Gideon bests Hayti, beats Cooter for MSHSAA C1D1 Tourney crown

HAYTI, Mo. - The Gideon Bulldogs baseball team are the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 Tournament champions.

The Bulldogs buried a seven-game losing streak Friday and defeated the Hayti High School Indians 2-1 before the team rallied Saturday to defeat the Cooter Wildcats 12-9 and claim the tournament crown.

During Friday's round, the first four innings at the plate for both teams were brief, and batters fell in succession 1-2-3 for the most part.

With the exceptions of Tyler Thomas taking first for the Indians on a hit-by-pitch in the first inning; an Indians' Aubrey Booker walk and an Elijah Johnson single in the second; and an Indians' Jaheim Dunn double in the third, the bases were unoccupied by either squad until the fourth inning.

Bottom of the fourth found Hayti's Thomas back at bat, who waited for the right pitch and swung. Thomas slugged a screaming ground ball to center and singled. Noah Nettleton followed and singled on a ground ball to first, which advanced Thomas to third.

Booker at bat knocked a ground ball and reached on a Gideon error, which scored Thomas and placed Nettleton on third base. Gideon starting pitcher Landon Weaver struck out Johnson and retired the side. The Indians stranded two, but led the Bulldogs 1-0 at the end of four.

Top of the fifth, the Bulldogs at bat and first baseman Hayden Lacewell doubled on a scorching ground ball to right field. Alex Deprow followed Lacewell's lead and knocked a single to second, which sent Lacewell home and bound the game 1-1.

Deprow stole third on a Mason Evans ground out, which brought up Carson Grissom. Grissom flew out to center, which offered Lacewell time to tag up and sprint across the plate. Gideon up 2-1.

Bottom of the inning and Malden's Weaver walked the Indians' J.C. Ford. L'Vonta Payne reached on a Gideon error, which placed Indian runners on first and second. The Indians batters failed to produce and Weaver retired the side, stranding both Ford and Payne.

Top of the sixth, the Bulldogs' Weaver was hit by a Nettleton pitch. Nettleton walked Brayden Knapp, which advanced Weaver, but Lacewell went down swinging for the Bulldogs' last out of the inning.

Bottom of the inning, Hayti batters go down 1-2 and Weaver walked third up Johnson. Tameryn Turner struck out swinging but headed to first on a dropped third strike. He was out at first and the side retired.

Top of the seventh inning found Deprow at the plate for the Bulldogs. Deprow singled to left and brought up Evans, who singled on a grounder to third and advanced Deprow to third. The Bulldogs' following three batters struck out in order and stranded Evans and Deprow, Gideon on top still, 2-1.

The Indians went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, and that was the game, Gideon Bulldogs 2, Hayti Indians 1.

Saturday's final matchup between the Dogs and Cats was on its way to a Cooter blowout before the Bulldogs' bats went nuclear in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Gideon squad rallied, posted 10 runs on seven hits and went ahead of the Wildcats 12-8.

The Wildcats were first to score in the bottom of the first on left-fielder Hunter Sams' double that scored first baseman and reliever Jackson Watkins, catcher Brayson Green and center-fielder Jeremy Snyder. A Bulldogs' wild pitch scored Sams for an additional run, Wildcats 4-0.

The Cats scored two more runs in the bottom of the second when starting pitcher Talan King singled on a ground ball to third, and knocked in Snyder, who had singled to center and occupied first base. Wildcats 5-0.

Green flew out to right field on his next at bat and scored King after tagging up. Wildcats up 6-0.

Top of the third and the Bulldogs placed points on the board. Both Gideon's third baseman and reliever Brayden Hollobaugh and catcher Brayden Knapp scored on a Cooter pitching error, Cooter in the lead 6-2.

Bottom of the inning, Snyder doubled on a nice fly to center. Sams up next and his sacrifice to Lacewell on the mound led to Snyder advancing to third. That's as far as he traveled before Knapp gunned-down the Wildcats' center fielder at the corner. Lacewell walked Jackson Miller, who was put out stealing second.

The Bulldogs went down 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, as did the Wildcats in the bottom of the inning.

Top of the fifth and King walked Knapp. That was all she wrote for the at bats as Gideon shortstop and reliever Landon Weaver flew out to center previously and both Lacewell and first baseman Alex Deprow went down swinging.

Lacewell walked Green, who stole second before Lacewell walked Wildcats' shortstop Sawyer McAfee.

Gideon baseball head coach Caleb Buchanan pulled Lacewell and assigned Hollobaugh to pitching duties.

With Cats' runners on first and second, Snyder laid down a sacrifice bunt into a fielder's choice, which scored Green and McAfee took third. Cats 7, Dogs 2.

Sams took first on a Gideon error and scored McAfee, then was taken down stealing second, Cats 8, Dogs 2.

Top of the sixth, Gideon center-fielder Carson Grissom singled on a fly to center and was left stranded on base, which brought up the Wildcats.

Hollobaugh walked Miller, who was gunned down at first by a quick-responding Weaver. The following two Wildcats went down and Gideon's bats go thermal.

Top of the seventh, Hollobaugh occupied first on a scorching grounder, Weaver singled to center and Knapp knocked a high fly to center, which scored Hollobaugh and Weaver took second. Wildcats up 8-3.

Lacewell up and scored Weaver on a blistering line-drive to center with placed Knapp on the corner. Wildcats 8-4.

With no outs and runners on the corners, Deprow stepped to the plate and blasted a ground ball to center field, which loaded the bases.

With Cooter's Watkins on the mound, Evans took one for the Bulldogs and Knapp walked home, Cooter 8, Gideon 5.

Watkins hit Grissom next and walked home Lacewell, no outs, bases loaded, Cats 8, Dogs 6.

The game is locked at eight after Deprow scored on a wild pitch and right-fielder Gus Kasinger grounded out to second, scoring Evans.

The Bulldogs went ahead 9-8 when with one out, second baseman Pacy Lowry knocked in Grissom on a fly to center.

Hollobaugh at bat, hit a pop fly to right field and took first base, scoring Lowry. Bulldogs 10, Wildcats 8.

Watkins on the bump walked Knapp, which again loaded the bases for the Bulldogs. Watkins balked and scored Hollobaugh, Dogs up 11-8.

With one out, Lacewell beat the throw to first on a dropped third-strike wild pitch and loaded the bases for the Bulldogs again.

Deprow at bat struck out looking before Watkins walked Evans and scored Weaver. Grissom flew out to third and that ended the at bats with Gideon up 12-8.

Hollobaugh on the mound tossed fire to King, whose scorching line drive to left placed him on first.

Now it's Gideon's hurler who balks and King took second. Watkins at bat, hit a fireball to short and scored King, Gideon 12, Cooter 9.

Hollobaugh walked Green and placed Watkins on second. Watkins was gunned-down heading for third while McAfee was at bat. McAfee singled and the Cats were on a roll.

Hollobaugh struck out Snyder and Sams, who would be the final batter for the Wildcats, popped out to center, stranded Green and McAfee and that was the game, Gideon 12, Cooter 9.

With a season record of 4-12 the Bulldogs reigned supreme Saturday and took home a tournament title.

Gideon scored 12 runs on 12 hits, committed one error totaled eight RBIs with Evans' two RBIs out in front of the pack. The team walked five times and batters struck out 13 times.

The Wildcats scored nine runs on nine hits tallied seven RBIs, Sams out front with three. The Wildcats walked eight times and batters struck out six times.