Boys Baseball Roundup, Mar. 31: Bell City controls game early, beats Woodland at home, 14-4

Bell City scored two runs in the first inning, and three more runs in the second inning to take an early lead, but lengthened that lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring eight runs, to put the game away Monday, winning 14-4 at home.

Nate Stone recorded three hits in three at-bats, one of those being the long ball variety, as the senior drove in a run and scored four runs, leading the Cubs (2-1) offensively.

Bell City also had three players drive in two runs each (Jack Duenne, JT Robey, Ayden Anschultz) to lead the team in RBIs.

Austin Hunt started the game on the mound for Bell City, throwing 3 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits, striking out five, and walking four.

Stone relieved Hunt in the top of the fourth inning, throwing an inning and 1/3, not allowing a run on one hit given up, as he struck out a batter and didn't allow a walk to close the contest out.

Woodland (2-2) fell behind early, as starting pitcher Trenton Braswell pitched three innings, giving up two earned runs (five total) on just two hits, striking out three, and walking four.

The Cardinals pitchers allowed a total of 10 walks, as reliever Jo Cook walked six Cub batters, giving up nine total runs, with just two of those the earned variety.

Cook only lasted 1 1/3 innings.

Offensively, Woodland was led by Lane VanGennip, as the sophomore went 2 for 3 in a losing cause, registering an RBI as well as a run scored.

Rafe Johnson drove in two runs, recording a hit in three at-bats.

Bell City will play Bloomfield at Chaffee High School Thursday at 6 p.m.

Woodland will travel to Kelly today, with first pitch scheduled at 4:30 p.m.

Notre Dame 15, Perryville 1

Notre Dame starting pitcher Austin Gant was brilliant on the mound Tuesday, throwing a no-hitter, to lead the Bulldogs past Perryville, 15-1.

Gast compiled 11 strikeouts in five innings of work, not allowing a hit, but was charged a run due to a walk and then an error committed defensively.

The senior pitcher's command was impeccable, throwing 50 of his 73 pitches in the game for strikes.

Lead-off hitter Blake Anderson led a trio of Bulldogs with two hits, going 2 for 3, with a home run, an RBI, and three runs scored.

Cole Lemons recorded two hits in two at-bats, driving in two runs while scoring three.

Jakob Besand also went 2 for 2 in the game, driving in two RBIs, while scoring a run.

For Perryville (0-3), Mitchell Zoellner drove in the lone run, a sacrifice fly that scored Sam Barber in the first inning.

Sophomore starting pitcher Dane Lauck collected the loss, throwing just 1 1/3 innings, giving up seven earned runs (11 total) while giving up seven hits, striking out one batter while walking four.

Notre Dame (4-2) will host a winless Fredericktown squad today at 4:30 p.m.

Perryville will host St. Vincent, Monday, at 4:30 p.m.

Jackson 12, North County 8

The Jackson offense notched three runs in the top half of the first inning, as well as three more in the second inning, and continued to add on from there, winning 12-3 on the road against North County in Bonne Terre, Monday.

The Indian's offense tallied 11 hits, as Will Richardson recorded three of those, going 3 for 5 in the game, smacking a triple and two doubles, driving in three RBIs, and scoring four runs to lead Jackson (7-0).

Quenton Dacus went 2 for 3, crushing a home run that drove in three RBIs to add to the onslaught.

Clayton Ernst earned the win on the mound, pitching four innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits, striking out three while allowing four walks.

Reliever Peyton Huckabee threw 1 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs.

Chase Crosnoe pitched the last inning and 1/3, striking out all four batters he faced.

Jackson will host Ste. Genevieve today, with first pitch at 4:15 p.m.

Cape Central 6, Herculaneum 2

Cape Central split a doubleheader Saturday at home, beating Herculaneum, 6-2, but falling to Poplar Bluff in the night-cap, 13-1.

In the first game, it was the timely hitting of Wyatt Brinkopf, breaking a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly in the home half of the sixth inning, to put the Tigers ahead for good.

Brinkopf also earned the win on the mound, throwing four innings of scoreless relief, striking out nine while allowing just three hits.

