ORAN RALLY REWARDED WITH TITLE SHOT

COLUMBIA -- Trailing New Bloomfield 7-0 after three innings of its Class 1A semifinal on an unseasonably chilly and windy Wednesday at Simmons Field, Oran coach Mitch Wood angrily gave his team two options.

"We had a little meeting in the dugout and I told the kids we could do two things," Wood said. "We could tuck our heads between our legs and quit or we could battle back."

The choice seemed simple enough to the Eagles.

Four New Bloomfield errors led to eight unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning, propelling Oran to an improbable 9-7 comeback victory. The eight-run inning was one short of the state record set in 1995 by St. Elizabeth.

"We did the same thing we've done all year long," said a beaming Wood after the win. "We battled back."

Playing in its first state baseball championships since 1981, Oran improved to 23-3 and will meet Halfway (22-2) for the 1A title today at 5 p.m. Halfway nearly blew a 7-0 lead also, but held on to beat Macks Creek 7-6 in the second 1A semifinal.

New Bloomfield, playing in its fourth straight state semifinal and shooting for a record-setting seventh state championship, fell to 14-8 and will play Macks Creek (20-3) for third place today at 11:30 a.m.

After scoring six runs and knocking out two Oran pitchers in the bottom of the third inning for the 7-0 lead, the Wildcats seemed well on their way to another 1A final.

"We've been down a couple runs before, but not seven or eight runs," said a smiling Wood. "It really made me mad the way we played those first innings and I kind of crawled on (the team) a little bit. After that we did a better job of taking care of business."

New Bloomfield certainly didn't.

Two fielding errors to open the fourth inning by Wildcats' shortstop Jeremy Sebastian started the Eagles' amazing eight-run rally. Sebastian totaled three of New Bloomfield's four errors in the frame and the Eagles added four hits to take the lead -- and momentum -- for good.

"Those errors changed the whole momentum of the game," said New Bloomfield coach Scott Smith. "We've never had anything like that all year long.

"It went from a game we thought we had control of to a game that they were in control of."

Dustin Dannenmueller plated Oran's first run with an RBI single and clean-up batter Billy Loper followed with another run-scoring single to close the score to 7-2. After Sebastian's third error of the inning, Jeff Schaefer singled to score Loper and make the score 7-4.

New Bloomfield starter Mike Antweiler was relieved by hard-throwing Scott Nichols at that point, but the Eagles roughed-up the Wildcats' ace. Despite throwing in the upper 80's, Nichols gave up two hits, walked three batters and did not record an out before Antweiler returned to the mound to get the final two outs of the inning.

Junior Dustin Glastetter and senior Justin McAlister got RBI hits off Nichols while Justin Wierman and Dannenmueller coaxed bases-loaded walks to put the Eagles ahead 8-7.

Glastetter, Oran's forgotten pitcher during its playoff run, was the third Eagle hurler employed in the third inning. Glastetter spelled Dannenmueller, who came on in relief of McAlister, the starter, and kept Oran in control the rest of the way. Even though he hadn't pitched since the regular season, Glastetter (8-2) held New Bloomfield scoreless on one hit the remaining 4 2/3 innings.

"We used three different pitchers and like I've said all year long, we'll use any three, anywhere, anytime," said Wood. "Dustin's been on me all week because he didn't get to throw much (lately). I'm just tickled to death he got a chance to throw and throw strikes."

Big games certainly seem to suit Glastetter. Last summer for Chaffee's Junior American Legion team, he hurled a complete-game victory in the regional championship game against Minnetonka, Minn.

"I like the big games; I like the pressure," said Glastetter with a grin. "I was definitely on today. I had my fastball going really well and the curveball was breaking well.

"My arm's had about a month to rest, so it was ready to go."

McAlister, who also got an early hook in Oran's 4-2 sectional win over Holcomb, certainly didn't mind Glastetter's relief help. Coupled with the Eagles' big rally, McAlister kept his pitching record perfect at 8-0.

"Like coach has said, we've got three strong pitchers," McAlister said. "If I come out flat and can't find the strike zone, I've got two other guys, just as good, that can back me up and get the job done."

Oran added an insurance run in the seventh inning when Schaefer walked, was sacrificed to second base by Glastetter and after a single by Travis Friga, scored on a single to right field by McAlister.

Oran outhit New Bloomfield 10-8, led by McAlister, Loper and Schaefer with two each. McAlister and Dannenmueller both had two RBIs.

New Bloomfield had four of its eight hits in its six-run third.