Bernie Mules win C1D1 quarter on final play of the game

Reliever Jason Robinett on the mound for Bernie.

Photo by Steve Hankins

BERNIE, Mo. - Defending District champs Bernie High School Mules baseball club had to pull out all the stops Thursday against a bull-doggish South Pemiscot team to advance to the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 Tournament semi-finals to be played Friday at Senath.

The C2 D1 Tournament is hosted by the Senath-Hornersville Lions through the finals on Saturday, May 11.

Because of Mother Nature's shenanigans weather-wise in past days, the quarterfinals were moved to Bernie, basically offering the Mules a home-field advantage in the first-round game.

As it turned out, Bernie needed all the advantages it could get to pull out a 3-2 walk off win in extra innings to advance the semifinal round.

Logan Southern, No. 12, times-up a pitch for South Pemiscot.

Photo by Steve Hankins

The game was tied at two going into the bottom of extra inning number one, when Brayden Vaughn doubled driving in the walk off win.

RBIs for Bernie came from Leighton Hicks in the first; Cane Hobgood, who knocked an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth; as well as Vaughn's aforementioned game-winning slug.

Logan Southern doubled on a 3-2 count in the top of the second to tie the game at one. A sacrifice fly RBI by Brayden Bomar in the second gave South Pemiscot its only lead at 2-1.

Taylor Stanfield started for Bernie, went only 1/3 of an inning and faced four batters before being relieved by Jaydon Robinett.

The reliever was brilliant for 7 1/3 innings and allowed only two runs (none earned) on just six hits, with one walk, and struck out nine. Robinett faced 31 batters and threw 104 pitches, of which 82 were strikes.

Robinett maxed out his pitch count and was relieved by Leighton Hicks in the top of the eighth inning with one out.

Hicks recorded two key outs to keep the score tied at two, and offered his teammates a chance for victory.

Hicks earned the win.

Braydon Bomar went 1-1/3 innings of relief for the Bulldogs, gave up the winning run in the eighth and suffered the loss for South Pem.

Jadie Morton, No. 4, the star reliever for South Pem, pitched six innings of relief to keep the Bulldogs in the game.

Photo by Tim Caldwell.

Jadie Morton, the fine starter for South Pemiscot, pitched six innings of excellent baseball. Morton allowed only two runs (one earned), on just five base runners (three hits and two walks), and struck out five Mule hitters.

Bernie, now 17-9, faces the Senath-Hornersville Lions (11-7) in the second game of the semifinal round at 1 p.m. Friday at Senath.