INDIANS LOSE GRIP ON TITLE

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Ryan Brown will probably never forgive himself.

The senior all-state catcher who will go down as one of the best athletes to attend St. Vincent High, threw the state title game away Thursday night when his throw back to pitcher Tyler Wengert sailed high.

Jasper's Daniel Ritchhart alertly broke home as St. Vincent shortstop Derek Kutz pounced on the ball on the second-base side of the infield. Kutz threw home but his throw was high and Jasper won the Class 1A title 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

After the play, Brown hurled his mitt, slammed his chest protector to the ground and collapsed to his knees as Jasper (22-2) celebrated just feet to his left.

"I wish I had an excuse for it," Brown said. "It was just a bad throw, you know. It happens a lot but it just sucks that it happened in a state championship game. ... It just keeps running over and over again in my mind.

"I feel like I let my team down."

"That's not even close to being the truth," said Wengert. "I'd compare him to any catcher in the state. He's got all kinds of schools wanting him. He's been a leader for us all year. We wouldn't have been here without him."

St. Vincent (18-12), the defending state champion, played terribly in the second and third innings, committing four errors which led to two unearned runs and four runs total. The Indians found themselves down 4-0, but came storming back in the fifth inning when the bottom part of the Indian lineup -- which has not fared well in the playoffs -- keyed a three-run rally.

Brown led off with a single.

With one out, Brett Richardet reached on an error and Brown scored on the play. Kurt Sutterer singled to right to drive home Richardet and Sutterer later scored on a wild pitch to pull the Indians to within 4-3.

St. Vincent manufactured a run without a hit in the sixth. Two Jasper errors eventually led to an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Brown.

"I liked how our kids came back," St. Vincent coach Rick Wibbenmeyer said. "They're competitors, tremendous competitors and they made it exciting. I'm very proud of the team."

Jasper jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Eric Grisham doubled to deep center field and Jose Salas reached on a dropped third strike. Jimmy Smith then singled home one run on an 0-2 pitch.

Dustin Sentlinger forced the bases loaded with a single, then Ryan Storm, the ninth-place hitter, hit a hard shot to shortstop Derek Kutz. Kutz scooped, stepped on second and then threw wildly to first allowing another run to score.

St. Vincent had a prime scoring opportunity in the second inning but failed to convert.

Brandon Carroll led off the inning with a triple that should've been caught. With one out, Brett Richardet laced a line drive to right field that was caught at knee level. But Carroll initially broke toward home. Carroll then tried to tag but was thrown out by several feet at the plate.

Wengert, in 6 2/3 innings, allowed five runs, two earned, on 10 hits and no walks. He struck out eight.

Ritchhart, who scored the winning run, also got the win in relief after also winning the semifinal earlier in the day. In 2 1/3 innings, he allowed one run on one walk and a strike out. Starter Jeff Chapman allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits and no walks in 4 2/3 innings. He fanned two.

Jasper coach Steve Hummel was sympathetic of the way St. Vincent lost, but "I'll take it," he said. "We got to the quarters for four years in a row and we had never made it. When we finally got here we decided we were going to play to win."

* Clearwater, which beat Chaffee in the state quarterfinals, was defeated by Iberia 10-0 in the Class 2A state championship game.

No third-place games were played because of rain in the morning.