Raiders defeat Blackcats to reach conference semi-finals

By MATT KING\Daily Journal Sports Writer

BONNE TERRE - The North County Raiders surged to an early lead, then capitalized on two Fredericktown errors to add four runs during the fourth inning for an 8-4 victory over the Blackcats in quarter-final action at the MAAA Conference Tournament.

North County (14-3) collected 12 hits and stole five bases in their sixth consecutive win, providing enough offense for starting pitcher Wes Foshee, who allowed one earned run on six hits while fanning five batters over six innings.

Fredericktown (5-15) proved to be a resilient team by mounting scoring threats in nearly every inning, but will look back at several missed opportunities. The Blackcats left the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh frames, and stranded 13 base runners overall.

A long RBI double to left-center field by Taylor Fall drove in Eli Skaggs to put the Blackcats on the scoreboard in the top of the first, but the Raiders answered with three runs in the bottom half against Fredericktown hurler Dustin Bess.

Dan Harris led off the frame with a double and scored on a single by Nick Hulsey. After Nick Eckl lined an opposite-field single to put the Raiders on top, Ryan Blankenship ripped a high pitch to the gap in left-center to increase the North County lead to 3-1.

The tandem of Skaggs and Fall helped Fredericktown score again in the third. Skaggs reached second base on a dropped ball in shallow center field, and scored his second run of the game when Fall smashed a long single off of the fence in the left field corner. Fall had a big 3-for-4 performance from the clean-up spot for the Blackcats.

North County watched its first two hitters strike out in the fourth, but put the next six on base to increase its lead. Kyle Hawkins singled, stole second base and scored on a single by Harris to make it 4-2.

After an error brought in another run, Hulsey kept the inning alive with a perfect hit-and-run single through the hole at second base. Eckl capped the scoring with a RBI hit to widen the margin to 7-2. Hulsey, Eckl and Harris were each 2-for-4 for the Raiders.

Hawkins delivered an insurance run in the sixth when his ground ball took a strange bounce into left field, completing a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate.

Fredericktown made things interesting against the Raider bullpen in the seventh. Fall smashed another double against the fence in left-center, missing a home run by about two feet. A single by Logan Stevens and a walk loaded the bases, forcing Blankenship to relieve Hawkins on the mound.

RBI ground outs by Bess and Jake Pruett brought the Blackcats to within four. Blankenship allowed two walks to bring the tying run to the dish, but closed out the game with a bases-loaded strikeout.

Bess struck out six and walked none despite taking the loss for Fredericktown. Only four of the eight runs scored against him were earned. D.J. Hinkle reached base three times and was 2-for-4.

North County will face Ste. Genevieve in the tournament semi-finals at Wilson-Rozier Park in Farmington this evening at 7 p.m. Fredericktown will play Central today at North County in a fifth-place bracket game.

Fredericktown 101 000 2 - 4 8 2

North County 300 410 x - 8 12 2

Fredericktown:

Hitting - Fall 3, Hinkle 2, Skaggs, Stevens, Pruett. 2b - Fall 2, Hinkle.

Pitching - Bess (L) 6i 8r 4er 10h 6k 0bb 1hb.

North County:

Hitting - Hawkins 3, Harris 2, Hulsey 2, Eckl 2, Blankenship, Foshee, Eftink. 2b - Harris, Blankenship, Foshee.

Pitching - Foshee (W) 6i 2r 1er 6h 5k 2bb 3hb, Hawkins 2r 2h 0k 0bb 1hb, Blankenship 1i 0r 0h 1k 2bb.