NOTEBOOK: Senior Drew Short shows off bat in Scott City baseball team's Class 3 third-place win

O'FALLON, Mo. -- Timely hitting is what Scott City coach Jim May has come to expect from senior first baseman Drew Short, and Thursday's Class 3 third-place game was no different.

Short had a 3-for-4 outing with a team-high two RBIs in the Rams' 5-4, walkoff win over South Callaway, and he ended his high school career by living up to his coach's preseason expectations.

The first-base umpire calls it after Scott City's Drew Short makes an out in the sixth inning of a Class 3 third-place game against South Callaway on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in O'Fallon, Missouri. Scott City won 5-4.Laura Simon

"Drew has hit all year long," May said. "I told him before the season that he had to hit above .300 and at least get us 30 RBIs. He's hitting around .400. He's around 40 RBIs, has over 40 hits. He's hit like an animal."

Short was held to only a base hit in his third at-bat of the Rams' 12-1 loss against Mountain Grove in Wednesday's state semifinal, but May was encouraged by his contact in the first two at-bats of the game.

"Having a pitcher throwing lower-90s yesterday really got me seeing the ball," Short said about Mountain Grove's Alex Moore, a hard-throwing pitcher who held Scott City to three hits in six innings of work.

It all made sense when Short found his rhythm Thursday.

"Yesterday he made outs, but they were hard outs," May said. "He was blistering the ball, and he just came to hit. I think he made an out today, but he had a couple big RBIs. He's been a really good player for us."

The 6-foot Short concluded district play with a .393 batting average and a team-leading 35 RBIs, and the Bulldogs were never able to guess where the ball was going.

Short lined a single through the right side for an RBI in the bottom of the first, squared a base hit up the middle in the third and added his second RBI on a single that was lined to left in the sixth.

"He doesn't [try to] do too much," May said about Short, who hit all year in the five-hole behind fellow senior Trent Pobst. "He commented earlier today -- he had like eight doubles last year and only had three this year -- he said he must be getting slower, but it's just his approach.

"He hits the ball the first time between first and second. The next time they scooted their second baseman over, and he hit it right up the middle. He's a middle to right-center [hitter], and he can turn on an inside fastball. But he's got a good approach where he's trying to hit a line drive, and he's just done it all year long. It's been great for us."

Thank you 'Berry' much

Scott City coach Jim May hugs Isiah Berry after the Rams 5-4 Class 3 third-place win against South Callaway on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in O'Fallon, Missouri.Laura Simon

Whether he's playing baseball, basketball or football, Isiah Berry is the kind of guy who thrives in the clutch.

"It goes from basketball to football, always catching interceptions and always playing good D," senior Jordan Kluesner said about Berry. "In basketball, he always plays hard no matter what. He got a game-winner against Oran in the very beginning of the season.

"He's always been a player that everybody can rely on. We know that he's going to have our back with everything."

That's exactly what the senior center fielder did with runners on the corners and his team clinging to a one-run lead in the top of the sixth inning against South Callaway.

With two down and everybody running, Berry robbed nine-hole, designated hitter Tyklen Salmons of a game-tying RBI single when he made a diving catch in shallow center for the third out.

The stellar defensive play was due to great anticipation on Berry's part.

Scott City's Braden Cox reacts after teammate Isiah Berry makes a diving catch to end the top of the sixth inning of a Class 3 third-place game against South Callaway on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in O'Fallon, Missouri. Scott City won 5-4.Laura Simon

"It was a DH, and he looked a little small. So I started walking in already while Jordan was pitching the ball," Berry said. "I had momentum going right toward the ball. I just read it good."

It was also "Big-shot Berry" who delivered the walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh that sent courtesy runner John Auer across home plate and clinched third place for the Rams.

"That is Isiah Berry in a nutshell," junior catcher Ty Wilthong said. "No matter what adversity he's going through, he's a kid that will always grind it out, battle and find a way to win. He's just a competitor, hates losing. That's just Berry -- that's who he is."

Berry struggled offensively this season, batting .175 in with five RBIs in 40 at-bats through district play. A fixture in the starting lineup on defense, Berry's spot in the lineup was up for grabs throughout much of the season, but in his final game in a Scott City uniform, he got the nod from May to bat as the No. 9 hitter.

"He started out, and he was struggling. He just kept hitting the ball right at guys," May said about Berry's early-season hitting. "He doesn't strike out very much, and we had some guys who were hitting pretty well. So that gave us an opportunity to get them in the lineup.

"But it's the last game. I was going to let him go out in a blaze of glory, and by golly, he did. So I couldn't be more happy for him."

One big send-off

Scott City seniors, from left to right, Jordan Kluesner, Hunter Copeland, Trent Pobst, Isiah Berry and Drew Short hold the Class 3 third-place trophy after their 5-4 win against South Callaway on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in O'Fallon, Missouri.Laura Simon

It was a challenging Thursday morning for two teams that expected to be playing for a state championship in the afternoon, but four errors, eight hits and five runs later, the Rams were able to send their five seniors off with a gritty win.

Five everyday starters -- leadoff hitter Hunter Copeland, Berry, Pobst, Kluesner and Short -- wrapped up their illustrious careers at Scott City with far more than just third place in 2016.

That resume includes four straight district titles and two runs to the final four -- the Rams finished second in Class 3 a year ago with an extra-inning loss to Fatima in the title game.

"That's a pretty good run in four years," May said. "They haven't done a lot of losing. They've won a lot of games.

"I said coming up here, 'We're not the best team you're ever going to see.' When we walk out on the field, no one goes, 'Wow, look at those guys.' They're gutty. They're scrappy, and they fight for wins. They showed that again today."

Scott City coach Jim May smiles as he walks down the third-base line in the fourth inning of a Class 3 third-place game against South Callaway on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in O'Fallon, Missouri. Scott City won 5-4. Laura Simon

May gathered with his team after the game, fighting back tears as perhaps he realized it was the last moment this particular group was going to be in one accord.

"This isn't the one we wanted," said May, his eyes fixed on the trophy in his hands. "But thanks for taking me along for the ride."

"Everybody give Coach May a hug," junior Braden Cox added.

May went around to each player, embracing them with gratitude.

"He always talks about how when he was a player that he never got to experience something like this," Wilthong said about May. "He told us before the game how we've taken him to places he's never been, and he enjoys every minute of it. It's just good to get him a win because he deserves it more than any coach. He puts so many hours in that nobody even understands. He's one of the best coaches I've ever had, and he really cares about us.

"I'm just so happy for the seniors, too. They've worked their butts off ever since they were freshmen, and they deserve to go out with a win."