Southeast recruit tackles Crusaders

~ Valle's Grass hurls one-hit shutout at Saxony Lutheran.

Saxony Lutheran fell one win short of repeating as Class 1 District 3 baseball champion.

A Valle Catholic senior headed to Southeast Missouri State on a football scholarship was largely responsible.

Nathan Grass held the Crusaders to just one hit -- and that was disputed -- as top-seeded Valle rolled past second-seeded Saxony 7-0 in Thursday's title game at Yanks Field in Ste. Genevieve.

Valle will carry a 25-2 record into Wednesday's sectional round at Yanks Field. Saxony ends its season 14-8.

"He's a big, strong kid who had good offspeed stuff to go along with that heater," Saxony coach Paul Sander said of Grass. "He was good."

Grass, a 6-foot-1, 230-pounder, will play fullback at Southeast.

Although he also might be good enough to play college baseball, he said football is his first love.

"I'm looking forward to it a lot," Grass said of suiting up for the Redhawks.

A right-hander, Grass struck out six, walked two and hit two batters over the seven-inning distance.

Saxony's only hit came with one out in the top of the fourth as Ben Courtois lined a bullet that caromed off third baseman Mike Greiminger and into left field.

Valle's coaching staff ruled it an error, but the official scorers at Yanks Field called it a hit. Various media members in attendance were split on their rulings.

"I asked my third baseman if he should have caught it. He said yes so we gave him an error," Valle coach Judd Naeger said. "But it doesn't matter."

For what it's worth, Grass believes it was a hit.

"It was a tough play. I think it was a hit," he said.

Valle, which last year captured a district title in Class 2, had eight hits, but all the Warriors' runs were unearned thanks to three errors by the Crusaders.

The Warriors jumped on top with a four-run second inning, getting three hits and taking advantage of two errors.

Valle broke things wide open with a three-run fourth, getting three more hits after a two-out error opened the door.

"We helped them, but they also got some hits," Sander said. "When you score zero, you can't beat anybody. They are a good team and today they were the better team."

Greiminger, Colby Schilly and Aaron Basler all had two hits for Valle. Schilly drove in three runs.

Chris Roth was the losing pitcher. In 3 2/3 innings, he allowed six hits and all seven runs. Garrett Fritsche gave up two hits in 2 1/3 shutout frames.

Valle 7, Saxony Lutheran 0

Saxony 000 000 0 -- 0 1 3

Valle 040 300 X -- 7 8 1

WP -- Nathan Grass. LP -- Chris Roth. 2B -- Aaron Basler (V). Multiple hits -- Valle, Basler 2-3, Colby Schilly 2-3, Mike Greiminger 2-4. Records -- Saxony 14-8, Valle 25-2.