TIGERS CUT DOWN RED DEVILS

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- It's funny how one bad bounce affected the fate of a season.

It's ironic that with two of the state's hardest throwers on the mound, the arm of a right fielder ultimately sent a team to the final four.

And it's a shame to the Chaffee Red Devils that a defense that has shone in most of their 25 wins blemished an otherwise brilliant game, and an otherwise amazing season.

Chaffee couldn't overcome misfortune, four errors and the strong pitching of Jamie McAlister as Clearwater (18-8) knocked off the host Red Devils 4-3 in the Class 2A quarterfinals Saturday afternoon.

Trailing 1-0, the Red Devils (25-3) unraveled in the fourth inning and it was a bad hop that got Clearwater's three-run rally started.

With one out and a runner on first, Clearwater's Tommy Wyatt hit a one-hop rocket at shortstop Matt Stroup. But the ball took a shoulder-high hop and bounced off Stroup's glove for an error. A taylor-made double play ball turned into a disaster.

"That's just the breaks, you know," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "That would've been an inning-ending double play. Sometimes you have to make your breaks and Clearwater did today."

Chaffee starter G.P. Glueck almost pitched his way out of the mess, striking out Jeff Payton for the second out. Glueck, trying to pick off a runner at first, threw the ball away and the runners moved up to second and third.

Shayn Mabury -- the team's leading hitter who is batting in the No. 8 spot -- then drove home two on a sharp single to right. Mabury advanced to second and third on wild pitches. On the second wild pitch, catcher Travis Hanback tried to throw out Mabury, but his throw bounced into left field and the fourth run scored.

"We didn't make the plays and we usually execute better than that," Horrell said. "But you have to tip your hat to them."

With a 4-0 lead and with McAlister, a second-team all-state pitcher on the mound, Chaffee appeared doomed. But the Red Devils scored three runs in the fourth and it would've been more had it not been for two nice plays by McAlister on the mound.

Jeremy Lynn led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. Perry Rice sacrificed Lynn to second. Rice was trying to bunt for a hit, but McAlister pounced off the mound and fired to first.

Stroup chased Lynn home on a long double to center field and Glueck followed with a single. Hanback drove home a run on a fielder's choice and reached first on an error. Rusty Duncan was then robbed of a hit as McAlister deflected a line drive up the middle, scrambled to the ball and, with a back-handed flip, got Duncan by a step at first.

Zac Horman then provided a clutch single to right field to score Glueck. But, in what ended up being the biggest play of the game, right fielder Mabury gunned down courtesy runner Andrew Horrell at the plate. Horrell tried to avoid the tag, but catcher Tyler Henson had the plate blocked.

"That was huge. That sent us right there," Clearwater coach Tim Green said. "When I looked up and saw them waving him, I thought Oh, thank you. Now come up with the hose.' Shayn Mabury can hose the ball. He threw him out by plenty. If he doesn't make the play, the momentum goes with them and chances are they might come away with it."

"With two outs on the crack-of-the-bat ground ball like that, you have to take your chances with your No. 8 and 9 guys coming up," Horrell said. "Their right fielder just made a great play."

Chaffee had only one runner in scoring position after that. The Red Devils had runners at first and second with one out in the sixth, but McAlister finished it off.

The Clearwater ace, who was saved for the quarterfinal, allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and no walks. He struck out 13, including five of the first six he faced.

"I've been in some big games but I've never pitched in a game of this stature," said McAlister, who has pitched in the sectional round the last two years. "I'm just glad I kept my composure and threw strikes. Through three innings I felt really good. But I had to find it in the fourth."

Glueck suffered his first loss of the year. He went four innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on three hits and a walk. He fanned seven.

Stroup came on in relief. He struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced, allowing only one hit.

"When Stroup came in, did he nail the door or what," Green said. "Stroup did a heck of a job. The only difference was is we had one run to play with and Jamie took over."

"Gaw, he was bringing it the first at-bat I had against him," McAlister said.

It was the third straight year, Clearwater made the quarterfinals. Notre Dame knocked off the Tigers the last two years.

"The last two years, Notre Dame thumped us pretty good," Green said. "We had a team meeting before the season and we said we were tired of it. We said we wanted all or nothing. We worked hard and busted our tails every day."