Webb City comeback bid falls short in final inning against top-ranked Willard
Apr. 20—WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City baseball team was perhaps one base hit away from knocking off the top-ranked team in Class 4 on Monday.
But despite a gritty comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh inning, the No. 2 Cardinals were staved off by No. 1 Willard as the Tigers claimed a 5-4 triumph in a Central Ozark Conference tilt at the Webb City baseball field.
Webb City plated two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and had an opportunity to do more damage with runners positioned on third and second base. However, Willard reliever Jared Miles managed to work out of the jam by striking out Cole Gayman to bring the game to a close.
"They're a good team, and we're right there with them," Webb City head coach Flave Darnell said. "I hope we get to play them again sometime down the road, but there's a lot of baseball to be played before then. and we have to find a way to get better in some areas."
The final frame saw Willard (14-6) retire the first two Webb City batters before the Cardinals (12-3) benefited from one hit and three free passes. A single by Devrin Weathers gave Webb City its first baserunner, and then a hit-by-pitch taken by Treghan Parker and a walk drawn by Shane Noel loaded the bases.
A walk drawn by Matt Woodmansee plated Weathers before Parker took home on a passed ball to make it a one-run ballgame. Miles came on for Willard right after Woodmansee's walk to retire the first batter he faced and clinch the win for the Tigers.
Willard's triumph was highlighted by Dalen Stewart, who surrendered four earned runs and two hits while striking out 14 in six innings of work.
The Cardinals plated a pair of runs in the first inning for an early lead before Stewart and the Willard defense posted five consecutive zeroes on the scoreboard.
"We battled and stayed in it, for sure," Darnell said. "But you have to tip your hat to their pitcher. For us to come out and get two runs and get his pitch count up, we thought we could maybe chase him out earlier. We know he's a good pitcher, and we weren't able to do that. He bared down, and he's got a good breaking ball and good fastball."
The Cardinals drew first blood in the game with two runs off two hits in the bottom of the first. Weathers led off the frame with a single and later scored off a sacrifice fly by Parker, and then Woodmansee drove in Noel on a double to left-center field for the 2-0 advantage.
The 2-0 lead for Webb City remained through four complete thanks to a hot start by Gayman and the Webb City defense. Gayman limited to Willard to no runs and five hits in the first four frames while the Cardinals defense backed him up with three double plays and no errors.
"We played great defense in those first four innings," Darnell said. "But that last inning, some things just didn't go our way and the ball didn't bounce the way we wanted it. It's unfortunate."
Willard finally managed to break the seal in the top of the fifth as it erupted for five runs off four hits to take its first lead at 5-2. The Tigers also benefited from four free passes and one Webb City fielding miscue in the inning.
"We're having, right now, a little hard time of overcoming mistakes," Darnell said. "We're having a hard time with some of those innings — a couple of errors here, a hit batter there, a walk there. We just couldn't overcome it today."
Gayman ended up tossing 4 2/3 innings, surrendering five earned runs and seven hits while striking out three. Eli Goddard came on in the fifth and gave up no hits while striking out three in 2 1/3 scoreless frames.
Weathers finished as Webb City's leading hitter, going 3 for 3 with two runs scored.
The Cardinals return to play on Thursday when they play hose to COC foe Branson at 4:30 p.m.
