Schuyler Defeats Putnam… District Champions Once Again!
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By Sara Smith
By all accounts, the Rams and Lady Rams have had a pretty successful year when it comes to team competition. During each season of sport, a team has won a championship, and all of the team sports have competed in the district championship game.
It all started in the fall, when the softball team clawed their way into the district championship game, falling to Braymer. The football team followed this performance by defeating North Shelby in the 8-man district championship.
During the winter season, the Rams’ basketball team competed against Canton for the district championship and came up just short. However, the Lady Rams upset the #1 La Plata Lady Bulldogs to go back-to-back as the district champs. The Scholar Bowl kept the streak going as they defeated Knox County to be back-to-back district champs as well.
The stage was now set for another district championship, this time in baseball. The Rams have not won a district championship in baseball since 2012, but Coach Moncrief made it apparent early on, before the season even started, that this was the team’s goal. Furthermore, he felt they had the talent to do it.
To that end, the Rams finished the regular season with a record of 16-6 and sealed the #2 seed in the district tournament, which earned them a bye during the quarterfinal round. However, the path to the championship went through Scotland County during the semifinals.
Tuesday, May 14 vs. Scotland County Tigers (District Semifinals)
This semifinal matchup was scheduled for Monday, May 13, but was delayed due to rain.
The 11-9 Scotland County Tigers came into this game red hot, riding a six-game winning streak. They secured the #3 seed in the district and defeated Knox County 12-0 during the quarterfinal round to advance to this game.
As a matter of fact, the Tigers hadn’t lost a game since April 22nd, when they lost to the Rams 7-8. The rivalry between Schuyler and Scotland is a friendly one, but it is a rivalry, and both teams bring their A-game.
In this contest, the Rams were the first to get on the board in the bottom of the first when Kale Windy scored on a passed ball. The Tigers jumped back into the lead in the top of the second, scoring two courtesy of RBIs from Carter Clatt and Tayte Richmond.
The Rams answered in the bottom of the second. Brody Weaver started it with a single to short, he advanced to second with a walk for Mason Windy. Weaver was able to score and tie the game at two, thanks to an RBI single from Cohan Meade.
The score would stay all knotted up at two apiece through the third and fourth innings. The Tigers were unable to add to their score in the top of the fifth inning, but the Rams took the lead in the bottom of that inning.
Meade got the ball rolling when he reached base due to an error on a fly ball to center field. Kale Windy advanced Meade to second with a single to right field. Elliott Sevits singled on a line drive to center field, Meade was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning, but Kale Windy ended up at third base while Sevits made it to second. Up next was Gage Brownell, he doubled on a line drive to center, scoring both base runners and breaking the tie. The Rams led, 4-2.
The Tigers made things interesting in the top of the sixth as they tried to overcome this two-run deficit. Layne Stott tripled to center field, Marcus Smith walked, Clatt walked, loading the bases. Richmond was hit-by-pitch to score a run. Vince Dale came to bat with two outs and the bases loaded, he hit a rocket line drive to second, but Bryson Wilson was there for the catch and the inning ended. The Tigers inched closer to the Rams, but the score would remain 4-3 and the Rams would go on to win the game.
Lathan Martin earned the win for the Rams. He gave up seven hits and two runs (both earned) over five innings, striking out five and walking two. Elliott Sevits collected the save, he pitched two innings, allowing one hit, one earned run, two walks, and two strikeouts.
Brownell provided pop in the middle of the lineup, he went one for three with the game-winning, two- RBI double. Weaver had two hits in two at-bats, with one stolen base and one score. Kale Windy was two for three on the night, with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Meade and Sevits both collected a hit as well, Meade had one RBI, and Sevits had one run.
The defense did its job behind Martin and Sevits, securing the win and building confidence. The Rams would advance to the championship.
Wednesday, May 15 vs. Putnam County Midgets (District Championship)
The Midgets punched their ticket to the district championship by securing the #1 seed and then defeated the #4 Canton Tigers in the semifinals, 12-1. The Midgets had a strong regular season, they came into the game with a record of 21-3.
Although the game was played in Schuyler County, the Rams were the visitors on the scoreboard because they were the lower seed.
