Grosch, Eureka shut down Maryland Heights
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| Rick Graefe photo - Eureka starter Matthew Grosch pitched all seven innings in a 13-3 victory during Sunday's action in the American Legion District 10 postseason tournament held at Ellisville Athletic Association. |
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Playing in its first game of the tournament, Post 177 scored most of its runs late in winning 13-3 in seven innings. The victory put second-seeded Eureka (24-5) into the winner's bracket semifinal against Kirkwood (9-7) after Journal press time Tuesday at Ellisville. The winner of that game will take on the winner of Tuesday's late game between No. 1 Manchester (24-2) and No. 5 Crestwood (16-15), in the winners' bracket final at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at EAA.
Known for its slugging ways and being one of the top offensive teams in the District 10 North Division, Maryland Heights, the tournament's seventh seed and winner over Oakville in its opener, was slowed by a right-handed long drink of water.Eureka's Matthew Grosch pitched all seven innings and the 6-foot-4 18-year-old showcased pinpoint accuracy. He didn't have his best stuff early, but finally settled in and started locating his curveball.
"He comes out and throws strikes for the most part," Eureka coach Joe Fortner said. "I think he walked one guy today and that was because I told him to."
Grosch, like the team, had to push through to get the win. The victory improved Grosch to 7-1 on the season.
"This was the hottest its been all year, but we battled and we persevered," he said. "Our goal is to win it, obviously. I think we can do it, our coach thinks we can do it and we have a lot of confidence going into these games. We never got down on ourselves in this game."
Grosch and the rest of Post 177 hadn't played in about a week and it showed early on Sunday.
In the top of the first with two outs and first base empty, Blake O'Brian, Maryland Heights' best hitter, laced a full-count single to right to score John Earnest. Post 213 made it 2-0 when Aaron Dunlap worked Grosch long into the count before dropping a single into right that plated Patrick Grifford.
Eureka touched Maryland Heights starter Aaron Dunlap for a run in the third and a sacrifice fly scored Mitch Brasher in the fourth that made it 3-1 Maryland Heights. Eureka whittled the deficit to 3-2 on a full-count single by Nick Whelehon in the bottom half of the fourth.
Eureka tied the game in the fifth on an RBI single by slugger Matt Burton, who later scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly to right by Aaron VanKleeck to make it 4-3 Post 177.
After Grosch breezed through the sixth, Maryland Heights sent Brett Lauck to the hill and Eureka embraced the decision. With two on and two out, Burton smacked a first-pitch chopper down the third base line that plated Adam Flesner. Devon Myers then followed with an RBI single to right that scored Whelehon and made it 6-3 Eureka.
With runners at second and third, Craig Ross smashed a two-run single to right to end the four-run inning and make it 8-3.
"You just knew that they were going to start breaking through and getting those runs," Grosch said. "Luckily, it came in the end and we were able to get it done."
Eureka chased Lauck in the seventh when a hustling Flesner scored on a shallow single to right and Jimmy Taylor cracked an RBI single up the middle. Brasher took the bump in relief. Myers again came up with a big hit, lacing a screamer down the first base line that scored Taylor. With runners at first and third, Eureka pulled off a double steal and Kyle Breda scored from third to make it 12-3. VanKleeck ended the game with a walk-off single.
"When you get that first big hit, it kind of opens people up," Fortner said. "We hadn't played in close to a week and there is only so much you can do in practice to get ready for something like this. I knew once we got through some innings and our kids got some at-bats that the runs would come."
Maryland Heights dropped to 13-17 with the loss.
"We have to play the spoiler role and live to play another day," Post 213 coach B.J. Volz said. "Tonight was one of those games where we got lazy in the end. Eureka can hit the baseball, there's no doubt about that. I do feel that we got squeezed there a little bit by the umpire."
Kirkwood 9, Ballwin 7
In other action on Sunday, hurler Adam Radick went the distance, as Kirkwood downed Ballwin 9-7.
Kirkwood scored four runs in the first off the normally-solid Gianni Randazzo. Ballwin took a two-run lead with six runs in the top half of the second but squandered it away by giving up another four runs in the bottom half.
"Kirkwood took advantage of a couple of bad innings," Ballwin manager Ken Eckardt said. "We just couldn't string anything together."
Colton Baker pitched nicely in relief of Randazzo and Erik Fink also saw action on the hill for Ballwin, who will face Maryland Heights at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Heine Meine Field.
