Time runs out on SEMO Scrappers

~ The local squad rallied to tie the game but lost 12-9 when a time limit was enacted

After giving up five runs in the bottom of the second inning, the Kelso Scrappers scored five runs in the third inning to take a one-run lead in a pool play game against the Indiana Chiefs at the Pastime Midwest Select Tournament on Friday at Capaha Park.

But the Scrappers gave up seven runs to the Chiefs in the fifth and ran out of time for another comeback in a 12-9 loss.

The Scrappers scored three runs in the top of the sixth before the game was cut short due to a time limit.

Scrappers coach Larry Eftink said errors and an inability to get easy outs in the third and fifth innings led to his team's demise.

"We dug ourselves in way too big of a hole," Eftink said. "We didn't make plays when we should have, the pitching went from bad to good and it just kind of snowballed from there."

Scrappers starting pitcher Hunter Eftink used his fastball effectively most of the night.

"He was throwing well enough to get groundball outs, we just couldn't make plays on them," Larry Eftink said about his son's pitching performance.

Hunter Eftink lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits. He struck out six and took the loss.

The Scrappers took a 1-0 lead in the first when Josh Jansen singled to score Logan Heisserer, who began the game with a double that bounced off the left-field wall.

The Scrappers then committed three errors that led to a five-run second inning for the Chiefs.

Eftink issued back-to-back walks to begin the inning, followed by an error by second baseman J.D. Harding.

Chase Clarkson followed with another routine groundball with one out and the bases loaded to Scrappers first baseman Josh Jansen.

Jansen charged the ball and fired home to get the lead runner.

However, his throw was low and offline, pulling catcher Blake Hagedorn away from the plate and allowing the runner to score.

During the next at-bat, a passed ball allowed another run to score to make it 2-1.

In the following at-bat, the Scrappers tried to get the lead runner out at home again. Jeff Birchfield hit a groundball to Harding who threw home, but his throw was high and wide of Hagedorn, which gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead.

"We should have been out of the inning there," Larry Eftink said. "But if you can't get those easy outs when the other team gives them to you, you're almost asking for the loss."

A sacrifice fly off the bat of Ryan Wexelberg allowed Chase Clarkson to score and the final run of the inning came on a triple off the bat of Cameron Prisby.

"That inning was huge for us," Chiefs coach Dave Sutkowski said. "That kind of kept us in it. If we don't get those runs it's a completely different ball game."

The Scrappers fought back in the third, scoring five runs of their own to take a 6-5 lead.

Harding and Hagedorn each drew walks with the bases loaded to cut the lead to 5-3.

Heisserer, who had walked to load the bases, scored after Derek Hulshof reached on an error and made it 5-4.

The bases were loaded when a balk was issued against Chiefs starting pitcher Nick Thrasher. Harding scored on the balk to make it 5-5.

Tom Siebert followed Huslhof's at-bat with an RBI single to score Hagedorn for a 6-5 advantage.

The Chiefs strung together five consecutive hits in the fifth to take the lead for good.

Sutkowski was excited to see his team break out of a hitting slump they had been in for most of the summer.

"We put together some hits and that was great to see," Sutkowski said. "We haven't had that for a while and hopefully this sparked some energy in them. We just have to make sure it will continue tomorrow."

Larry Eftink said the competition in the tournament and the way his team played on defense worried him some as his team fell to 1-1 in pool play.

"We're OK to some extent, but I'd rather be 2-0," Larry Eftink said. "Some of the teams we're playing tomorrow are of high caliber. I told my guys they need to bring their A-game and that they can't play like they did tonight. We have to make a quick change in 12 hours if we want to win."

The Scrappers again split games Saturday to finish 2-2 in pool play overall. They lost to the Midwest Mules 9-1 in an early-morning contest before defeating Jefferson City Post 5 Legion 11-0 to cap the tournament without advancing to today's semifinals.

Scrappers 105 003 -- 9 5 4

Chiefs 050 07x -- 12 8 2

WP -- Nick Thrasher. LP -- Hunter Eftink. 3B -- Cameron Prisby (C). 2B -- Logan Heisserer (S). Multiple Hits -- Chiefs: Anthony Quintero 2-4.