championship game against South Iron on Wednesday at South Iron High School.

The junior, who hadn't yet won a game this year, thought back to the Wildcats' loss in the district championship game last year when his brother was on the mound.

"Last year, my brother, he won all six games in the regular season, then he lost in the district title, so I was just thinking about him the whole game," Elfrink said. "It's kind of the other way, and it was just huge to get it; been waiting for a long time."

Elfrink pitched a four-hit shutout against the Panthers and drove in two runs in his first win of the season.

Leopold advanced to a Class 1 sectional matchup with Bakersfield at 3 p.m. Monday in Bakersfield, Missouri.

Leopold coach James Lewis described Wednesday's game as nerve-wracking as he watched a familiar scene play out early.

"Where it gets nerve-wracking is those first two innings where we hit six balls right on the button and get nothing for it," Lewis said. "We were in this same situation last year and we did that the entire game, whereas today we got a few of them to drop. We had two, two-out base hits to score three runs, and that was the difference. When you give a pitcher like Zachary a couple runs, well now he can really go to work with that curveball and that change-up."

The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third on back-to-back, two-out RBI singles from second baseman Garrett Thele and Elfrink.

South Iron had runners on the corners after a hit and two errors in the second inning, but a double play ended the threat.

After Leopold took a three-run lead in the third, the Panthers were retired in order.

"The double play is a big momentum-booster in itself, and then you tack on three runs, that's more momentum, and then they get nothing and you just really start building," Lewis said. "That inning and a half was really the key to the whole game."

Elfrink began to find a rhythm after issuing his only walk of the game during the first inning.

"I walked that guy in the first inning and just right then I realized I had to tighten up -- it was real important that I didn't do that again," Elfrink said. "Pretty much from that point on I was focused in, trying just one pitch at a time was the way I was going through it. Just trying to make pitches. Everything started working as the game went on. My curveball started getting more break late in the game. And once we scored those three in the third inning, I knew I had plenty of run support."

The Panthers came close to scoring in the fourth. A one-out hit to left field by Chase Kelley rolled past the left fielder to put a runner at second.

South Iron center fielder Josh Trent followed with a single to right-center, and Kelley tried to score. Right fielder Zach Beel fielded the ball and threw out Kelley at home. Elfrink struck out the next batter to end the inning.

"That throw was money," Elfrink said. "He's been great out there. We moved him out to right field about halfway through the season, and he's made every play that's gotten to him. That was a huge throw. I mean, they get that run, and it's a whole different ballgame. When he made that throw, it just gave us all that much more adrenaline. It was a perfect throw. Got an out, saved a run -- it was big."

The Wildcats picked up an insurance run in the seventh inning.

Elfrink gave up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning before striking out the side to secure the win. He hit one batter and had eight strikeouts.

"He has pitched like that the entire year -- it's just he has gotten no breaks," Lewis said. "I'm glad for him because he was 0-4 with a 1.40 ERA, which is difficult. I talked to him a little bit during the season, you know, 'Don't change because you haven't won a game. You keep pitching the way you're supposed to, the way you do, and it'll come out in the end. You might not go 4-0, but you'll win a big game at the end of the year.'"

Leopold 003 000 1 -- 4 3 3

South Iron 000 000 0 -- 0 4 5

WP -- Zach Elfrink. LP -- Korbin Ruble. Multiple hits -- South Iron: Josh Trent 2-3.