St. Vincent gave Chaffee everything they wanted and more.
The Red Devils, the No. 5 ranked team in Class 2, scored three runs in the seventh inning and held off an Indian rally to hand St. Vincent a 7-5 loss on Monday at Veterans Memorial Field in Perryville.
“I know that we can play with anybody and we were due for a good game,” St. Vincent baseball coach Corey Sauer said. “We just struck out at the plate too many times and didn’t put the ball in play as much as I would have liked.”
The game was tied at 4-4 leading into the top of the seventh and Chaffee’s offense had its best inning in the game.
Peyton Atkins started the inning off with a single that got by an Indian outfielder and ended up going all the way to the wall. Atkins ended up on second and knocked St. Vincent starter John Wibbenmeyer out of the game as he neared his pitch limit.
The next batter walked and Alec Brown laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over to second and third with one out.
Brennan Fowler came through with a single that scored a run that gave Chaffee a 5-4 lead. Liam Krauss struck out Jagger Sadler looking for the second out of the inning, but Levi McKinnie drove a pitch down the third base line for a 2-RBI triple to put the Red Devils up 7-4. McKinnie ended the day 2 for 3 with four RBI and a walk. Fowler was 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored for Chaffee (8-1)
Krauss went 3 for 4 for St. Vincent with two RBI, while Wibbenmeyer went 2 for 3 at the plate.
“Chaffee played like they needed to in that last inning,” Sauer said. “They have a deep lineup and have a bunch of good ball players. We had them on the ropes and they come through with some big hits when they needed it.”
St. Vincent, who has shown the ability to rally late in games, nearly did it again.
Lucas Schilling beat out an infield single with one out, which spun away from the Chaffee third baseman.
Wibbenmeyer followed with a single to left field to give the Indians runners on first and second. After a strikeout put the Indians down to their final out, Jackson Rellergert hit a sharp groundball to shortstop and the throw was bobbled by the first baseman, which caused Rellergert to be safe at first.
However, Wibbenmeyer attempted to go home but was thrown out at the plate to end the game.
Sauer felt like the play was a little bit of bad luck.
“That’s a tough play there,” Sauer said. “It was a 3-2 count with two outs so the baserunners are going to be moving. You don’t think their guy is going to bobble the throw at first. John was rounding third in case of a bad throw and he just got caught in between and he went for home. I wasn’t necessarily sending him home, but it’s a tough play.”