Area baseball teams earn district final berths

Van Buren’s Noah Keeney delivers a pitch against East Carter in Monday’s Class 2 District 2 semifinal action at Brody Gargac Memorial Field in Ellsinore.

DAR/Mike Buhler

ELLSINORE — The Van Buren Bulldogs baseball team used some small ball to take the lead in the fifth inning en route to a 6-4 win over the third-seeded East Carter Redbirds Monday in the Class 2 District 2 semifinals at Brody Gargac Memorial Field.

The Bulldogs will face top-seeded Greenville or Alton at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Gargac, weather permitting.

With the score tied 4-4 going to the bottom of the fifth inning, Hayes Townsley hit a one-out double to left field, then moved to third on Nathan Smith’s sacrifice bunt and scored the go-ahead run on a Bryce Hawkins single.

Van Buren, the district’s No. 2 seed, then added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Braxton Mann hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center, scoring Chase Carter to make it 6-4.

The Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the early 3-0 lead, but East Carter answered back in the top of the second inning when Bryce Stahl’s single with the bases loaded was misplayed, allowing three runs to score and Stahl to end up at second.

Van Buren retook the lead in the bottom of second inning as Carter Freeze scored on Brady Smith’s groundball which was misplayed.

However, Chase Kearby scored on Cason Price’s fielder’s choice in the top of the fourth inning as the Redbirds tied the score at 4-4.

Gage Vanlandingham had three hits for the Bulldogs, while Townsley added two.

Van Buren pitchers Noah Keeney and Smith teamed up on a three-hitter, combining to allow three earned runs while striking out 11 and overcoming seven walks. Smith earned the win in relief as he got the final eight outs.

Greenville 4, Alton 0

In the other semifinal Monday at Ellsinore, Wyatt Friley tossed a three-hit shutout to lead the Bears back to the Class 2 District 2 championship game.

Friley was dominant on the hill, striking out 11 and allowing one walk while retiring 17 of the last 18 batters he faced. No Comets runner made it past second base on the day.

Friley helped his own cause at the plate by collecting three hits and driving in Greenville’s first run of the day, while Clayton Wood added a pair of hits and drove in a run in the bottom of the third inning.

Class 4 District 1

Dexter 3, Kennett 1

At Dexter, Trey Pedigo allowed no earned runs through six innings on the mound and drove in two runs at the plate as the Dexter Bearcats upset the top-seeded Kennett Indians 3-1 Monday in the Class 4 District 1 semifinals at East Park.

With the win, the Bearcats (14-10) will face Fredericktown for the district championship at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, again at East Park.

Dexter got on the board in the top of the second inning when Jackson Howard reached on an error and later scored the game’s first run on another error. Trey Pedigo then singled home Justus Lovelady for a 2-0 lead.

The Bearcats made it 3-0 in the top of the fourth when Howard walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and later scored on Pedigo’s base hit to center field.

Kennett got its lone run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Payton Branum scored on Jack Morrison’s sacrifice fly.

Pedigo got the win, going six innings and allowing no earned runs, four hits and six walks while striking out two. Connor Hankins tossed a scoreless seventh inning to pick up the save.