Pobst's big day at the plate propels Scott City baseball team to final four

Scott City junior Trent Pobst said he felt "pretty good" following the Rams' game on Wednesday before making a quick upgrade to "really good."

The left fielder had just completed a great performance in a Class 3 quarterfinal against West County. He was 3 for 3 with a home run, five RBIs and three runs scored in his team's 7-3 victory.

The Rams advanced to the final four for the first time since 2008, when they brought home a state title.

"He's just a really good hitter right now as far as he doesn't strike out, he's going to put the ball in play, and if you're going to get him out, you're going to have to earn it," Scott City coach Jim May said. "He's been doing it all year long kind of quietly."

Scott City's Trent Pobst steps up to bat in the fifth inning against West County during a Class 3 quarterfinal Wednesday, May 27, 2015 in Scott City. (Glenn Landberg)

"Quietly" is how Pobst does most things. Even among his coaches and teammates, he doesn't say much. Stringing together more than 10 words is rare for him, but stringing together hits is the norm.

He's batting over .500 this year, according to May, and broke Scott City's single-season hits record in Monday's sectional, all while striking out just three times this year.

"I know he was the conference player of the year, but he doesn't get a lot of recognition, and he deserves some because he's a really good hitter," May said.

Pobst got the Rams (20-12), who hosted the game but were the visitors on the scoreboard after a pregame coinflip, on the board first with an RBI single in the top of the first that was later followed by an RBI double from junior Jordan Kluesner.

"He pitched it outside," Pobst said of his hit. "I just tried to take it the other way, tried to get the run in. Hit it to the outfield."

Scott City's Braden Cox pitches to a West County batter in the sixth inning during a Class 3 quarterfinal Wednesday, May 27, 2015 in Scott City. (Glenn Landberg)

West County countered with two runs off Scott City's sophomore ace Braden Cox in the bottom of the inning thanks to a lead-off home run and an error on a rundown, but the Bulldogs (18-8) stranded the go-ahead run at third when Cox retired the heart of the lineup in order.

"At first they were really seeing the fastball, and I needed to get it down more," said Cox, who allowed just five hits. "Once I went through the lineup one time I was doing better with it."

Cox allowed just one more run in the game -- an unearned run in the fifth -- against a West County team that had averaged eight runs a game in the postseason.

"[Braden] was up a little bit early. I told him, 'These guys are good hitters. You can't get away with that.' He settled in, and he pitched masterful because they're a really good hitting ball club. And what he did today was pretty amazing," May said.

Pobst gave the Rams the lead for good in the top of the second on a two-run single with the bases loaded.

"The kid jammed me," Pobst said. "It was just a bloop hit. It got down -- thank God."

He put a much better swing on a ball in the fifth and drove a solo home run over the left-center field fence to extend the Rams' lead to 5-2 at the time.

"That was a big answer because they had hit the ball," May said. "They hit the ball hard pretty much all the time, and for him to step up and yank that one, it really got us fired up again. We were kind of in that lull that we seem to get into where we get a lead and then we kind of just slow down a little bit. That was big. It was a big hit for us."

West County cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the inning but stranded a runner on second before Cox retired six of the final seven batters he faced.

Scott City added its final two runs in the top of the seventh when Cox broke for home on a wild pitch and scored. The throw to the plate got by the pitcher covering home and Pobst, who had been intentionally walked, scored the final run.

Scott City players join in a huddle with coach Jim May between innings during a Class 3 quarterfinal Wednesday, May 27, 2015 in Scott City. (Glenn Landberg)

"Four runs is always better than two, but I would have rather it been 15, but it was a nice play," May said, noting Kluesner's triple later in the inning would have scored both runs.

Scott City will face Warsaw in a state semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Monday at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Missouri. Lutheran South and Fatima will play in the other semifinal.

"It's something that I haven't had before, and it's something that I've always dreamed about," Cox said of the final four. "It feels pretty great."

May loaded the team up in a school bus for a celebratory ride around town following the victory.

"It's huge," he said. "It's always nice to get some recognition for the hard work that these kids put in and to beat a quality opponent. It's a great win for our program and for the school and for the community."

Scott City 220 010 2 -- 7 7 3

West County 200 210 0 -- 3 5 3

WP -- Braden Cox. LP -- Park Forshee. HR -- Trent Pobst (SC), Forshee (WC). 3B -- Kluesner (SC). 2B -- Kluesner (SC), Tyler Neubrand (WC). Multiple hits -- Scott City: Pobst 3-3, Kluesner 2-4.