Moore excels at taking the mound in pressure situations for the Oran baseball team

Oran junior Kody Moore might be best suited for sports like diving, figure skating and gymnastics, where degree of difficulty is factored into the scoring.

But he's a baseball player, and results are straightforward. A hit is a hit, an out is an out and a win is a win.

He's third on the Eagles staff in wins with a 4-1 record and has the team's only two saves, but the easy route usually is blocked off.

One of his victories is a 112-pitch, nine-inning gem during the regular season. He allowed just three hits in the 2-1 victory against Chaffee.

And the postseason has been a high-wire act, but not of his own making.

Oran's Kody Moore picked up the win in the Eagles' sectional win and the save in their state quarterfinal victory. (Fred Lynch)

Oran coach Mitch Wood has utilized Moore's competitive nature when the Eagles have run into adversity on their run to the Class 1 final four.

"He's a gamer," Oran junior catcher Alex Heuring said. "Whenever we're in a tight situation, you can depend on him to come through for you. He's a big-time competitor."

Moore recorded the sectional victory against Cooter after taking over on the mound in a 4-3 game with runners at first and second with one out in the fourth inning. He inherited a 3-1 count on the batter, whom he retired. He then obtained 10 more outs without allowing a hit in an eventual 6-3 victory for the Eagles.

Oran then faced Naylor in the state quarterfinals, and Moore was called upon in another precarious situation and earned a save in a 4-1 victory.

"I like pitching like that," Moore said. "I like throwing with pressure just because it makes me throw better. I know if I don't throw good, I've let my team down. I definitely don't want to do that."

Oran's Kody Moore hits a solo home run during the Eagles' Class 1 sectional win over Cooter. Moore is batting .387 with five homers and 29 RBIs. (Laura Simon)

Wood inserted the right-hander with no outs in the sixth inning against Naylor in an attempt to preserve a 2-0 lead. Naylor had two runners on base after a pair of errors, and this time he took over with a 3-0 count on the batter.

"I'm a competitor just like coach Wood," Moore said. "If you challenge me by putting me in with a hitter at 3-0 and two guys on, I love that. It makes you see what you're made of. It can really show you a lot about yourself sometimes."

Moore allowed a run-scoring single in the inning, but he escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam with the help of a play that would have scored extra points for difficulty among judges.

Moore fielded a squeeze bunt up the third-base line and tried to flip it over the runner that had passed him. The short toss bounced off the baserunner and ended in the glove of Heuring, who caught the ball for the force out that maintained a 2-1 lead for Oran.

"I knew I had to grab it and get rid of it quick," Moore said. "We had a little luck on our side. Coach always says you need a little bit of luck this time of year if you want to win it all."

The Eagles have yet to win it all, but it hasn't been for a lack of trying. Oran is making its 11th trip to the Class 1 final four, and Wood is not beyond pushing his luck with Moore.

"Next time I'll try a bases loaded, 3-0 and see how that goes," Wood said jokingly. "I wouldn't hesitate to put him in there, for sure."

Moore would welcome that opportunity.

"I want to be the guy that is stopping them, that has a chance to stop them," Moore said. "I like to play with a lot of heart. I take pride in Oran baseball because it's been such a tradition. I love that situation because I'm confident that I can do it, and I'm confident my teammates will help me out."

The Eagles' tradition brought Moore to Oran in the first place. He attended grade school in New Hamburg, where he still lives, and he had a choice of high schools to attend.

"We don't have a high school in New Hamburg, so technically I can go to a couple different schools," Moore said. "I can go to Chaffee. I can go to Kelly, Oran, Notre Dame. I can go to Scott City. Really I have all those different options, but my cousins, they came here to Oran."

His older sister Katee opted for Kelly and was a standout softball player for the Hawks.

But Moore's first love is baseball, and Oran was a logical choice.

"I just kind of grew up an Oran fan because I always just came and watched them play," Moore said.

One of Moore's cousins, Chris Asmus, lived in Oran and played for the Eagles. Moore attended his games and even got to witness an Eagles tradition first hand before his first day at the school. Moore watched Asmus and the Eagles in the Class 1 final four in 2006. The Eagles committed five errors in a 6-2 semifinal loss to Sacred Heart, but it didn't dim the future Eagle's enthusiasm for Oran baseball.

"I was like, 'Man, I hope I'm in that position one day. I pray that I go to state just so I can be in that situation,'" Moore said. "I thought it was the coolest thing ever."

It also didn't hurt that some of his best childhood friends from New Hamburg were headed for Oran. Tyler Heuring, who earned all-state honors for the Eagles as a senior last season, attended Oran, and his younger brother, Alex, followed two years later.

"He's in the same class as me, and we've been best friends forever," Moore said about Alex. "I couldn't see myself going anywhere else. Not only were my best friends coming over here, but I knew they had a great program here."

Moore also wanted to play for Wood, who had seen Moore since his early years in grade school.

"He's been a complete player since I've known him," said Wood, referring to Moore's bat, arm and legs.

And Moore was a talented player completely consumed with the game.

"That was all I had on my mind the first day of high school," Moore said. "As a freshman, I remember thinking and getting home and talking to my dad, 'I'm ready for baseball. I know basketball is first, and I like basketball and everything, but I'm ready for baseball.'"

Moore wasted little time making his presence felt when baseball season arrived. He started at shortstop and also pitched as a freshman.

He played a big role in helping the Eagles reach their 10th final four as a sophomore. He earned second-team all-state honors for a year that included a .470 batting average, five home runs, 29 RBIs and a .546 on-base percentage. He also had a 5-2 record on the mound over 40 2/3 innings despite arm problems that limited his time on the mound.

Moore has posted similar numbers this season with a .387 batting average, five home runs, 29 RBIs and .482 on-base percentage.

He shifts between shortstop and third base, depending on whether third baseman Dalton Elfrink or shortstop Seth Ressel are pitching.

"We've used him differently," Wood said. "I coach prospect leagues in the summer, so I can see where some kids hopefully have opportunities at the next level. Kody's opportunities are probably going to fall in line with a player instead of a pitcher. So we try to utilize that.

"Unfortunately for us, he's had to throw some. We've used him sparingly. Fortunately for me, I've got two other kids that throw real well, which is uncharacteristic of most 1A schools. Those guys [Elfrink and Ressel] can throw four, five, six innings, and Kody can come in and finish some up.

"He's a bulldog and has done a good job with that. As you can tell, he kind of likes that."

Moore doesn't mind the role, and he likes the possibilities it presents at the final four.

"I love the chance thinking if I stay in this role right here that I can throw in both games," Moore said. "That's awesome. I love going on stages like that."

But there is a scenario that Wood prefers -- less of Moore on the mound.

"I hope he doesn't have to pitch any because we'll be in pretty good shape if he doesn't," Wood said.

Moore concurs.

"As long as they can keep going, that's fine with me," he said.