RAMS, HAWKS WEATHER OPENERS

SCOTT CITY -- The first two games of the Class 2A, District 2 baseball tournament went as expected, but odds are neither winner expected quite the battle it got from the tournament's bottom two seeds.

In the first game at Scott City Park Monday between No. 3 Kelly and No. 6 East Prairie, East Prairie's Ben Marshall took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but Kelly scored two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth and won 3-1 despite only three hits.

The second game, between No. 2 Scott City and No. 7 Woodland, the last seed, was perhaps one out away from a shocker. Woodland led 1-0 in the sixth inning, but the Cardinals blew two infield pop ups in the sixth, allowing Scott City (13-5) to score five unearned runs in the inning and win 5-2.

The third game of the day -- No. 4 St. Vincent against No. 5 Chaffee -- didn't escape the rain that began late in the second game and was rained out. It will be played today at noon.

The winner of noon's St. Vincent-Chaffee game will play top-seeded Notre Dame in a semifinal game today at 2 p.m.. At 4, Scott City will face Kelly.

Woodland scored the game's first run in the top of the fourth. Chris Jordan led off with a double. The next batter, Jake Randol, laid down a bunt, and Scott City pitcher Justin Braun threw the ball into right field, allowing Jordan to score from first.

After a flawless first five innings in the field, Woodland's two very costly errors in the sixth essentially ended all hope of a major upset. With one out and no one on, John Wipfler hit a pop up behind the pitcher's mound, and after several fielders converged, the ball bounced off the first baseman's glove.

Jason Landis followed with a single and then Keith Anderson drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Woodland's pitcher, Jered Roberts, then struck out Lance Amick for the second out with the bases still loaded.

Then came the season-killer. Roberts got Braun to hit a pop up behind second base, but once again there was a collision, and the potential inning-ending out bounced off the second baseman's glove and two runners scored.

This broke open the flood gates; Joey Jacobs had a two-RBI single and Tim Lowery added an RBI triple to cap off a five-run inning.

Woodland scored a run in the seventh, but stranded two runners to end the game.

"We got the `W'; it wasn't pretty, but we'll take it," said Scott City coach Stephen O'Brien. "We've lost a few games that way this year, and it's nice to be on the other end catching the breaks once.

"I hate waiting until the bottom of the sixth to tie people. If we don't hit the ball any better, we won't beat Kelly. But usually we play Kelly well and usually it's a good game."

Braun went 6 2/3 innings and earned the win. He allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out five and walking one and hitting one. Landis struck out the game's final batter.

Roberts went 5 2/3 innings and suffered the loss despite allowing no earned runs and five hits. He struck out five and walked five.

Kelly 3, East Prairie 1

East Prairie (6-9) scored a run in the third and led 1-0 entering the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Ben Klipfel drove in John Livingston with a double and Klipfel later scored on a passed ball.

The Hawks (11-9) added a run in the sixth as Jim Hulshof scored when East Prairie's catcher dropped a third strike and threw the ball into right field.

Hulshof (4-0) went the distance and earned the win. He allowed no earned runs on six hits and struck out nine.

Marshall went the distance and took the loss.