Semoball

Cooter baseball team improves to 12-1, claims top prize at Stoutland Tournament

PROVIDED PHOTO
Pictured is the Cooter baseball program with its first-place plaque at the Stoutland Tournament Saturday.

STOUTLAND, Mo. - Fresh off a third-place finish in the Class 1 state playoffs in June the Cooter Wildcats baseball program is enjoying continued success in its fall campaign.

Cooter capped off a perfect 6-0 week Saturday night when it took home the top prize at the Stoutland baseball tournament in Southwest Missouri.

“We are playing pretty good right now and have some young guys contributing,” Cooter coach David Mathis said. “We’ve got six or seven guys back from last year and we are getting better. Our pitchers are throwing strikes. We are still trying to develop the hitters at the bottom part of our lineup but they are coming in and doing their jobs. We are pretty proud of their work ethic so far.”

Cooter’s most recent success started when it beat Stoutland 19-1 in a quarterfinal of its own tournament Friday.

The Wildcats scored multiple runs in every inning against Stoutland, including five in the top of the first frame. Jacob Watkins and Hayes Austin both tallied four RBI for Cooter. Luke Perkins allowed one run in a three-inning start on the hill before Bryson Plunkett pitched a scoreless fourth frame for the Wildcats.

“We jumped out on Stoutland early,” Mathis said. “Their pitching wasn’t really strong. We hit the ball really well and pitched really well.”

Cooter qualified for the championship later Friday night when it edged Vienna 1-0 in a semifinal. Preston Hatch collected an RBI single in the top of the second inning to account for Cooter’s only run. Lane McLevain took care of the rest on the hill, allowing only one hit in seven innings of work.

“Lane threw a 70-pitch complete game,” Mathis said. “He gave up a hit in the first inning and didn’t allow another one after that. They put the ball in play but our defense was pretty good behind him.”

Cooter’s hot hitting returned Saturday as it beat Licking 18-7 in the title game of the tournament. The championship was tied 1-1 after two innings before Cooter scored five runs in the top of the third inning to move ahead 6-1 and led by at least five runs the rest of the way.

Six Cooter hitters collected multiple hits against Licking. Hayden Nazarenus was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs, McLevain was 2 for 5, Watkins was 3 for 5 with three RBIs, Austin was 2 for 4 with one RBI, Chris Crowder was 3 for 5 with one RBI, and Layton Robinson was 3 for 3 with two RBIs. Hatch also recorded three RBIs without a hit.

Hatch allowed three runs (two earned) in a five-inning start against Licking. Robinson relieved Hatch and pitched the final two innings. He allowed four unearned runs.

“We didn’t play very well defensively but we hit it well,” Mathis said of the championship. “Our pitchers were pretty good also. We just keep sending different guys out there and they are all finding a way to throw strikes."

Watkins finished the tournament 8 for 11 with two triples and a double. He collected seven RBIs.

“Jacob Watkins is unconscious right now at the plate,” Mathis said. “He’s hitting over .600 this fall."

Cooter (12-1) won’t have much time to celebrate its success. The Wildcats have seven games scheduled this week. Cooter hosts Meridian Monday, hosts Advance Tuesday, plays at defending Class 2 state champion Ellington Wednesday, hosts Holcomb Thursday, hosts Senath-Hornersville Friday, and plays Twin Rivers and South Pemiscot in a doubleheader Saturday.

“We’ve got seven games in six days coming,” Mathis said. “So we will see how good we are. I think playing every day is helping us big time. We’ve put in everything we need to put in at practice and we are just wanting to go at it right now.”

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: