By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Strafford, MO — With Strafford one out away from a semifinal berth, Hunter Langston got a second chance to be a hero.
The junior outfielder didn’t waste it.
On a dead sprint, Langston made an acrobatic catch at the centerfield wall to secure a 2-1 victory over South Callaway and advance the Indians to the Class 3 Final Four round.
As the play unfolded, Strafford head coach Shane Pierce was certain he was about to see a ball go over the fence to tie the game.
“Our yard’s not really big,” Pierce said. “Everybody knows that and, when it was off the bat, I thought it had a chance to go out. I honestly thought, ‘That ball’s gone.’ I saw Hunter taking off — and he just missed that one earlier that was an identical ball. The kid works so hard, and he deserves to make that catch. I’m so proud of him.”
While the missed opportunity in the sixth inning didn’t put any runs on the board, Langston wasn’t about to let history repeat itself
“I went back in the dugout after I missed that one and was thinking, ‘If it comes to me again, I’m not letting it get by me,’” Langston said. “I had to get it out of my head and get ready for the next play.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The low-scoring effort featured a classic battle between a pair of aces in Strafford’s Tony Caldwell and South Callaway’s Kaden Helsel.
After threatening in each of the first three innings, the Bulldogs finally broke through on Landon Hortsman’s fourth-inning home run off Caldwell.
South Callaway ended Strafford’s season a year ago in the quarterfinals and, for a few moments, it seemed like that bad dream might be getting a sequel with the Bulldogs boasting a 1-0 lead.
Probably a good thing Wyatt Maples never bothered to read the script.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, the junior catcher cranked a two-run double to give Strafford a 2-1 lead.
“When those moments come up, there are several kids that I want in that spot,” Pierce said. “There’s no doubt that Wyatt’s one of them. That was awesome.”
Maples’ double off Helsel drove home Caldwell and Dillon Turner. Maples also notched a single in the second inning to go 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
“The first at-bat, [Helsel] threw a curveball,” Maples said. “It was hanging, and I was able to get it out for a hit. The second time, on a 1-2 count, he threw me that same hanging curveball. I just put the bat on it and got a good chunk of it.”
With a slim lead, Strafford turned to Caldwell and its defense.
While the junior right-hander scattered nine hits and allowed baserunners in each of his five innings of work, Caldwell managed to keep the scoreboard clean, save for Hortsman’s solo shot.
Clearing baserunners with a double play and a pair of crafty pick-off plays didn’t hurt, either.
“Tony kept battling,” Pierce said. “He’s always competing, so I knew that’s what we were going to get out of Tony. We made some big plays with the double play in the first inning, and we had some big-time pickoffs throughout the game to help Tony out.”
The only thing Caldwell wasn’t able to battle through was his own pitch count.
With two runners on and no outs in the sixth inning, Caldwell reached the 105-pitch limit.
Needing a spark, Strafford brought in Mason Foley to close out the game.
To say Foley delivered would be an understatement.
The sophomore right-hander posted six-straight outs to thwart South Callaway’s comeback hopes, finishing the game with four strikeouts, zero hits and zero walks to earn the biggest save of his career.
Foley talked about his mindset entering the game with no outs and runners on base.
“I knew we had a one-run lead, still,” Foley said. “Any way I could get out with just a lead or tie; just fill it up and let my defense work. I had my cutter really working for me today, so I knew if I could throw it for a strike, we’d be in good shape.”
Pierce praised his young closer and reflected on the game’s thrilling finish.
“Mason’s been in that spot all year long,” Pierce said. “That was Mason’s eighth save. He’s eight-for-eight, so he’s been in that spot and we know what to expect. [Langston] making that play was just an unbelievable way to end the game. Other than a walk-off home run, that’s about as good as it gets.”
Strafford (24-4) now turns its attention to the Class 3 Final Four. The Indians will play Hallsville (20-4) on Tuesday, May 29 in O’Fallon, Mo. Malden (24-5) and Holden (23-4) will match up in the other semifinal that same day.
Class 3 Quarterfinal: Strafford – 2, South Callaway – 1
Callaway 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1
Strafford 0 0 0 2 0 0 x — 2
Hits: South Callaway – 9, Strafford – 3
Errors: South Callaway – 1, Strafford – 0
LOB: South Callaway – 10, Strafford – 9
South Callaway Pitching
Kaden Helsel (5.67 IP, 9K, 3H, 6BB, 2HBP)
Dylan Lepper (0.33 IP, 0K, 0H, 2BB)
Strafford Pitching
Tony Caldwell (5.00 IP, 3K, 9H, 6BB)
Mason Foley (2.00 IP, 4K, 0H, 0BB)
Time of game: 2:04
