SEMO Strokers drop into losers bracket at state tournament

~ The Fighting Squirrels advanced to the winners bracket final at the Senior Babe Ruth tournament

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The top of the Charleston Fighting Squirrels lineup came up for the third time in the top of the fifth inning against the SEMO Strokers in a winners bracket semifinal game at the Senior Babe Ruth baseball state tournament Sunday.

Before the inning was over, the first six batters of the Squirrels lineup had batted four times. They scored 10 runs in the inning to turn what had been a close game into a 12-2 run-rule win in five innings.

"We've got some good hitters and the third time through the order ... we just did a really good job of doing what we do, and we forced them to make some mistakes," Charleston coach Michael Minner said. "And then once we started hitting, we just continued to hit."

The outburst resulted in the first loss of the tournament for the Strokers, who were scheduled to play an elimination game against Mineral Area later in the evening. Results from that game were not available when the Southeast Missourian went to press.

The inning started with two infield singles and a walk to load the bases.

"Our objective is to try to put pressure on the other team, and we're going to put it in play," Minner said. "If anybody watches this team play, we run the bases the right way. We run hard. We're going to force you to make plays."

Recent Scott City graduate Ryan Fortner singled home a run before Chaffee senior Cody Payne followed with a two-RBI single and Kelly graduate Ian Householder doubled home another run.

Fortner was 4 for 4 on the day with three RBIs. He gave the Squirrels the lead with a single in the top of the first inning that drove in two runs.

"You've got to cherish whenever you get an RBI opportunity," Fortner said. "You can't shy away from it, especially that early in the game. You've got to set the tone. I think that really got us going."

Minner said gaining the early lead was just another way to put pressure on the Strokers, a team based in Oran that features players from Oran, Chaffee, and Scott City among others.

"Part of putting pressure on the other team is taking the pressure off of us," Minner said. "And whenever we score some early runs, that takes the pressure off of us. Plus, that allows our pitcher to go out and pitch with a lead, and so all the sudden we don't have to be quite as sharp. We can make some pitches that we may not normally make if we're down one or down two."

The Strokers scored their only run of the game in the second inning when Scott City graduate Brett Dirnberger's groundout brought home Oran graduate Alex Heuring, who had tripled.

The Strokers loaded the bases later in the inning, but Central graduate Christian Cavaness lined out to second base to end the inning.

"He got deep in the count," Strokers' coach Chris Asmus said. "He got his pitch that he wanted to hit. Christian's a good hitter. He works the counts, and he gets the pitch he wants to hit by the time the count's over."

Cavaness worked a full count in the at-bat.

"Probably the play of the game is the 3-2 pitch to Cavaness -- the line drive right at Jared [Walker]," Minner said. "If that ball's three inches either way it probably clears the bases, and all the sudden it's 4-2 them. But we make the play, and we're fortunate enough to get out of there."

Risco graduate Caleb McCord pitched the complete game for Charleston to earn the win, while Oran senior Chance Tenkhoff took the loss.

"He just couldn't locate anything," Asmus said about Tenkhoff. "None of his breaking balls were working real well for him. Chance lives off the curveball. It's just one of those things. I knew it wasn't going to happen for us when he wasn't coming out solid for us."

Charleston, which remained undefeated in the 10-team tournament and improved to 44-9, will face Boonville at 2:30 p.m. today. The Squirrels have run-ruled each of their first three opponents.