Pobst powers Scott City baseball team to 9-1 win over Oran

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Three hits and three RBIs, including a two-run home run, was enough for Trent Pobst.

The Scott City junior can wait another day for baseball's rare cycle.

In four at-bats, he had three of the four phases covered, only missing a triple to complete the feat in the Rams 9-1 home win over Oran on Wednesday.

"I didn't even know I had a chance to do it there," said Pobst when asked if he had ever come that close to hitting for the cycle. "I just put the bat on the ball and try to help my team win every at-bat."

Pobst's last RBI came in the sixth inning when Scott City scored two runs, one of which came on his double that bounced off the left field wall.

He also singled in the first and went 3 for 4 for the Rams, who finished with 10 hits.

Pobst has become an offensive leader for the Rams, according to Scott City coach Jim May, who said he moved Pobst to the No. 3 spot in the lineup four games into the season after his team got off to a poor 1-3 start.

"He's really taken off from there," May said. "The best thing about it is that the guys behind him and the guys in front of him are hitting. He's got several RBIs this year because we've usually got people on base for him."

Scott City pitcher Jordan Kluesner winds up in the first inning against Oran, Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott City won 9-1. (Laura Simon)

Oran took an early lead in the first on back-to-back two-out hits.

After Scott City starting pitcher Jordan Kluesner retired the first two batters he faced, Jacob Priggel lined a sharp single to right field. Priggel stole second during the next at-bat and advanced to third when Kluesner was called for a balk. Hunter Schlosser worked a full count during that same at-bat before bouncing a high fly ball off the wall in center field. Priggel scored easily from third to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Scott City answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out rally of its own. Braden Cox led off by reaching first on an error but was forced out during the next at-bat when Hunter Copeland grounded into a fielder's choice. Copeland advanced to second on Pobst's single and scored two batters later on Tyler Rogers' single up the middle.

Kluesner gave up a walk to start the Eagles' second but bounced back to retire the next three batters in order. The junior right-handed hurler said he began to settle in after surrendering the early run to the Eagles, thanks to some offense from the Rams.

"I think I was just focused, and my teammates had me in the game," Kluesner said. "Before the game, I told them I just needed a few runs and I'd do the rest. Once they did, it was kind of easy for me to say, 'OK, let's go get this one.'"

Scott City added two more runs on three straight singles in the second to take the lead for good. Kluesner got the inning going by drawing a one-out walk. Ty Wilthong followed with a single before Dylan Keller added another base hit to load the bases for Cox. The sophomore shortstop worked a 2-2 count and fouled off two more pitches, then came up with his first hit of the day, a single to center that scored Kluesner and Wilthong to extend Scott City's lead to 3-1.

Kluesner retired the next six Oran batters he faced, but ran into some trouble in the fifth. Clay Sauceda got a leadoff single, and courtesy runner Cole Priggel advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kluesner walked the next two batters to load the bases for the Eagles, but after a strikeout and a pop out to center field, Kluesner escaped with no harm done.

Scott City pitcher Jordan Kluesner laughs as catcher Ty Wilthong walks back to home plate in the first inning against Oran, Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott City won 9-1. (Laura Simon)

Scott City's Dylan Keller catches a pop-up in the first inning against Oran, Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott City won 9-1. (Laura Simon)

"He's got good stuff. That was probably the best outing of his high school career," May said. "But when things don't go well, he's got to be able to pitch his way out of it, which he did. I went out there and told him, 'Just compete.' That's all I ask out of all of my guys and you could see that we really got that today."

Kluesner went six innings and had seven strikeouts in the win. He was replaced by Cox after reaching his maximum pitch count in the sixth.

Pobst's two-run shot with no outs in the fifth extended Scott City's lead to 5-1, but the Rams weren't done adding runs. After the next two batters grounded out, Drew Short and Kluesner hit back-to-back doubles to pad the Rams' lead. Short scored on Kluesner's double to center, and during the next at-bat, Kluesner advanced to third and scored on two straight wild pitches.

After Pobst's final hit in the sixth, Cox scored his only run of the day on a fielder's choice.

"Early on we struggled, but we've found our way," May said. "My guys keep after it. In four of the last five games, we've got double-digit hits. We thought we'd have a chance to be a decent team, and I think you're seeing us turn into a team that can play with anybody."

Oran 100 000 0 -- 1 6 0

Scott City 120 042 x -- 9 10 1

WP -- Jordan Kluesner. LP -- Thomas Trankler. 2B -- Hunter Schlosser (1), Trent Pobst (1), Kluesner (1), Drew Short (1). HR -- Pobst (1). Multiple hits -- Scott City: Pobst 3-4