Forck's big bat sets up C3D2 final matchup vs. Scott City

The Kelly Hawks defied the odds as the low seed and advanced to the Class 3 District 2 title game after a come-from-behind 10-7 victory over Notre Dame on Monday, May 13, in Scott City, Mo. 

The Hawks haven’t scored 10 runs in a game since beating St. Pius X 11-1 in the Wood Bat Classic on April 12 at Fredericktown, Mo. 

The Hawks were down to their final two outs and trailing 7-5 in the seventh inning. Dalton Forck tied the game 7-7 with a two-run triple. He later scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball. 

Brandon Herrion added to the lead with a solo home run. He was also the starting pitcher who allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in three innings. 

An RBI single from Tyson Carr rounded out the five-run rally for Kelly. Carr, Herrion, and Ross Peters each collected two hits for the Hawks.

Forck led the Hawks with a 3-for-4 day that included a solo home run in the second inning.

“I can just tell that whenever we hopped on the bus, everyone was just excited because like we knew that we didn't have anything to prove,” Forck said. “We were the lower seed. No one really expected us to go this far at all because of all the injuries and people who quit. The fact that we can win this right now, just shows how much we care about each other.”

Notre Dame senior catcher Brycen Clark went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in the fourth inning that gave the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead. He later drove in another run on a signal in the sixth to give Notre Dame what seemed to be a safe 7-5 lead entering the final inning. 

Channing Pattengill led the Bulldogs with three hits including a double. Reid Morgan threw six innings as the starting pitcher, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits with 11 strikeouts. 

The Bulldogs concluded their first season under head coach Dave Lawson with a 14-13 record.

The Hawks will take on Scott City in the C3D2 title game on Tuesday. A team that has experienced many ups and downs throughout the season now has the opportunity to win their first district title since 2021 by beating their rival.

"I think that we owe them a little bit of payback," Forck said. "If they overlook us, I feel like we can come in and prove a statement."

Scott City defeated Charleston 10-0 in five innings earlier on Monday to advance to the title game.

Scott City pitcher Braden Mashek throws against Charleston in the Class 3 District 2 Tournament on Monday, May 13, in Scott City, Mo.Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Rams senior Braden Mashek pitched his first district game and allowed only one hit with seven strikeouts. This season, Mashek is 7-0 on the mound with a 0.48 ERA and 61 strikeouts. 

“It’s a start that he earned this year,” Scott City head coach Skyler Cobb said. “We wanted a strike thrower today that’s what he’s been. He threw 75% strikes today which you can't do much better than that.”

Scott City started the scoring in the first inning on an RBI double by Luke Umfleet. Jackson Gloth then hit a two-run double to give the Rams a 3-0 lead. A two-run single by Gavin Venable rounded out the five-run rally.

The Rams scored two more runs in both the second and third innings without a single base hit to go up 9-0. A sacrifice fly by Gloth led to the Rams' 10th run of the game in the fourth inning, putting the run rule in play.

With a win on Tuesday, the Rams would not only win their third straight district championship but also their 30th win of the season, a school record. It's only fitting that it's against a rival.

"They are our big rival in most sports," Cobb said. "They're gonna play well because that's what they do when they play us. We have to make sure that we come out and we match their energy. The 30 wins are great, but we know we're after the district title and that's what matters right now. It just happens to be a chance to do both."