By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
PLATTSBURG - Plattsburg had been building toward this moment all season.
They had played 35 games and waited 13 years to reach Wednesday's Class 2 state quarterfinal game against Windsor.
Once they reached Wednesday's game, the Tigers didn't want to wait any longer.
The Tigers (28-8) scored five runs in the first inning and held Windsor to just two hits in a 9-0 victory at Perkins Park.
Senior Kayden Carter started on the mound, and behind clean defense all night, Carter tossed the complete game, striking out four and walking none.
"Oh it feels amazing," Carter said. "Plattsburg hasn't been here since 2009, so it's awesome for the players and the fans."
Plattsburg made Windsor pay early, as the Tigers notched four hits and a walk in their first four at-bats. A throwing error by Windsor catcher Parker Craig allowed Plattsburg's Brock Steggall to steal home and get the Tigers on the board first.
A sac fly by Joey Hoefmeister and a groundout sacrifice by Nathan Bash scored a couple more runs, as did an RBI single by Jackson Lewis. A wild pitch scored Paul Nelson to make it 5-0 Tigers after one.
Plattsburg was held scoreless for the next three innings, but Windsor failed to put any threat together offensively. The Greyhounds (18-7) didn't so much as get a runner onto second base until the sixth inning.
Nine groundouts, three lineouts and three flyouts spelled doom for Windsor as Plattsburg played clean in the field all evening.
"We got a really great defense behind (Carter)," Plattsburg coach Beau Brown said. "You know, we just let them make the plays and go get themselves out, and that's what we've talked about all year - let the other team get themselves out and we just make the plays."
The Tigers tightened their grasp in the bottom of the fifth, as two hits, a walk and a pair of wild pitches brought three runs across to make it an 8-0 ballgame.
Plattsburg tacked on one more in the sixth, thanks to an RBI double from Steggall, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Lewis and Carter each scored a pair of runs, as Plattsburg advances to the Class 2 Final Four Monday to play Russellville (27-4) in the state semifinals at 1 p.m. at U.S. Ballpark in Ozark.
"Just doing this as a team, it just...it melts my heart I'm not going to lie," Lewis said. "It makes me happy just to be here with all of my friends and doing stuff we love to do together. It's just a good feeling."
It's the third Final Four appearance in Plattsburg baseball history, as the team now chases its first ever state title in a season riddled with school records.
"You get to the Final Four, it's an amazing feeling," coach Brown said. "The guys have had a phenomenal season. Pitching, defensively, we've had just a tremendous year. I'm just so proud of how the boys have come out and played this entire season, especially in postseason."
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