Portageville’s championship pedigree on display in 2-1 win over South Pemiscot

CAMPBELL, Mo. — For the second year in a row, the Portageville baseball team emerged victorious in the Bootheel Conference Tournament, edging out South Pemiscot 2-1 at Campbell High School on Wednesday, May 3.

The win marks the latest triumph for the program that has dominated the conference in recent years, winning either the tournament or regular season title in each of the past five seasons.

“I was proud with the way our kids kept grinding it out,” said Portageville coach Tyler Trover. “I know they were frustrated offensively with us not being to come through at times, but we pitched well and played pretty good defense all day. It showed our club's ability to win in different ways. Some days you win beautifully when you play well in every aspect, and some days you have to grind it out.

“It’s certainly special anytime you have the chance to win a championship,” he added. “We’ll take it and keep on moving forward.”

While winning the tournament was certainly a noteworthy accomplishment for Portageville (27-2), it was clear that the team’s sights are set on even bigger goals.

“The goal from day one has been for us to put ourselves in a position to win a district championship and have a chance to go back to the final four,” Trover concluded. “We have the talent to win but for us to maximize that talent and have a special season, it’s going to take an ‘Ozark Effort’ every day. Now have we sustained that every single day, well no, but they’re high school kids. However, more times than not, we have. Today, the effort, the want and will to be good was there, it was just a lack of execution offensively.”

Class 3, No. 2 ranked Portageville took an early advantage when Aaron Dunlap scored on the throw after Trey Benthal hit into a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the first inning. Dunlap reached base after leading off the inning with a drive line single to center field.

“We wish we could have turned it into more crooked numbers throughout the day,” Trover said. “But those plays speak to the value and importance of what [Dunlap] does for this team. He can be way too hard on himself, but at the end of the day, he’s had a great year at the leadoff spot. He has a very disciplined eye and a knack for coming through with the big hits when we need them,.

“He’s great at centerfield and his on-base percentage is off the charts good,” Trover continued. “He’s just a fundamental, professional at-bat every time he comes to the plate. He just has to believe in himself and what the numbers show. I feel like he has more to give. If he can understand just how special he can be, then he will be a huge factor in whether we make a deep run into the playoffs.”

Portageville added a much-needed insurance run to extend the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning after Jayquan Bogan hit a single to score Beau Hunter-Warren.

“It was good at-bat for [Jayquan Bogan],” Trover said. “He fouled some pitches off and was disciplined. He didn’t swing at any pitches outside the zone and he finally got a pitch that kind of hung up there. He had a nice, simple swing and a line drive over the shortstop's head to score the run. We needed it because they ended up getting one on us in the seventh inning. It turned into the game-winning hit.”

South Pemiscot (13-8) narrowed the lead to 2-1 and had the game-winning runs on base in the top of the seventh inning but Benthal closed the door by recording a strikeout for the final out of the game.

“You let it ride when you have a dude like Benthal,” Trover said. “He’s had some huge starts this season. His fastball was alive today, and he had a really good changeup.”

Benthal earned the complete-game win after seven innings. He didn’t allow any earned runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and one walked batter.

“Kudos to South Pemiscot,” Trover said. “They played good defense and didn’t hurt themselves. Their pitcher kept us off balance today. They continued to fight and never gave up. It was an impressive effort and that’s a credit to coach Jason House and the job he does.

“They didn’t care what it said on paper,” he continued. “They competed and that’s what makes baseball so beautiful. They had an effective game plan and we were fortunate to be the team that came away with the win.”

Freshman Parker Carlisle took the loss after throwing six innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits with one strikeout and five walks.

Portageville will host Woodland (12-8) and Ellington (12-10) on Saturday, May 6 in the Portageville Round Robin Tournament.

__PORTAGEVILLE 2, SOUTH PEMISCOT 1__

S. Pem 000 000 1 — 1 3 1

P’Ville 100 001 x — 2 5 2

W—Trey Benthal. L—Parker Carlisle. 2B—Portageville: Conner Johnson.