The Midgets play with swagger, and rightfully so, before the season even started they were ranked #6 in the state according to the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA). Their ranking quickly shot to #2, and there they stayed behind undefeated Iberia through the rest of the season.
However, if the rivalry with Scotland County is a friendly one, the rivalry with Putnam County is less friendly and no less fierce. These teams met on April 23 during the regular season, when the Midgets dealt the Rams a 0-6 loss.
This championship game marks the 9th time that these teams have met during district play, the Midgets won the last five of those games (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, & 2022).
Despite their record versus the Midgets, the Rams had a positive attitude and were up for the challenge. Throughout the game, senior Kale Windy could be heard repeating “Why not us?” As he saw it, there was no reason they could not win this game, the Midgets were beatable.
Both teams sent their ace to the mound and it was a pitching battle for the ages. Mason Morris pitched all seven innings for the Midgets, allowing one run on four hits, striking out seven, and walking three. This lefty throws with some velocity, and the Rams had trouble making contact with his pitches when they faced him earlier in the season. The Rams had only two hits in that scoreless effort. However, since that time, the Rams have faced other worthy left-handers (the game versus Westran for example) and gained valuable experience picking up a left-handed delivery.
The Rams were the first to get on the board in the top of the third. Mason Windy doubled to right field, Cohan Meade ground out on a fielder’s choice to the shortstop for out number one, and Mason Windy advanced to third. Elliott Sevits also hit a ground ball into a fielder’s choice at short, but this time Mason Windy was able to score. That one run would hold through the rest of the third, then all through three more nine-biting innings, the fourth, fifth, and sixth.
The Rams were unable to add any more points to the board during their last at-bat, in the top of the seventh. They needed to hold the Midgets for just three more outs. Gage Brownell had been pitching absolutely out of his mind for the Rams, but he is a sophomore and was nearing his pitch count limit.
The Midgets had one final opportunity to put points on the board during the bottom of the seventh. The first batter, Trace Halley, was hit-by-pitch, then Luke Aguilar grounded out to Brownell on the mound, and Halley advanced to second. With his pitch limit looming, Brownell faced his last batter, Riley Ayers, with a full count Ayers was hit-by-pitch. There were now runners on first and second with one out. Kale Windy came to the mound in relief. The first batter he would face was Sawyer Morgan, with a 2-1 count Morgan ground into a fielder’s choice back to Kale Windy, Windy threw to third base for the force, and chaos ensued.
Halley was forced out at third, Martin threw to first trying for a double play. Morgan reached first, but the first baseman, Cohan Meade, threw the back to third base as Ayers tried to advance from second to third. Ayers beat the throw and was safe at third, however, Halley, unclear that he was out with the force on third, tried to advance home. Martin threw home where he was tagged out by catcher, Connor Smith. After a conference with the coaches, the home plate umpire confirmed that Halley was out at third, the tag out at home was irrelevant but left no doubt that a run did not score.
Kale Windy would now face his second batter, Owen Ream, with runners on first and third with two outs. Ream took strike one looking, followed by ball one, two, and three from Windy. Ream took strike two looking and the count was now full. Midget coach Blane Robinson called for a timeout to talk to his batter. The Ram pitcher and catcher, Windy and Smith, took that time to conference as well. This is the situation a kid dreams about, to be in the bottom of the last inning with the tying run on third, the winning run on first, and a full count to the batter. The pitcher and the batter have different dreams about the outcome of this duel.
Ream did his job on the next pitch he put the ball in play and ran as fast as he could. The third baseman, Martin fielded the ball cleanly and threw it to first. The throw was in time, the runner was out. The Rams won, 1-0!
While Windy collected the last two outs of the game to earn the save, Brownell earned the win for the Rams. In the game versus the Tigers he provided pop in the batting lineup, this game he provided pop from the mound. He pitched 6+ scoreless innings and faced 25 batters. He allowed only one hit and walked two batters. Brownell was throwing straight fire and struck out a remarkable 13 batters. His performance during this game will not soon be forgotten. Morris and the Midgets were worthy adversaries, but Brownell and the Rams came out on top this time.
The Rams are District Champions once again, and advance to the State Tournament to see if they can do what the other district champion teams have not done yet this year… win at the state level.
