Bulldogs and Trojans claim wood bat pools

FREDERICKTOWN – Dakota Dowd delivered a stellar effort on the mound, and West County opened pool play in the Fredericktown Wood Bat Showcase by defeating the host club 6-1 on Friday.

Zach Francis went 3-for-4 with three doubles, including a drive that staked the Bulldogs to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

Ty Simily added a two-run single in the fourth, and was 2-for-3 with three RBI overall. Tate Roberts had a double and single for West County.

Dowd racked up 13 strikeouts while firing a 2-hitter with no walks over six innings. Each pool contest featured a 90-minute time limit.

Joey Steinmetz was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double from the No. 6 spot, and Tanner Morgan reached base all three times with a single and run scored in the win.

Colton Rehkop circled the bases for Fredericktown on a triple as the incoming throw sailed out of play in the fourth inning. Dowd responded by retiring his final eight batters.

Logan Winkelman singled for the Blackcats. Rehkop allowed three earned runs on seven hits over four innings in defeat while fanning four.

West County 12, Jefferson 7

FREDERICKTOWN – Dake McRaven capped an enormous fourth inning with a two-run homer, and also doubled during a pivotal 10-run outburst by West County during its second game on Friday.

Joey Steinmetz continued a perfect day at the plate by going 2-for-2 with three runs scored, and the Bulldogs rallied from five runs down to secure a 12-7 win.

Winning pitcher Zach Francis contributed an RBI single, and Ty Simily drew a bases-loaded walk before Hayden Roney’s two-RBI single gave West County a 7-6 lead.

An error further fueled the surge, and Steinmetz extended the lead with an RBI single before McRaven connected over the left-field brick wall.

Francis allowed seven runs on eight hits and three walks over five innings, but recorded five strikeouts and settled down following a rocky opening frame.

Levi Ebersoldt ripped a two-RBI single after an intentional pass loaded the bases, and Braden Harmon belted a three-run home run to create a 5-0 advantage.

Dakota Dowd answered with a big two-run double, and was 3-for-3 overall with three RBI for West County (10-2), which will face Potosi in the championship game on Saturday.

Tate Roberts added a double and walk for the Bulldogs.

Fredericktown 6, Jefferson 5

FREDERICKTOWN – Sophomore Collin Corcino sliced an RBI single as a pinch-hitter with the international tiebreaker enacted, and Fredericktown edged Jefferson 6-5 in six innings.

Clark Penuel and Colton Rehkop each singled twice, and Noah Korokis notched three RBI via a single and sacrifice fly for the Blackcats (5-6).

Dylan Stafford allowed a single and walk over 1 2/3 innings of relief for the win, and also singled at the plate. Penuel started and fanned four over 4 1/3 innings while taking a no-decision.

Jefferson trailed 5-1 before capitalizing on four walks in the bottom of the fifth. John Weik stroked the tying two-run single to force extra innings based on the time limit.

Levi Ebersoldt and Colby Ott matched Weik with two hits each for the Blue Jays. Braden Harmon fanned seven and yielded three earned runs on five hits before Zach Richardson relieved in the loss.

Justin DeBeaux and Isaak Starkey each scored two runs for Fredericktown.

Potosi 7, Clearwater 0

FREDERICKTOWN – Devon Brawley struck out four, allowed three hits and three walks, and twirled a six-inning shutout to lift Potosi past Clearwater 7-0 in Fredericktown Wood Bat Showcase pool play.

Bailey Crump crushed a three-run home run in the fourth inning to total four RBI. Noah Jacobsen added a two-run blast in the sixth while going 3-for-4 with three RBI for the Trojans.

Garrett Wilkinson was 2-for-2 with a double and walk, while Brendan Hovis and Ethan Dicus had infield hits. Jacobsen put Potosi in front 1-0 with an RBI single in the opening frame.

Brawley worked around an error in the fifth, but was also helped by his defense with a double play that erased a walk in the second inning.

Losing pitcher Trey Rivas ripped a two-out double in the first inning, but the Trojans cut down Jesse Holmes – who was 2-for-3 offensively – at home plate in a collision.

Potosi 6, East Carter 4

FREDERICKTOWN – Ryan Coleman launched a tiebreaking home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Potosi outlasted East Carter to take first place in its pool.

Noah Jacobsen provided a key two-run triple later in the frame after a fly ball was dropped, and also singled twice to finish 3-for-4.

Brendan Hovis allowed one run in two innings of relief for the win after Landon Bone got through the fourth surrendering three tallies on 10 hits with eight strikeouts.

Jake Andrews and Matt McClean had RBI hits for East Carter (8-5), which grabbed an early 3-0 lead. Dalton Rudd blasted a solo home run, doubled twice and was 3-for-3.

Devon Brawley picked up an RBI single, and Bone looped a tying hit during the Potosi third. Bailey Crump finished 2-for-3, and Ethan Dicus contributed a double and RBI.

Potosi (9-7) will face West County for the tournament title on Saturday.

Arcadia Valley 1, Saxony Lutheran 0

JACKSON, Mo. – Isaiah Gibbs dominated Saxony Lutheran for a 2-hit, complete-game shutout, and Arcadia Valley emerged with a narrow 1-0 road victory.

Trent Russell supplied the lone RBI of the contest for the Tigers with a sacrifice fly that scored Corbin Rea in the top of the third inning.

Gibbs compiled eight strikeouts through seven innings with just one walk, and threw 63 of his 92 total pitches for strikes. He also paced the offense by going 2-for-2.

Kyle Helms, Stephen Pursley and Rea each singled for Arcadia Valley (9-5).

Joey Steinmetz, pictured during a game earlier this week, and the West County baseball team will play in the Fredericktown Wood Bat championship game on Saturday after notching pool victories over Jefferson and the host squad.