By Rob Patrick
After Nederland, Texas, had shut out each of its first two opponents, most were expecting the East Texas champion to keep winning right on up to the championship round.
But the Fort Smith Church League All-Stars didn't get the memo.[more]
Fort Smith scored 10 runs over the first three innings while Spencer McClure and Jonathan Smith turned the tables on Nederland with four shutout innings on the way to a 14-4 victory that vaulted Fort Smith into the winners bracket final against White Hall on Monday afternoon at 2:30.
The Fort Smith pitching duo had been stingy in their own right when they combined on a one-hit shutout of Tri-County, the South Texas champions, on Friday.
Nederland gamely rallied with four runs in the top of the fifth only to have Fort Smith get those runs back in the bottom of the fifth to make it a stunning run-rule victory.
McClure added to his two perfect innings on the mound with three doubles, a walk, four runs scored and three batted in. Will Harris, Cole Teague and Max Schaffer added two hits each and Smith knocked in three with a pair of doubles.
The loss sent Nederland into an elimination game against Bryant, which it had edged 2-0 to open the tournament on Friday.
Patience paid for Fort Smith in the first inning. Walks were issued to Seth Youngblood, McClure and Cole Teague to load the bases with one out. Schaffer pulled a single into left and two runs scored. Smith's two-run double made it 4-0 then Joe Presley greeted a new pitcher with a base hit that brought Smith in for a 5-0 lead.
In the second, Harris singled and McClure and Teague belted consecutive doubeles to force another pitching change. Again the new hurler was greeted by a hit. Schaffer blooped a single to right to get Teague to third. Smith's grounder to short got the run in, making it 8-0.
Nederland managed its first base-runner in the third when Mitchell Sanderson was hit by a pitch but he was forced at second on a grounder by Michael Shaw and Smith proceeded to retire the next two to leave him stranded.
Fort Smith added two to its lead in the third. McClure doubled in Youngblood, who had walked and swiped second. Teague followed with an RBI single to left but was thrown out trying to get to second on the play, drawing a throw that allowed McClure to score the 10th run.
Nederland loaded the bases in the top of the fourth. Kanton Richard and Adam Sampere were hit by pitches on either side of a double by Korbin Stampley. With the bases loaded, however, Smith struck out Seth Barrow and Sanderson to keep it 10-0.
Youngblood relieved in the fifth and Nederland rallied. An infield hit by Shaw got things going. Zach Taylor was hit by a pitch and Justin Sperl walked to load the bases. Carson Raines singled in one run and another scored when Fort Smith turned a doubleplay. Sperl scored on a wild pitch and, moments later, Stampley scored when Sampere reached on an error, making it 10-4.
Fort Smith, however, went back to work with the bats in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Youngblood and Parker Johnson singled. McClure's third two-bagger brought in a run. Another scored on a passed ball and McClure came home on an error as Teague reached. Zach Myers walked and, after a fourth Nederland pitcher entered, Smith ended the game with a long double to center.
