One woman said her heart was racing so fast.
That’s just one way to describe the effects of Monday night’s Class 2 state sectional showdown between the closely matched Plato Eagles and Mansfield Lions.
Despite the rain, an anxious crowd and a chance to get a little closer to the Final Four at stake, Plato’s Gaven Vaughan was ready for the moment.
Tied 5-5 with two outs in the bottom of the final inning, Gaven pulled off a single to run in James Sponsel and win the game in walk-off fashion.
With Gaven being head coach Mark Vaughan’s son, this moment was extra special for some.
“He stepped up and got a big hit,” Vaughan said. “My boy, personally, hit really well in the fall and hit good early but he struggled and there’s no telling how many hours we went home and hit off a tee. And it bugged him so much. We took extra cuts in the cage before we went home, two or three extra rounds. And I told him, ‘That’s why we work hard, son. So you can do that.’ I think if he wouldn’t have done what he needed to he wouldn’t have been ready in that situation.”
The day was also special for many Plato residents and fans that traveled nearly 45 miles to see their boys play ball.
“I’m thankful for the fans to come out and support us when we need it,” Vaughan said. “Robert Hill was the coach at Plato, and he’s a retired Hall-of-Famer. They had Kennie Steenstra. There’s a lot of tradition at Plato and I got fortunate to come in at the bottom of it. In my 15 years, we’ve built a lot of tradition back at Plato. We get a pretty good crowd at home and there’s a lot of support for Plato baseball. It’s been a baseball town.”
For 30-year-long Mansfield head coach Doug Jones, the Lions’ efforts were enough for him.
“Both teams had some opportunities to do some things that could’ve made the game a little bit more of a spread game than it was,” Jones said. “But both of us played well enough to keep hope alive, and as we can see in the sport of baseball, sometimes that’s what it takes, especially at the end of the game. I was ecstatic about my kids this year and getting the opportunity to be out here with the health problems that I’ve had.”
Jones added, “Seven of my starters… I coached their dads. It’s amazing. I’ve been blessed by the good Lord to be here.”
Mansfield finished its season 16-5 with absolutely no graduating seniors, putting them in good stead to head back to the same spot in 2017.
Jones said, “We discussed the opportunity to be back here next year. We should be there if we stay focused and healthy. It’s a pretty young crew. We’ll have about the same number of sophomores and juniors, and I started the one freshman. We will have the opportunity to maybe make it past this stage next year. We’ll see what happens.”
The last time Mansfield made an appearance at the sectional round was in 2009, which was the team Jones’ son was on. And before that, in 2006, Jones’ other son helped Mansfield to the quarterfinal round.
Plato’s sectional appearance marks its first since 2005, according to Vaughan, who has high expectations here on out.
“I just don’t feel like our kids have made it a priority” said Vaughan. “About a month ago I kept telling them, ‘Make it a priority. Make baseball a priority. Don’t leave early.’ I’m also after them. Their best, sometimes, isn’t good enough for me. I want better. I’m hard on them. And for me, I just don’t want them to lose this chance. It’s been a long time since I won the district title and I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. I don’t want to miss a chance to do something special.”
Plato will play either Purdy or Galena later this week. The game featuring those two teams was scheduled for Monday, but was postponed due to weather conditions.
Scoring
Late-game runner Sponsel also scored in the second-inning, along with Conner Hathaway, Jack Morrison, and KJ Strafford, which was key to Plato’s 6-5 victory overall.
Gage Crews put Plato’s fourth point on the scoreboard in the fourth inning.
For Mansfield, Andrew Roy scored two runs, Spencer Greene had one and Mason Roy, two.
Box Score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | |
| Plato | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Mansfield | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
