Cardinals erupt for 14 runs against Logan-Rogersville
Who saw this coming? Certainly not Logan-Rogersville. Webb City broke out of its offensive funk in a big way on Thursday during the MSHSSA Class 3 baseball quarterfinal.
The Cardinals, 23-5, backed starter Jerick Swarens with eight hits and overpowered three Wildcat pitchers to come away with a 14-3 run-rule victory at Barnes Field.
Webb City beat Rogersville in the quarterfinal in 2006, 7-0, on its way to a state title.
"It feels good," exclaimed Swarens after the game. "I threw (in the state tournament in '06, and it felt a lot better pitching here then it did up there at state. The crowd seemed bigger and we seemed really into it."
The Cardinals advance to play Boonville, 21-2, in the semifinal on May 30 at Springfield's Meador Park.
Webb City, acting as the visiting team, got on the board with a single tally in the top of the first — ending a streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings by the Wildcat pitching staff. Rogersville, though, responded with two runs in the bottom half.
Two Cardinal errors prolonged the frame long enough for Seth Connor to deliver a two-out double to left, scoring Andy Leingang and Chris Sartin.
"There wasn't much they could do, the balls were hit out of their range," said Swarens of Webb City's early defensive miscues. "I just did what I had to do and kept throwing ground balls.
"I kept throwing strikes and trusted my defense ... I have trusted them all year."
Swarens remained confident on the mound, while the Cardinals' offense heated up in the second.
Darren Aggus and Chance Sossamon delivered two extra-base hits, as Webb City bruised Leingang — Rogersville's starter — for a six-run deluge. Aggus led the Cardinals' attack with two doubles and two RBIs.
"I knew if I started out well, we would finish well," explained Aggus. "The leadoff guy has to get things going."
"They're better than us," said Rogersville head coach Brad Lotz, who led the Wildcats to an 18-8 finish. "Hopefully they win it all."
Webb City chased Leingang from the game after the third, but the Wildcat bullpen wasn't any better. The Cardinals turned the game into a laugher with five runs in the top of the fifth to take a 14-3 lead. Rogersville's once tight pitching staff walked nine and hit four batters.
"We took advantage of some walks and offensively we swung the bat very well," said Webb City head coach Shawn Mayes. "I knew we could hit the ball, but today we came out and swung the bats well."
Webb City 14, Logan-Rogersville 3
Webb City (23-5) 160 15 — 14 8 2
Rogersville (18-8) 201 00 — 3 3 3
Swarens and Hickman; Leingang, Simon, Yates and Gilkerson.
Darren Aggus (2), Patrick Drake, Chance Sossamon, Mack Kyle, Jordan
Hickman, Jerick Swarens, Braxton Perry — 2B—Aggus (2), Sossamon; Seth Connor (2), Chris Sartin —2B—Connor, Sartin.
