May 29, 2014
NMCC heads back to semifinals with 6-5 win over St. Pius
By Brent Shipman sports@standard-democrat.com FESTUS -- Every time New Madrid County Central has needed a big play this postseason, they've found somebody to answer the call. From freshman Palmer Campbell pitching them to a district title to sophomore Tyler Sprout scoring the game-winning run in sectionals, there's been no shortage of heroes...
By Brent Shipman - Standard Democrat
By Brent Shipman
sports@standard-democrat.com
FESTUS -- Every time New Madrid County Central has needed a big play this postseason, they've found somebody to answer the call.
From freshman Palmer Campbell pitching them to a district title to sophomore Tyler Sprout scoring the game-winning run in sectionals, there's been no shortage of heroes.
Wednesday was no different as the Eagles faced off with St. Pius X (Festus) for the second straight year in the Class 3 quarterfinals.
Sophomore Garrison Keene provided a game-defining triple and junior pitcher Grayson York stepped up with three valuable innings in relief to guide NMCC to a 6-5 win and a return trip to the final four in St. Louis.
"Garrison and Grayson are co-MVPs in my book," NMCC head coach Joseph McClarty said. "You give Grayson the MVP right there for holding them defensively and Garrison came through with one of the biggest hits in New Madrid County Central history."
Keene's clutch hit came at a time when the Eagles' fortunes looked like they could swing either. They'd spotted the Lancers four runs in the first two innings and headed into the bottom of the fifth trailing 5-2.
Jake Reed got things going that frame with a leadoff double before Palmer Campbell was hit by a pitch and Gage Silman walked to load the bases with one out. Keene connected on a 1-1 offering and sent a ball to deep centerfield that got over the outfielders' head and rolled to the fence.
By the time St. Pius relayed the ball back to the infield the bases were clear and Keene slid into third for a game-tying triple.
Keene had a simple approach for what could have been his final at-bat of the season.
"I was thinking don't strike out and don't look stupid," he said. "I don't know if I've ever hit a ball that good."
A walk to Sprouse put runners on the corners and a fly ball to centerfield off the bat of senior Austin Lynn allowed Keene to tag and score to give his team it's first lead of the game, 6-5.
Following this up, Keene took the mound to start the sixth in place of York, who was now in line for the win. Keene worked around an error to escape a bases-loaded situation in the inning and entered the top of the seventh needing just three outs to get his team back to the semifinals.
After an initial fly out by the No. 9 hitter was NMCC gave a sigh of relief when leadoff hitter Luke Bandy flew out to right field. Bandy entered the inning with two triples and a single to his credit, having scored two runs and driven in another.
The final out came when Tanner Martin hit a hard liner that was caught by Campbell in centerfield, sending the Eagles into a dog pile near the mound.
Putting the Lancers down in order came as a relief to Keene, who didn't know he'd be called on to pitch.
"I didn't have any idea (I was pitching today)," Keene said. "I was scared half to death. After every batter (in the seventh) I stepped off and was like, 'you're going to have to help a brother out'."
Keene picked up a save in replacing York, who himself had stepped in to start the third inning after an uncharacteristically rough outing from staff ace Austin Godwin.
He took the mound and held the Lancers to only one unearned run through three innings.
His effort allowed NMCC to climb back in the game with a two-run rally in the third-inning before breaking loose in the bottom of the fifth when they took the lead.
He allowed four hits, didn't surrender a walk and struck out one. St. Pius' only damage off him came in the fifth when an inning-opening error led to a run that extended the Lancers' lead 5-2.
"I came in to the game feeling really great and knowing I had to throw strikes the whole time," York said. "I knew I had to keep the ball low and in the strike zone since we were already down four runs. I tried to keep them off the ball a little bit and I felt like I came in and did what I needed to do for my team.
"I've been prepping for this game for awhile now. Coach told me I was going to get the ball in relief if we needed it. I was ready."
McClarty added that York was a welcome addition to the bullpen after being sidelined with a injury since the start of the postseason.
"I can't say enough about Grayson York and the job he did," McClarty said. "He came in and pitched three innings for us only giving up a run. An unearned run at that. He did an outstanding job.
"He hadn't been able to throw in a few weeks because of a knee injury, but he stayed sharp and stayed ready."
St. Pius outhit the Eagles 11-6 in the contest, but were plagued by missed opportunities. They stranded the bases loaded in both the first and second inning when they could have blown the game open and a third time in the sixth.
In all, they left 12 runners on base to NMCC's seven.
Both Keene and junior Jake Reed finished with two hits, included the triple by Keene as he drove in three runs and scored another. Reed doubled and scored twice while reaching in 3 of 4 plate appearances thanks to a dropped third strike.
It was Reed's hustling on the dropped third strike that kicked off the two-run third inning with both him and Campbell coming around to score. It was Reed reaching base that kicked off both NMCC rallies.
"I just knew I had to hustle," Reed said of third inning that put the Eagles on the board. "Even though I struck out, I saw it hit the ground and kept digging."
For St. Pius, Bandy was 3 for 5 with two triple while Martin and Jacob Hirner had two hits each.
In what could have been a blowout early, McClarty credited his players with staying composed and not letting a bad start get them down.
"We don't quit," he said. "They refuse to quit. When you get down 4-0, you're ace is on the mound and you have to go out and tell him we have to go a different route and he looks at you and says 'yes sir', you know you have a good group of guys."
St. Pius 220 010 0 - 5
NMCC 002 040 x - 6
WP -- Grayson York. LP -- Andrew Drinen. SV -- Garrison Keene. Multiple hitters: (S) Luke Bandy 3-5, Tanner Martin 2-5, Jacob Hirner 2-4; (N) Jake Reed 2-4, Garrison Keene 2-3. 2B -- (S) Martin, Jeremy Cartee; (N) Reed. 3B -- (S) Bandy 2; (N) Keene.
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