Miscues sink Chaffee in Senior Babe Ruth regional tourney

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The Chaffee Senior Babe Ruth baseball team got off to a rough start Saturday.

Things didn't get much better the rest of the way as the Squids fell into the losers bracket of the Midwest Plains Regional.

Chaffee fell behind 3-0 after one inning, and Iowa state champion Ottumwa rolled 7-3 in a winners bracket semifinal at Hillhouse Park.

The Squids (33-11) will try to stay alive in the eight-team double-elimination tournament when they face Kansas state champion Columbus at 10 a.m. today. If they win, they play again at 7 p.m.

"It sucks to fall into the losers bracket," Chaffee's Cody Payne said. "But we've got enough pitching to get back to the championship [round]."

Chaffee right fielder Josh Overbey hauls in an Iowa popup Saturday during the second inning in the Midwest Plains Regional tournament in Charleston, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

Chaffee had just three hits through six innings in the seven-inning contest and displayed shaky defense throughout with three errors and several other miscues, including two that allowed Ottumwa runners to reach base.

"It's very disappointing," Chaffee's Blake Keasler said. "We've played well defensively all year. We came out today and didn't make plays.

"We had multiple physical errors as well as mental errors. You can't do that in a game like this."

The Squids had a chance in the top of the first inning. A walk and error put runners on first and second with one out. Ottumwa then turned the first of its three double plays. Ottumwa grabbed control with three first-inning runs. All were earned but might have been avoided.

Chaffee starter Andrew Dooley walked leadoff batter Tyler Evans on four pitches. Consecutive passed balls sent Evans to third and he came in on a double by Andrew Utterback.

Chaffee catcher Cody Payne is unable to tag Iowa baserunner Tyler Evans during the second inning Saturday at the Midwest Plains Regional tournament in Charleston, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

A ground ball back to Dooley pushed Utterback to third. Jory Heckenberg grounded to third base and would have been out easily at first. Keasler tried to retire Utterback, who had strayed from the bag, but he was able to elude the tag.

Mac Mattke followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. A two-out walk loaded the bases and another walk forced in the third run.

"That was a tough inning for us," said Chaffee coach Aaron Horrell, whose state runner-up squad won its tournament opener Friday, 7-3 over Colorado state champion Limon.

Two second-inning errors allowed Ottumwa to go ahead 4-0 without a hit when the Iowa squad pulled off a double steal of second and home.

The Squids botched a rundown in that frame, which allowed an Ottumwa runner to reach who would have been retired, but that lapse did not cost Chaffee.

Chaffee's Jared Walker singles in a run against Iowa during the seventh inning Saturday.

Chaffee made it 4-1 with an unearned run in the third inning when Payne delivered an RBI single. The Squids might have had more but Ottumwa's second double play derailed the threat with runners on first and second and nobody out.

The Squids had another chance in the fourth inning with a runner on third and one out but they failed to score.

A two-out error in Ottumwa's fourth inning paved the way for two more unearned runs to push Chaffee behind 6-1.

Ottumwa made it 7-1 in the fifth inning without a hit, using a walk, hit batter, wild pitch and sacrifice fly.

"Today was night and day from what we're used to seeing," Horrell said about what mostly has been solid play by the Squids this year. "They're teenagers. We're going to make some errors.

Chaffee starter Andrew Dooley delivers to an Iowa batter during the first inning in the Midwest Plains Regional Baseball Tournament Saturday, July 23, 2011 in Charleston, Mo. (Fred Lynch)

"But mental errors ... you can wipe out all the runs if we make plays. We just made some fielding blunders, mental and physical."

Horrell liked that the Squids kept fighting against the defending Midwest Plains Regional champion.

Connor Scott's RBI single in the sixth inning, which came after two walks, made it 7-2. Chaffee might have had more but Ottumwa turned its final double play earlier in the frame.

The Squids threatened with two outs in the seventh inning, getting consecutive singles from Payne, Scott Foster and Jared Walker to pull within 7-3. But the rally died there.

"Iowa went to the [Senior Babe Ruth] World Series last year. They're a good team," Horrell said. "We kept battling. We were one hit away from getting back in it."

Payne had two of Chaffee's six hits. Dooley took the loss, allowing six hits and six runs, three earned, over four innings. He struck out one and walked three, all in the opening frame.

Daniel Dooley gave up one hit and one run over the final two innings.

Zach Throckmorton doubled twice to lead Ottumwa's seven-hit attack. Heckenberg allowed two hits and two runs, one earned, over five innings for the victory.

"We're going to come ready to play tomorrow and battle our way back to the top," Payne said.

Added Horrell: "I don't think we're done by any means. I think we have some good arms left."

Ottumwa advances to today's 4 p.m. winners bracket final against host Charleston, which beat Minnesota state champion Minnetonka 10-6 on Saturday.