By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Johnny Coy enjoyed the glory of district championships, even a state title, when he was playing for Benton baseball from 2004-2008.
All these years later, he now gets to reap the glory of winning a trophy as Benton's head coach.
The Cardinals (29-3) never trailed, scored key insurance runs late and got a complete game from pitcher Chris Coy in a 4-1 win over Savannah in the Class 4 District 16 championship at the Missouri Western Spring Sports Complex Thursday.
"I've known a lot of these kids since they were 6-7 years old," Coy said.
"I have a really good connection with these kids and I've known them for so long and they wanted this so bad. We had our mind made up that we were going to do everything we could to win this game."
Benton, who hasn't lost since a 12-11 setback against the Savages on April 10, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning Thursday, thanks to a sac fly from senior Bryson Brown. He scored fellow senior Carson Davis, who reached base with a leadoff walk.
Savannah (20-12) managed two hits in the first inning, but left those runners stranded and struggled to get going offensively for awhile after that. The Savages went down in order in both the second and third inning.
Benton extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth. With bases loaded and two outs, senior and MCC baseball signee Carson Schmidt blasted a two-run RBI single through the middle, scoring fellow senior Diego Barron and sophomore Carter Rich.
Schmidt went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs. Barron was 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored.
"It feels great," Schmidt said after going 0-4 in district semifinals. "Last year (losing to Excelsior Springs in the district title) was the worst feeling ever. This year, we knew it'd be a hard one and a scrap, and we came through and did it."
Savannah's biggest threat came in the fifth inning. Freshman J.D. Ledden reached base on a one-out single, and then courtesy runner Cam Arnold came around to score after a fielding error by Benton pitcher Chris Coy.
Coy, in fact, committed back-to-back fielding errors, which allowed Savannah to get the tying run to first base, but Savannah's Wyatt Jackson lined out into a double play to end the threat.
Benton added an insurance run in the sixth. Schmidt looped an RBI single to right to score Treigh Nowak, allowing the Cardinals to take a three-run lead to the seventh.
No problem for Chris Coy. The head coach's nephew put Savannah down 1-2-3 in both the sixth and seventh inning.
Coy struck out five and walked only one, allowing a hard hitting Savannah team just four hits. A great achievement, but not the end goal, he says.
"Job's not finished," Coy said. "We're looking for more than that. We're not just playing for a district championship. We're playing for more than that."
No question, a special win for Benton. A weight lifted, as the Cardinals bring a district crown back to the South Side for the first time in nine years. This after falling to Excelsior Springs, 3-2, in last year's district title bout.
Benton will stay at MWSU for state sectionals this coming Tuesday and will face another familiar foe from the MEC - St. Pius X. Start time is to be determined.
The Warriors (18-9-1) beat Pembroke Hill in their district championship Wednesday, 6-0.
Benton beat Pius earlier this season, 9-2, on March 28 in Kansas City. Still, the Cardinals want to stay ready, as the Warriors could put their ace, Jacksonville State signee Wade Mann, on the mound.
"No matter who it is, out guys will be ready to play and excited," Coach Coy said. "I don't know who we'll throw yet, but us coaches will sit down and talk it over and figure out what's best for the team."
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