The unpredictability of Missouri’s weather is famous for interrupting plans, or, in this case, the Class 3 District 10 high school baseball district playoffs.
With a cold rain that refused to let up, the semifinal game between the Mountain Grove Panthers (20-5) and the Liberty Eagles (8-10) was suspended on Monday afternoon with the Panthers leading 2-0 in the second inning.
After an almost 48-hour delay, the weather finally cooperated on Wednesday afternoon and the Panthers went on to defeat the Eagles 3-0. The Panthers will now be in search of another district championship as they play the Licking Wildcats in the finals on Thursday.
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The story of the game was created on the mound as Mountain Grove senior starting pitcher Blaine Halford pitched a masterful game. On Monday, Halford had trouble finding the strike zone as he walked three in the first two innings, but the rain allowed him a fresh start.
On Wednesday, Halford proceeded to carve up batters and kept Liberty from getting a hit the rest of the game, and, to remove all doubt of any chance Liberty had of a comeback, Halford sat down the last 13 batters he faced. He also finished the game with eight strikeouts.
Mountain Grove coach Derwin McGownd was proud of his team’s performance.
“I thought it was a great game,” said McGownd. “We played defense real well. Blaine [Halford] did a great job on the mound. It was his best outing of the year so far, and he hit his spots real well. We did what we needed to do to take care of business.”
On Monday, the Panthers wasted little time in putting the pressure on the Eagles after senior shortstop D.J. McNew drove in a run with a double in the first inning. Junior second baseman Brock Coffman added another run in the inning with a two-out single.
The Panthers picked up where they left off on Wednesday as sophomore right fielder Hayden Newberry hit a one-run single in the bottom of the second inning.
Liberty senior Cale Cornman came in relief in the third inning and held the Panthers hitless over the next four innings, but the Eagles could muster no offense in the game.
Mountain Grove and Licking face off at 4 pm Thursday with the district championship at stake.
Liberty 000 000 0—0
Mtn. Grove 210 000 x—3
