Red Devils top Bluff, remain unbeaten

POPLAR BLUFF -- After a couple of lengthy games to open the baseball season, Chaffee first baseman Josh Steger appreciated the brisk pace of Thursday's game at Poplar Bluff.

The only scenario that could push this game past the 2 1/2-hour mark was extra innings, and Steger ended that threat in the top of the seventh inning.

The senior's tiebreaking single, his third hit of the day, lifted the unbeaten Red Devils to a 3-1 win against Poplar Bluff.

"We have been getting out of games at 7 or later," Steger said. "I'm glad it was a quick game."

One reason this one was quick: Senior Russell Gardner, in his first varsity start for Chaffee, limited the Mules to one run on four hits and one walk. He struck out five.

"I was most nervous probably on the first pitch and the first pitch of the second inning," Gardner said. "After that, it was smooth sailing. I just relaxed and threw it."

Gardner, who had pitched one inning previously this season, gave Chaffee (3-0) its third decision by someone who didn't throw an inning last year. Freshman Andrew Dooley has the other two.

"We lost our top three pitchers from last year," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "We have six guys we're trying to throw, and we're going to let the cream rise to the top. We just don't have a lot of experience."

The Red Devils, who had scored 22 runs to prolong those first two games, have some experience in the lineup, however.

In addition to Steger's 3-for-4, two-RBI performance out of the No. 3 spot, leadoff hitter Trenton Horman was 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored. Chaffee had eight hits against two Mules pitchers.

Steger delivered a two-out single in the fifth inning to tie the game. Gardner had drilled a double over the left fielder's head to open the inning. Jerrod Steger took a two-out walk, which included a wild pitch, and he made a move toward second base that opened the hole at shortstop for Josh Steger's hit.

In the seventh, Horman drilled a one-out double to the wall in left. Jerrod Steger took another walk that included another wild pitch to put runners on the corners. This time, when his brother took off, Josh Steger delivered a single into the vacated spot on the right side to drive in Horman. Jerrod Steger rounded third and was headed toward home, but stopped about 35 feet from the plate and waited for the throw to sail wide before he scored on the error.

Josh Steger said he's pretty comfortable hitting with his brother running around the bases and forcing the defense to react.

"It doesn't affect me at all. I just try to put the ball in play," he said. "When it was 1-1, I just wanted to get that run in. I didn't want them to have a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh."

Gardner hit one batter to put a runner on in the seventh, but a pair of fly outs ended the game. The Red Devils also came up with a solid defensive play on a ball hit to the right side in the seventh. They made only one fielding error, when Gardner was unable to get an out on a sacrifice in the third inning to help Poplar Bluff score its run.

"We just told him to throw strikes because our defense has been playing well, I think," Josh Steger said.

Gardner eventually helped himself after hurting himself in that third inning, which Horrell called pivotal.

After Josh Thompson's double drove in the Mules' run and put runners on second and third with no outs, Gardner struck out two batters and induced a soft line drive to shortstop. His second strikeout ended the inning after he went from 0-2 to 3-2 on the batter.

"We had three little boo-boos in that inning," Horrell said. "We had the error on the bunt, we didn't complete a play when we picked off a runner because we didn't step up and make a tag, and we didn't step up and cut off a ball from the outfield on that double. It felt like they had the chance to score some runs, but our defense and pitching got us off the hook, and instead of dropping our heads, we went to work with the bats."

There would be no dropping of heads.

"Our spirits are pretty high," Gardner said.

A 3-0 start will do that.

Chaffee0000102--381

Poplar Bluff0010000--141

@z_agate_no tab_no indnt_bld ld:WP -- Russell Gardner, 1-0. LP -- Jake Smith, 0-1. 2B -- Trenton Horman (C) 2, Gardner (C), Josh Thompson (PB) 2, Todd Bullington (PB). Multiple hits -- Chaffee, Josh Steger 3-4, Horman 2-3; Poplar Bluff, Thompson 2-3.