Reported by Jack Witthaus

Anything you can do I can do better seemed fitting for the South Callaway Bulldogs as they edged out the Valle Central Warriors in a tight, 4-3 game for the Class 2 Championship.

The game started in a stalemate for the first three innings, as Bulldogs starting pitcher Smith Kemper and Warriors starting pitcher Alex Rollhaus kept hitters quiet.

The scoreless game was broken in the top of the fourth when Kemper actually helped himself out. The pitcher roped a double into right-center field, scoring right fielder Bradley Smart. The No. 6 hitting Kemper went three for four on the day with two singles.

Going into the bottom half of the frame, Kemper had retired eight of nine hitters on ground balls. However, third baseman Mitchell Williams booted Valle Central's Thomas Hermann's ground ball that allowed Hermann to reach second. Rollhaus responded to Kemper's RBI with an RBI himself that squirted between the shortstop and third baseman.

With the scored tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out. Smart drilled a base hit to Catholic's third baseman Andrew Basler that dribbled into foul territory and scored a run. Basler redeemed himself on the next batter by snagging a low drive and stepping on third for a double play.

Catholic didn't respond in the bottom of the fifth. With a 2-1 lead in the sixth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases again, but this time experienced better results. Five-foot-five freshman second baseman Dax Hesel knocked a single into right-center field driving home two. But Hesel was thrown out attempting to take second base.

"I just wanted to get on base and move (the runners) over," Hesel said with dirt streaked over his uniform.

However, the Warriors weren't fazed. Again in the bottom of the frame, Valle Catholic battled back, scoring two runs. Second baseman Tyler Litterest drove center fielder Justin Roth home on a single in a bases loaded situation. With the ducks still on the pond, left fielder Evan Lauer was drilled, bringing home Hermann.

The Bulldogs sucked the life out of the Warriors' rally when first baseman Jason Kimminau dove to his right and caught a line drive to end the inning.

"Our defense did a heck of a job too," Bulldogs head coach Jared Wood said. "They didn't make a lot of mistakes. We knew that if we could do that, our chances would be really good."                              

Kemper, the winning pitcher, went six innings, gave up four hits, and induced 15 ground ball outs.                                                                                                                                                               
After Rollhaus held the Bulldog hitters scoreless in the seventh, it was up to South Callaway's closer Hunter Leeper to finish the game. With two outs, Leeper walked shortstop Alec Greminger. However, Leeper stayed strong and got Roth to pop out and end the game.

"(I just wanted to) throw strikes and stay low," Leeper said. "I was definitely nervous. I tried to keep it together as much as I could with all the emotions and the fans going crazy. But we got it done."

The State championship was rookie Coach Wood's first ever.

"The feeling I have right now, I have never had before and I hope I have it again for sure," Wood said. "I mean, it's unbelievable."