DEVILS INN 15-INNING MARATHON TO CLAIM SEMO CONFERENCE

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Fifteen innings.

Seven runs. Four pitchers. Twenty-seven hits. Two controversial calls at home plate.

One Conference championship.

Chaffee and Sikeston waged an epic baseball battle Saturday for the regular-season championship game of the SEMO Conference and the Red Devils finally came out on top 4-3 with a two-out single by Matt Stroup in the bottom of the 15th inning.

After Jeremy Lynn singled with one out and stole second base with two outs, Stroup ripped a ground ball down the left-field line to end the game.

"It was an awesome game for the fans," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "It was something else."

Sikeston did all its scoring in the second inning. The Bulldogs scored two runs on an error and another on a double by freshman Blake DeWitt. But all three runs were unearned off starting pitcher G.P. Glueck.

Chaffee scored one run in the third when Zak Horman, Chase Eskew, Lynn and James Reishman provided consecutive singles. The Red Devils then had the bases loaded with the third, fourth and fifth batters coming up with nobody out but failed to score again.

In the fifth inning, Chaffee scored again when Reischman -- who came off the bench to replace injured Perry Rice -- singled and scored from first on a double by Glueck to make the score 3-3.

The game stayed 3-3 for 10 more innings, thanks to great pitching by both clubs. Glueck and Horman shut down the Bulldogs, while Bobby Landers and Chris Cota battled for Sikeston.

There were two runners called out at the plate -- one by both teams -- that would've ended the game sooner.

Chaffee tried to steal home with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Horrell said he thought the pitcher rushed his windup and balked, but there was no call and Eskew was called out.

"We thought we could steal home with the pitcher's slow delivery," Horrell said. "We've done it before this year."

Sikeston lost a man at the plate in the 14th inning on a base-running mistake. On a ground ball to second, the runner at third did not advance to home, but the runner at second went to third. After a run-down between second and third, first baseman Shawn Powderly gunned down a runner trying to score.

"The throw was high, but I thought the catcher blocked him," Horrell said. "It was a bang-bang play. But both teams had plenty of opportunities."

Though Chaffee's usually reliable defense betrayed the Red Devils in the second inning, the glove work for both teams played a huge factor.

"I tell you what, Jeremy Lynn made two diving catches in center field that were out of this world," Horrell said. "And their shortstop Adam Garrett was solid all day long. We tested him and he made a ton of plays at shortstop."

Horman picked up the win on the mound. He went eight innings and allowed no runs on five hits and a walk while striking out three. That was after Glueck allowed no earned runs in seven innings. Glueck struck out nine, walked four and hit three batters.

Chris Cota suffered the loss for Sikeston in 7 2/3 innings of relief. He allowed one run on five hits and four walks, while striking out five. Bobby Landers started and went seven innings, striking out seven, walking two and allowing 12 hits.

Chaffee will travel to South Pemiscot at 5 p.m. Thursday in a state sectional game. Sikeston, also a district champion, will face Festus at Sikeston in sectionals Thursday.