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By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Based on what they heard in the preseason, this was supposed to be a “down” season for the Willard High School baseball team.
So much for that.
Willard rolled past Marshfield 12-3 in Saturday night’s Class 5 District 5 Tournament championship game at US Ballpark in Ozark.
“I’m proud of our kids’ resiliency,” said Willard coach Scott McGee. “This was not supposed to be a ‘good’ team. There were a lot of people who said, ‘Hey, Willard’s going to be down.’ Here we are in the final eight again.”
It’s Willard’s seventh district title in nine years.
Saturday also marked the 10th straight season that Willard has reached its district championship game.
Of all the Willard baseball teams to reach the postseason in the last decade, the 2021 Tigers may be the most surprising bunch.
Expectations were lower than usual after the Tigers graduated so much production from their 2020 lineup.
That meant many juniors, sophomores and even freshmen would be playing key roles this spring.
But a rebuilding season? Such a thought made current senior Dalen Stewart roll his eyes.
“I just laughed because (people) didn’t have a clue what they were talking about,” said Stewart, who started and pitched four innings in Saturday’s win. “We have an amazing coach and he knows what to do with players. We’re rolling right now.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Willard will host Glendale on May 29 in a Class 5 quarterfinals matchup. The Falcons will likely throw their red-hot ace, senior Isaac Wells, who threw a complete-game shutout in Glendale’s 2-0 district title win over Webb City.
Willard beat Glendale twice in the regular season, including a 20-14 win in late March.
Two years ago, Willard beat Glendale to reach the Class 5 final four.
“Postseason high school baseball is a blast and I’m so glad these guys are getting to experience it,” McGee said. “It’s the best time of year. You talk to our former players, that’s the most fun times they had in high school.”
Willard seized control with a two-out rally in the fourth inning that led to three runs against Marshfield starter Ethan Grace.
Kade Biellier had an RBI single and Klayton Kiser followed with a two-run double that made it 7-3.
“When you have two outs and no one on (base) and end up scoring three runs, those are the kind of things that just break the back of the other team,” McGee said.
Marshfield had drawn within 4-3 in the top of the fourth on Jackson Rovig’s two-run single.
Willard (24-10 overall, No. 3-ranked in Class 5 state coaches’ poll) put the game away with a five-run fifth inning. The Tigers, leading 9-3, scored three more runs when Marshfield committed an error with the bases loaded and two outs. The Blue Jays (16-9 overall, No. 10) committed three errors on the night.
Biellier, a junior and Willard’s cleanup hitter, had a two-run triple in the first inning that sparked Willard to a 3-0 lead.
He’s one of several underclassmen who the Tigers have counted on this season.
“Everyone doubted us at the beginning of the season,” said Willard shortstop and senior Blake Hultgreen. “We were honestly terrible during summer ball. It feels good just to overcome all the downfalls of everything and prove everyone wrong.”
“We just pulled through.”
