Top-ranked Bell City baseball team encounters 8-0 loss to unbeaten Bernie

BERNIE, Mo. -- Senior Trey Kirkpatrick drove in a team-high four RBIs on a pair of extra-base hits, and junior Alex Guzman struck out 11 batters in a complete-game performance to propel Bernie to an 8-0 victory against Bell City in a battle of state-ranked baseball teams Tuesday.

"I thought we played pretty focused and took some good at-bats off a good pitcher," Bernie coach Darrin Shipman said. "What I was most pleased with was we just really battled at the plate today. Alex followed that up by pitching a heck of a game."

Bell City, which is ranked No. 1 in the latest Class 1 state poll, trailed just 2-0 after four innings.

Bernie (7-0, 3-0 Stoddard County Activities Association), ranked No. 5 in Class 2, increased its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning when cleanup-hitter Owen Foster collected a leadoff single and Kirkpatrick followed with a two-run homer to left field.

The Mules blew the game open with four runs in the bottom of the sixth frame. After Wyatt Barnett, Austin Beck and Gavin Brown drew walks to load the bases with one out, No. 3 hitter Brock Beacham followed with an RBI single. Foster then drew a bases loaded walk, and No. 5 hitter Kirkpatrick added a two-run double.

Bell City (5-2, 2-1 SCAA) had at least one hitter reach base in every inning but stranded 10 runners

"I felt like we kind of looked flat," Bell City coach Justin Simpher said. "We didn't hit the ball hard, and they did. They put it in play and their pitcher kept our hitters off balance."

Guzman allowed five singles, walked two and hit two batters.

"He couldn't get his fastball over the plate early and had to throw his slider and curveball more than what we want him to throw it," Shipman said. "But his off-speed pitches were working. He was able to locate them really well, and then later on he was able to throw his fastball for strikes. I thought he battled hard and kept the ball down real well. If you can hold Bell City's offense down, you have done a really good job."

Bernie jumped out to a 2-0 lead when it scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning. The trouble started for Bell City in the frame when Dalton Hobgood drew a leadoff single, advanced to second base on an infield error and scored when Jayce Burk hit a ball to right field that was dropped. Burk advanced all the way to second base on the play and scored when the next hitter, Beck, hit a fly ball to the right-field fence that was also dropped.

Bobby Wright started the game for the Cubs. He allowed eight runs, six of which were earned, over 5 1/3 innings. Wright allowed seven hits, walked seven and struck out five.

Peyton Maddox allowed one hit in 2/3 of an inning of work for the Cubs. He allowed a double and struck out one.

"I thought both of our pitchers threw well," Simpher said. "But this is about the fourth game in a row we haven't played clean defensively. That's what I'm most concerned about. We also didn't put hits together today. Hopefully, we can clean some stuff up because we've got a lot of baseball left to play."

Bell City begins play in the three-day Oak Ridge Tournament on Thursday.

Bell City 000 000 0 -- 0 5 2

Bernie 020 024 x -- 8 8 2

WP -- Alez Guzman. LP -- Bobby Wright. HR -- Trey Kirkpatrick (B). 2B -- Dalton Hobgood (B), Kirkpatrick (B). Multiples hits -- Bernie: Brock Beacham 2-4, Owen Foster 2-3, Kirkpatrick 2-3, Hobgood 2-4; Bell City: Cole Nichols 2-4.