EDITED WITH RESULTS OF AVA GAME
The Salem High baseball team won the South-Central Association (SCA) championship for the second straight year, when the Tigers blasted Thayer 10-1 in league play Thursday, May 1 at the Salem High Field.
Earlier in the week, in a battle of last year’s SCA co-champions, Salem clipped Mountain Grove 3-2 at Salem Monday, April 28. And Tuesday, April 29 the Tigers lost at Sullivan 11-1.
Salem enters this week with a 10-6-1 overall record and wrapped up SCA play at 6-1.
The Ava Bears enter the week 12-5 overall and 5-1 in the conference – the one league loss coming to Salem 2-1 April 7. Ava beat Willow Springs 9-1 Tuesday, meaning the Ava Bears and Tigers share the crown. Willow Springs handed Salem its lone conference loss, 5-4 April 16.
“It was something we talked about coming into the season, being able to win again,” said Salem head coach Tony Edwards. “These guys are resilient, and that is what it takes.
“This is huge for us. It’s been a season of ups and downs. You lose four starting infielders to graduation like we did, you knew it would be a little of a learning curve for us. I’ve got to tip my hat to these seniors.”
This week the Tigers wrap up regular-season play at West Plains Monday and hosting Cuba Tuesday (4:30 p.m.) before hosting the Salem Tournament Thursday through Saturday.
The Tigers are to compete in the Class 4 District 4 Tournament May 15-24 in St. Clair. The district seeding meeting was scheduled for Wednesday this week.
May 1 – SHS 10, Thayer 1: The Tigers repeated as SCA champs with strong pitching and hitting performances against Thayer. Senior Blake Edwards went the distance on the mound, firing a four-hitter, allowing one earned run on four hits and four walks while striking out 10 over seven innings.
Salem took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the third inning. The Tigers added two runs in the fourth and five in the sixth. Thayer’s run came in the third.
Senior Roy Stevens had a hit and drove in three runs for the Tigers while Edwards was 2-for-4 at the plate; senior Cayden Moody drove in two runs and scored one; seniors Bryar Bobbitt and Jaxon Raulston each had a hit, RBI and run; senior Kash Howard and sophomore Sylis DuBois each got a hit and run; junior Dannon Berry scored twice, and sophomore Brent Halinar, sophomore Ryan Halinar and freshman Lucas Christesen each scored a run. Salem stole four bases – three by DuBois and one by Christesen.
April 29 – Sullivan 11, SHS 1: In a battle of Class 4 District 4 rivals, the Sullivan Eagles posted a five-inning victory on the run rule. Sullivan got five runs in the bottom of the first inning, one in the second, two in the third and three in the fourth. Salem got its run in the third.
Salem was outhit 11-6 and committed three fielding errors.
Berry had two hits or the Tigers while senior Corby Ball had an RBI single; DuBois, Moody and Stevens all had a hit and Christesen scored the Tiger run.
Berry pitched three innings and Bobbitt one for Salem.
In three innings the Salem junior varsity team lost 12-2. Lundy had a two-run single for the Salem JV squad.
April 28 – SHS 3, Mtn. Grove 2: In the rematch of last year’s conference co-champs, Salem got single runs in the bottom of the second, fifth and sixth innings.
Mountain Grove opened the scoring with a run in the first inning on a wild pitch. The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, and it stayed that way until Stevens’ RBI single to centerfield tied the game 2-2 in the fifth inning. And in the sixth Blake Edwards scored the winning run on a two-base Mountain Grove error.
Edwards pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks while fanning five. Stevens threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed one hit and two walks while fanning four. Ball finished up with two innings pitched, giving up two hits and a walk.
Stevens had a double, single and RBI while Berry had a hit and scored a run; Bobbitt got a hit, and Ball and Edwards each scored a run.
“The win over Mountain Grove was huge,” Tony Edwards said. “But really, it dates back to the Mountain View Liberty game before that (April 24, a 6-5 win). In that game we were down by five runs going into the seventh before rallying with six consecutive hits. That confidence kind of carried over to the Mountain Grove game, being able to find a way to win…that was special.”
Mountain Grove won the junior varsity contest 20-2, outhitting Salem 10-0.
