Ozark's unlikely run continues with a trip to the Final Four
May 27, 2011
By Mike Rosenbaum
WENTZVILLE ? In this season?s Annual Ozarks Baseball Preview, Ozark High School?s Michael Headlee offered a confident prediction: ?This year I think we have a chance to be great. We are working hard in the offseason, and I think we are going to surprise some teams.?
On Thursday afternoon, the Tigers (22-5) validated the senior?s preseason prognostication by surging past Timberland (19-11) and into the Class 4 semifinals.
The road to the quarterfinals had not exactly been easy for either team. To win the Class 4, District 9 Championship last week, Timberland upset No. 2 Rock Bridge in a grueling, extra-inning contest. Ozark similarly knocked off one of the state?s top teams when they upended No. 4 Webb City, 6-1, in Sectional play on Tuesday.
But on Thursday, there was no underdog; just a battle between two red-hot teams hoping to extend their spectacular, postseason run and secure a birth in the state semifinals.
After a scoreless first inning, Ozark took the lead in the bottom of the second. Kyle Jochems got things started with an RBI double to right-center, and advanced to third on a bunt single by Cody Holzer. Even though the Tigers? next hitter, Hayden Stancer, grounded into a double play, it allowed Jochems to score and gave them an early 1-0 lead. As it would turn out, the Tigers bats were merely heating up.
In the bottom of the second, Ozark exploded for four runs thanks to a pair of hit batsmen and several timely hits. After Sawyer Alderson and Andy Westfall were both hit by a pitch with one out, Headlee roped a two-run double to the left-centerfield fence to extend Ozark?s lead to 3-0. Following a walk to Blake Martin, Jochems plated a run with single and Stancer delivered an RBI single.
Even after the big inning, the Tigers? offense refused to let up, scoring one run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings in their route of Timberland. In the fourth, an RBI knock by Westfall plated James Oslica, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Stencer delivered his second run-scoring single of the game in the fifth, while Headlee drove in Ozark?s final run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Although Timberland would push across a run in their final at-bat on a throwing error, Ozark?s lead was ultimately insurmountable.
Cody Helzer held the Wolves? bats at bay on Thursday, allowing three hits over five shutout innings to pick up the win. Using a well-located fastball and sharp, 12-to-6 curveball, the right-hander struck out two without issuing a walk. More importantly, he induced 10 groundball outs and only two fly outs. The senior would have thrown the sixth (and possibly the seventh) had a come-backer from Ryan Bainbridge not drilled him in the foot with one out in the fifth.
?I felt confident today,? Holzer said about his outing. ?I just threw my pitches and hit my spots and really just tried to get people out.?
?It feels great getting the win because you know that you did what you needed to do,? the senior added. ?Our offense stepped up and helped me out, and so did the defense.?
?Cody threw well and our defense did a nice job, and we had some timely hitting with two outs,? said Ozark coach Mike Essick. ?That?s kind of been our trademark?we?ve just been awed.?
Westfall moved from shortstop to the bump to finish Helzer?s gem and allowed one hit over the final two innings.
Several players turned in big performances at the plate for the Tigers: Headlee finished the game 1-for-4 with a double and three RBI; Jochems finished 2-for-4 with a double and RBI; and Stancer was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Westfall was also 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Martin and Oslica each collected a hit and scored two runs.
?I?m not going to tell you that we?re that good, but we?re playing well right now,? noted a humble Essick after the game. ?We were 5-5 to start the season and it?s all just changed. They?re playing well?there?s really nothing you can say.?
?Coach told us that if we come out and give it our best effort and play our hearts out, we?ll be there in the end,? reflected Headlee, who apparently possesses impeccable foresight. ?We?re just that kind of team.?
After tossing seven innings of three-hit ball against No. 2 Rock Bridge last week, Shane Cooper struggled to find a similar groove in his second start of the season on Thursday. The talented sophomore was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs on five hits over three innings. The right-hander fanned three, walked one and hit two batters.
Kyle Fletcher, Paul Semore, Clay Miller and David Masters each collected a hit for Timberland in the loss.
Ozark will face Liberty in the State Semifinals on Friday, June 3. The game will be played at Meador Park in Springfield, Missouri at 1:00 pm.
With a potential trip to the state finals only a win away, Essick?s message for his team was both simple and sincere: ?First off, I want them to enjoy it; it doesn?t happen often. This is only my fourth trip to the semifinals in 17 years. Come Monday we?re going to get back to business because it?s out there for someone to win and we?re as hot as anybody, so why not it be us??