Chaffee baseball team defeats Scott City 5-1

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Chaffee's Jared Walker knew exactly what pitch was coming.

Walker got what he was expecting with the bases loaded and no outs to break open a pitcher's duel. He pushed across the eventual winning runs Thursday to help the Red Devils down their rival Scott City 5-1 at Harmon Field.

Chaffee starter Alex Crowe threw the complete game. He gave up one run on four hits and struck out three.

It was the third time Walker had faced Scott City starting pitcher Landon Robert. Walker was hit by a pitch his first time up and struck out the second time.

Walker ended up guessing right after seeing Robert's arsenal.

Walker smacked a first-pitch hanging curveball into right-center field to plate both Cody Johnson and Cody Payne for the game's first runs.

"He had threw me a curveball first pitch the first two times up," Walker said. "I was expecting that, and that's what I got. He kind of left it hanging on the outside corner. That's where I like them."

Chaffee had stranded five base runners, including three in scoring position, in the first four innings before Walker's momentum-shifting hit.

"We kind of got off to a shaky start hitting at first," Walker said. "We weren't really thinking. We were just out there wanting to get that big hit."

Crowe and Robert matched each other with scoreless frames through the first four innings.

Robert allowed three hits, one walk and a hit batter, while Crowe stranded four Rams on the base paths.

"Alex didn't make very many starts for us last season, but this year he's been a starter for us a few times," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "It was really impressive to see him go the distance. He was pretty much in charge the whole day."

Crowe was backed by a stellar performance by his defense.

"The defense had a couple key double plays to get me out of some innings," Crowe said. "Any time your defense makes a good play for you, it takes a load off."

Johnson led off the fifth with a walk, which was followed by back-to-back hits from Payne and Daniel Dooley to bring up Walker.

"Earlier in the game, we had those guys up and they just weren't able to come through," Horrell said. "But finally we kept getting opportunities. We were finally able to cash in on one."

Walker's hit ended Robert's day on the mound. Robert struck out five and walked two.

"After a few innings went by, we started trusting ourselves at the plate and it started happening," Walker said. "He is a great pitcher and he was moving the ball around and keeping us off balance. We just finally connected."

A two-out bases-loaded walk to Layton Tenkhoff pushed across Chaffee's third run in the fifth inning.

"That just kind of gave us all confidence, especially me," Crowe said about Chaffee's fifth inning. "Pitching with a lead is a lot easier."

Scott City answered by scoring a run in the sixth inning.

Robert began the frame with a single, and Brett Dirnberger followed with a single to right field that got behind Chaffee's right fielder. Robert scored on the error and Dirnberger raced to third on the play.

But Crowe coaxed two fly outs to end the inning without any further damage.

"It was a well-played ballgame," Scott City coach Lance Amick said. "You just have to tip your hat to Chaffee. They got the hits when they needed to and put together the rallies they needed to. [Crowe] pitched well all day long, too."

Scott City 000 001 0 -- 1 4 0

Chaffee 000 032 x -- 5 8 1

WP -- Alex Crowe. LP -- Landon Robert. 2B -- Trevor Cannon (C). Multiple hits -- Chaffee: Cody Payne 2-4, Daniel Dooley 2-3, Jared Walker 2-3, Cannon 2-3.