“It’s just unbelievable.”
Those were Mountain Grove head coach Derwin McGownd’s words as he stepped off the field following his team’s 7-5 sectional victory over Blair Oaks Monday night.
“It’s been an unbelievable season,” he continued. “This is the farthest any Mountain Grove team has been, so I’m real happy.”
Panthers ace Alex Moore could hardly contain his excitement and pride for his team.
“We went out there and executed,” he said. “We were all ready for this in Mountain Grove. We haven’t won a sectional game in a long time, if ever, and we went out there and made plays. We had five or six good plays at shortstop, bats were hot, and we did everything we were supposed to. It’s a dream come true. I’ve never got here in any sport, so this is a dream come true.”
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The Panthers put pressure on the Falcons from the beginning of the contest, with Grove’s first four batters reaching base. Brock Coffman hit a two RBI single and Cory Allen knocked in a run off a fly ball to right field to give Grove a 3-0 cushion in the first inning.
In the third, the Falcons answered with five players reaching base, and Blair Oaks scored two runs. Alex Moore struggled in the inning and walked three straight batters, but he regained control with a strikeout to strand two runners.
Cory Allen started things off in the fourth with a lead-off single for the Panthers, and six other batters followed. Mountain Grove scored three in the inning.
As the rain fell, Blair Oaks came up with a big sixth inning, drawing three walks to score three runs and to bring the score within one. Alex Moore struck out the final Falcon batter to get out of a bases-loaded jam.
Blaine Halford began the sixth for the Panthers with a walk and stolen base, and Hayden Newberry followed it up with a single. Halford scored on a ground ball by D.J. McNew to secure the two-run lead that Grove would not relinquish.
Alex Moore made easy work of the final frame, inducing three ground balls to take the complete game win.
But Blair Oaks fought well to put the ball in play, striking out only five times on the night.
“Once again, it was one of those games that up and down the order, everybody did a little something,” said Coach McGownd. “Austin Williams had a sac fly early in the game, Hayden Newberry gets the base hit…Alex did a great job on the mound…just one of those where everyone contributed.”
“It was a hard-fought game for both teams, offensively and defensively,” said Blair Oaks head coach Travis Henke. “It was a great pitching match. The score doesn’t show it, but you had two of the state’s best pitchers on the mound…they scored early and we matched it up. That’s what you want to see in your sectional ballgame, is a hard-fought game.”
The Falcons close their season with a 23-7 record.
Mountain Grove will advance to play Conway on Wednesday in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. Their record currently stands at 21-5.
Blair Oaks 0 0 2 0 0 3 0
Mountain Grove 3 0 0 3 0 1 X
