Hornets sting Red Devils in Class 2 quarterfinal

HOLCOMB, Mo. -- All season long the Chaffee Red Devils have built their success on stellar pitching and a rock-solid defense.

Unfortunately, mistakes in both departments cost them dearly Wednesday as their season came to a close with a 5-2 loss to Holcomb in the Class 2 quarterfinals.

"This time of year one team can win and experience the excitement and the jubilation you see over there with Holcomb, and another has to lose and experience the heartbreak like you see over here," Chaffee head coach Brian Horrell said. "It's from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.

"But all in all our kids had a great season. We just were not at our best today."

After two scoreless innings things started to swing in favor of the Hornets following a crucial call in the bottom of the third. The bases were loaded after an intentional walk when Colton Dunbar hit a slow roller up the third base line for what looked like the possible third out.

Forced to hurry the play, Chaffee's third baseman made rushed a throw to the outside of the first base bag that initially looked to be hauled in by an outstretched first baseman. On ensuing contact by the runner, however, the ball popped out of the glove and rolled to the fence allowing two runs to score as Dunbar was ruled safe on the play.

A discussion between the umpires and coaches followed about whether the first baseman was trying to tag the runner or get the force out, but in the end the call stood and the Hornets had a 2-0 lead.

"I thought our kid's foot was on the bag and he made the catch," Horrell said. "While he was falling to the ground there was contact and then the ball jarred loose on the collision.

"I didn't think he was trying to tag the kid, personally. I thought he held the bag and there was a discussion, but it just didn't go our way."

Despite Holcomb putting runners on in each of the next three innings, including loading the bases in the fifth, the Red Devils remained just two runs down when they took the field in the bottom of the sixth. That's where Michael Glover made Chaffee pay with his third and biggest hit of the night, a two-out, two-run home run that gave his team a pair of insurance runs.

"I'm going to hate to see him go that's for sure," Holcomb head coach Matt Casper said of the senior Glover. "He has been doing it for us all year. Just tearing the cover off the baseball and he's still doing it."

A walk and a base hit allowed the Hornets to put runners on first and third before one final run scored in a rundown to give Holcomb a 5-0 advantage.

The Red Devils came up with three straight hits from the heart of their order to plate their first run of the game in the top of the seventh. An error with one out brought home another and gave Chaffee hope as the tying run came to the plate with one out.

Before the Red Devils could close any further Holcomb starter Cameron Clark got a strikeout and a slow roller back to the mound to seal his team's trip to the final four.

Coming back after pitching all seven innings in the Red Devils' sectional win, Cody Payne absorbed the loss. Payne came in to start the third and pitched the final three innings, allowing two runs, both unearned, while striking out four.

Payne's time on the mound was also troubled by shaky defense as Chaffee committed all four of their errors in that three-inning span.

Clark earned the win, holding Chaffee hitless through 3 1/3 frames and giving up just two singles through six innings of play. He allowed five hits and fanned five without walking a batter.

"With one out, we had the trying run at the plate with first and third," Horrell said. "We had the tying run at the plate two different times, so at least they did battle back and didn't go quietly. Just a shame to come this close (to the final four) and come up short again."

Chaffee 000 000 2 -- 2 5 4

Holcomb 002 003 x -- 5 8 1

WP -- Cameron Clark. LP -- Cody Payne. Multiple hitters: C -- Devon Yahn 2-3; H -- Michael Glover 3-3, Colton Dunbar 3-4. 2B -- Glover (H). HR -- Glover (H).