By MATT PIKE
The Benton Cardinals let a 4-1 lead slip away, falling for the second year in a row in the Class 4 sectional round, losing to the Excelsior Springs Tigers 8-4 on Tuesday evening at the Missouri Western State University Spring Sports Complex.
The Cardinals opened the scoring in the first inning. Porter McCarthy singled to start the game, but was then picked off before Zaidyn Woodward popped out to second base for the second out. With two outs, Carson singled, and then stole second base, soon scoring on a single by Xander Tiller. Benton ended the first up 1-0 after Tiller was caught attempting to steal second.
After an exciting double play ended the first inning for the Cardinals defense, with Tiller catching a line out from Kaelan Bedford in center field, and doubling off Cooper Collins at first base, the Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the second inning. Walks to Brody Querry and Jaxton Glaspy by Woodward put runners on first and second, and after Landon Marcum grounded into a fielders choice, with Glaspy being thrown out at second, Coy threw the ball past the first baseman Kendrick Elkins attempting a double play, allowing Querry to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Benton took the lead back in the third inning though, a sacrifice fly by McCarthy scoring Maddox Oliver, courtesy running for Titan Helfrey, after Oliver advanced to third on a throwing error by Marcum attempting to pick him off at first. Back-to-back singles by Woodward and Coy put runners on first and second with two outs, and after both moved forward a base on a passed ball, Woodward scored on a wild pitch from Marcum before Coy came home on a single by Tiller putting the Cardinals up 4-1.
After that, it was all Tigers though. Excelsior Springs cut the lead to one in the bottom half of the inning with two runs scoring on a single by Querry, driving in Spence Gibbs and Cruz Lloyd, with the bases loaded. In the fifth inning, the Tigers tied the game up on another single from Querry, again scoring Gibbs, before Landon Clark singled to break the tie, scoring Collins to give Excelsior Springs the lead. The Tigers added one more run in the inning on a single from Marcum, driving in Querry, to take a 6-4 lead at the end of five innings.
The final two runs of insurance were added in the bottom of the sixth, after Bedford took the mound in the top half and allowed no runs to score. Collins was hit by a pitch and Bedford singled, both runners advancing a base on the throw by right fielder Coltyn Hollingsworth. Collins scored on a passed ball by Coy, before Bedford scored the final run needed on a ground ball by Clark, who reached on an error by McCarthy, making it 8-4. Benton did threaten to add runs in the seventh, after back-to-back-to-back singles by Woodward, Coy, and Tiller loaded the bases with two outs, but Cy Polley grounded out to end the game.
The game came down to errors and walks, a number that cost Benton. The Cardinals made four errors in the field, and walked eight batters. Head coach Johnny Coy says without that, it could have been a totally different ball game.
"Unfortunately today was one of those days where we did walk more people than we normally do and we did make more errors than we've probably made all season in a game, and that's just the way baseball goes, and we've got to just use this as experience for next year," Coy tells reporters after the game. "Got everybody back but one, going to be adding some more baseball players from other schools in town, and we're going to be moving up to Class 5, but our guys are going to use this as experience and the work starts tomorrow."
Carson Coy was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and a stolen base. Tiller was also 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Woodward was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Boston Cook was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk. Woodward took the loss on the mound, pitching four innings and giving up five runs, four earned, on four hits, with one strikeout and six walks. Coy threw two innings giving up three hits and three unearned runs with two strikeouts and two walks.
Benton ends the season 23-14, only losing one senior in Cy Polley. It will be seen if they lose any other players with the new boundaries being set with the St. Joseph School Districts reorganization to two schools next school year.
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