Noah Johnson's gem sends Eagles soaring back to quarterfinals

East Prairie needed their ace to be at his best against Kelly and he delivered with a gem.

Junior Noah Johnson threw a complete game shutout allowing three hits and a walk with 13 strikeouts to lead the Eagles past the Hawks 1-0 in the sectional round of the Class 3 state tournament on Tuesday, May 21, in Benton, Mo.

"We knew coming into this it was gonna be a tight game," Johnson said. "Definitely being close, put a lot of pressure on me but the adrenaline was pumping."

Riding that adrenaline, Johnson struck out the side to close out the game in the seventh inning.

"I was pumped," Johnson said. "I was feeling it. I knew once I got the first one just to keep the train going and finish the job."

On the other side, junior Ross Peters started for Kelly and gave up only one run on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Peters finished the season with a 1.63 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 55.2 innings pitched over 10 outings.

Senior Dalton Forck came in relief and threw a hitless sixth inning with two strikeouts.

Hunter Newton drove in William Jarvis on a line drive to center field for a two-out single and the only run of the game. It was one of the only two hits the Eagles got against the Hawks all season. The Eagles previously defeated the Hawks on March 21, despite being no-hit.

"The goal was not to play his mind game when he was staring down," Newton said. "Just kind of find the pitch that I liked and just hit it."

The go-ahead run came off the bat of a senior who wasn't with the team a year ago. Newton originally spent his first three years at Bernie before transferring to East Prairie for his senior year.

"They were very welcoming and outgoing. They're really good people and I love playing for this team," Newton said. "I'm proud to be an Eagle."

The Eagles (20-9) have now won nine straight games and 12 of their last 13 to secure their second 20-win season in three years. It's also the second time they advanced to the state quarterfinals during that time period. In 2022, the Eagles set a school record with 22 wins. Before that year, East Prairie reached the elite eight only twice. 

Even with another year to go, Johnson has been a major part of the best run in East Prairie baseball history. 

"I'm glad to be a part of something special that we're building here," Johnson said. 

East Prairie will take on West County (21-6) on Thursday, May 23, with a trip to the semifinal on the line.

Kelly seniors Reece Eftink and Dalton Forck hug after the end of a Class 3 Sectional game against East Prairie on Tuesday, May 21, in Benton, Mo. Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

__End of an era__

Kelly finished the season with a 13-16 record and its second district title in four years. It was the Hawks' first district championship since 2021, where they went 21-7.

Reece Eftink and Dalton Forck played a key role in both seasons. Eftink finished his final season with two home runs, 15 RBI, and a team-high .355 batting average and 1.029 OPS. Forck, who battled injuries that limited his pitching, batted .282 with a .945 OPS, and a team-high three home runs and 16 RBIs. He allowed four runs and eight hits in 16.2 innings over five games and three starts.

Forck's homer pushed the Hawks past Notre Dame to reach the Class 3 District 2 Tournament final, while Eftink's bomb helped them win it in an upset win over Scott City.

The duo was also part of the Southeast Tropic's Base Ruth World Series championship in 2023 and will likely be back for the summer team's final season in 2024.

Eftink will play football at Evangel University while Forck will continue his baseball career at Three Rivers Community College.