Finishing Kick
One bad inning early in Tuesday's District 9 Class 2A baseball quarterfinal playoff wasn't going to sink Moniteau.
The Warriors had more than enough time to make up for it ... and then some.
After Coudersport plated three runs in the top of the third inning to gain a 3-2 lead, Moniteau scored 11 runs over the next four innings in a 13-3, six-inning defeat of the Falcons at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park.
The victory sends the Warriors (16-5) to the semifinals Thursday against top-seeded Johnsonburg.
Moniteau answered immediately following Coudersport's three runs.
In the bottom of the third, Jakub Obman's leadoff single was followed by Branson Carson's double. Obman scored on Dawson Wallace's groundout.
Coudersport's defense then unraveled.
An errant pickoff attempt, a misplayed ball in the outfield and a wild pitch led to two more runs and the Warriors took the lead for good at 5-3.
The Falcons had several defensive miscues in the outfield.
“Our outfield is young with two freshmen and a sophomore out there,” said Falcons' coach Doug McClintic. “They'll improve and are going to be good, but we were exposed out there today.”
Coudersport starter AJ Redmond lasted two batters into the fifth inning and was pulled after Wallace tripled and scored on Brady Thompson's single to make the score 7-3. Four of the eight runs Redmond allowed were unearned.
“He threw a lot of offspeed stuff,” Wallace said of Redmond. “His curveball and slider were pretty good. Most of the hits we got off of him came off his fastball.”
“AJ has been stellar on the mound for us all year,” said McClintic. “If we play well defensively, he's capable of shutting a team down for five or six innings.”
Garrett Kellert and Derek Easton finished the game on the mound for the Falcons (10-4). The latter was on the mound at the end of the game, walking Branson Carson with the bases loaded, invoking the mercy rule.
Thompson was Moniteau's starter and was working with a 2-0 lead in the top of the third.
Jackson Glover drove in the Falcons' first run with a base hit. Ryan Clouser and Gavyn Ayers also tallied RBI-singles. Thompson allowed five hits in the inning, which he finished, but Carson relieved him at the start of the fourth frame.
“Two of the pitches they hit off me were outside and they went to the opposite field,” said Thompson. “It was a great job on their part.”Carson blanked the Falcons over the final three innings, striking out seven of the nine batters he faced.Wallace and Tanner Williams both had three hits for Moniteau.To extend their season, the Warriors will have to knock off an undefeated Johnsonburg squad (19-0).“I'm excited about it,” Thompson said. “Facing the team everyone expects to win the district, we have nothing to lose.”Coudersport 003 000 x — 3 6 5Moniteau 023 125 x — 13 14 0W: Brady Thompson 3 IP (3K, 1BB). L: AJ Redmond 4+ IP (5K, 2BB)Coudersport (10-4): Jackson Glover 1B 3B R RBI, Ryan Clouser 1B R RBIMoniteau (16-5): Tanner Williams 3-1B 2R 2RBI, Branson Carson 2B 3B R, Dawson Wallace 2-1B 3B 3R 2RBI, Brady Thompson 2-1B 2R RBIThursday: Moniteau vs. Johnsonburg, District 9 Class 2A semifinal, site and time TBD