Starting pitcher Bronson Lively pitched well as well, going three innings, giving up two earned on four hits, striking out five while issuing two walks.

Walker Daum led the offense with three hits while driving in a run and scoring two.

In the late game, it was all Poplar Bluff from the opening pitch, as the Mules jumped ahead of Cape Central, 2-0, at the end of the first inning.

The big blow came in the fourth inning when the Mules (3-4) scored six runs in their half of the inning, making it an 8 to 1 game.

Poplar Bluff continued to add on runs, scoring two more in the fifth and three more in the sixth to win by mercy rule.

The #4 and #5 hitters for the Mules, Parker Moore and Kannon Carr, drove in four runs each, as both sluggers tallied two hits apiece.

Kevin Robinson led Central with two hits in two plate appearances, with the only run scored by Brinkopf who was driven in by Carter Crosnoe.

Kevin Robinson took the loss for the Tigers (1-4), as the senior pitcher lasted three innings, allowing three hits and five runs while striking out one.

Brady Roberton earned the win for Poplar Bluff, pitching five innings, striking out nine, while walking zero.

Roberton only allowed four hits in his five innings pitched.

Cape Central will travel to Imperial to take on Windsor today, with game time at 4:30 p.m.

Notre Dame 10, South Callaway 4

Notre Dame collected two wins Saturday in a doubleheader against South Callaway, beating the visiting Bull Dogs, 10-4 in Game 1, and 14-2 in Game 2.

Leadoff hitter Blake Anderson led the way in Game 1, going 4 for 5 with a triple and three base hits, driving in a run while scoring three runs.

Notre Dame out-hit South Callaway 13 to 6 in the seven-inning affair.

Cole Lemons recorded the win on the mound, throwing five innings, giving up three runs on three hits allowed, striking out three, and walking three.

Jakob Besand pitched two innings of relief to slam the door on the visiting Bulldogs, striking out three while only issuing one free pass.

Besand did give up an earned run on three hits.

In Game 2, it was all Notre Dame from the second inning on, as the host Bulldogs opened the game up with 10 runs scored in the second inning, and added on four more to that total in the bottom of the fourth, to win by mercy rule, 14-2, in the fifth.

Nick Dirnberger, Grant James, Mason Ahlvin, Jon Dohogne, Cole Lemons, and Auston Gast each drove in runs in the second inning.

Gast led the hitting attack with three hits, while two other host Bulldogs recorded two hits each.

Starting pitcher Will Morgan allowed three hits and two runs over four innings, striking out three.

Jakob Besand threw one inning of relief out of the bullpen, giving up two hits while striking out one.

Notre Dame (4-2) will host Fredericktown today at 4:30 p.m.

Poplar Bluff drops opening games at Midwest Classic

One inning put the Mules baseball team behind in both games Tuesday afternoon at the Midwest Classic Tournament.

Poplar Bluff gave up a six-run inning to host Troy Buchanan in a 13-7 loss and were trailing by nine runs after the first inning of a 13-1 loss to Holt.

The Mules (3-6) built a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth in the opener. Troy Buchanan (5-1) sent 12 batters to the plate to take the lead and later added a three-run fifth and a three-run sixth.

Kayson King drove in four runs and was 3 for 4 with a double and a triple for the Mules. The sophomore had one of Poplar Bluff’s three hits in the second game.

Kannon Carr scored twice and was 2 for 3 while Parker Moore and Nick Edwards each drove in a run. Jacob Baller scored twice after a single and a walk while also reaching on an error twice while Jake Valenzuela singled and scored.

Freshman starter Tripp Belknap allowed five runs on seven hits, three walks while striking out one in 3-plus innings.

The Mules gave up five unearned runs in committing three errors and struck out 11 times a day after fanning 12 times in a loss to Farmington.

Poplar Bluff struck out just four times against Holt but managed three hits, a pair of walks and a hit batter while leaving four stranded.

The Mules were held to two runs or less for the fourth time this season.

Rylan Seesongood, a freshman, drove in the only run for the Mules and was 1 for 2 while sophomore Aedan Dawes also singled.

The Mules return to the St. Louis area for one game Friday and two more Saturday. Times and opponents will be released later this week.