REPEAT DISTRICT CHAMPS: Bernie rallies past defending state baseball champion Cooter 3-2

MALDEN, Mo. - Bernie No. 5 hitter Owen Foster waited for the pitch he wanted and got it Thursday night in the Class 2, District 1 championship against defending state champion Cooter.

Foster stepped to the plate looking for a curveball with runners at first and second base with two outs in the top of the sixth inning and his team trailing Cooter 2-1.

"I saw them intentionally walk Brock to first base and then coach called me over and said 'get a pitch you can hit and drive it,'" Foster said of his sixth-inning at-bat. "I knew he had been throwing me breaking ball after breaking and I kept missing it outside . . . He had me at 1-1 and I was kind of thinking curveball because he kept getting me off-balance with it."

Foster got a curveball that caught enough of the plate he could reach it on the 1-1 count and hammered it to right center past the Cooter outfielders. Both runners already on base scored on the play to put Bernie on top 3-2 as Foster raced all the way to third base after connecting.

Starting pitcher Devin Trammell pitched hitless baseball after Foster's game-winning hit allowing the second-seeded Bernie Mules to escape with a 3-2 victory against the top-seeded Cooter Wildcats.

"It's a great feeling," Bernie coach Darrin Shipman said of his program's second straight district title. "Because we beat just a tremendous program over there. They are so good. I'm just proud of my kids. McLevain was so tough and had a ton of strikeouts. I told my kids 'we've just got to keep grinding and give ourselves a chance.'"

Neither team led by more than one in the pitcher's duel between two senior hurlers.

Bernie jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Austin Beck led off the game with a triple and Trammell drove Beck home with a sacrifice fly.

Cooter responded with its first run in the bottom of the first inning when Riley Hickerson collected a two-out single and scored when the next hitter Chase Evans also recorded a hit.

Cooter moved ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning when Riley Maddox drew a leadoff walk, took second base and the next hitter Cole Crowder hit an RBI single to the outfield.

Neither team threatened again until the bottom of the fifth inning when Cooter had a runner thrown out at home plate on a 9-3-2-6 double play. The scoring opportunity developed after Tyler McLevain and Tyler Battles collected consecutive hits. Cooter attempted to score the runner already on base on the ball Battles' hit to right field, but Bernie threw the runner out at home and then threw Battles out as he attempted to advance to second base on the same play.

"We hit the cutoff man, he made an excellent relay home and we made a good tag," Shipman said of the inning-ending double play. "Gavin then had the presence about him to not quit on the play and gun a runner out going to second. That's a freshman that has just grown so much this year as a catcher. It was a great play, the kids got fired up about it and I think it carried over."

The next half inning Bernie moved ahead for good after Matt Vernon collected a one-out single, advanced to second on a stolen base with two outs in the frame, Cooter walked Brock Beacham intentionally and Foster followed with a game-winning hit to right field.

"He's one of those guys that comes in every morning and hits and he deserves a great moment like that," Shipman said of Foster.

Trammell allowed five hits, walked three and struck out 11 as he secured a complete-game victory on the hill.

"I knew it was going to be a hard one," Trammell said. "I came out bringing my A game. He's a great pitcher and it's a pretty awesome win."

Shipman added: "He's such a competitor. Sometimes he gets a little frustrated when we don't execute, but he's such a competitor. All day long he said. 'coach I'm going to do a good job tonight.' He just kept saying it. He competes so hard and that's a tremendous club he held to a couple of runs."

McLevain suffered a complete-game loss in his final outing for the Cooter Wildcats. He struck out the side in three different innings and at one time recorded seven straight strikeouts on his way to a 12-strikeout performance. He allowed just four hits.

Bernie (22-5) will host East Carter County in a Class 2 state sectional Monday. The starting time of the playoff was not available at press deadline. East Carter County beat Neelyville 10-0 in its district championship Thursday.

". . . That was just a great game," Trammell said. "I'm so pumped about it. I'm ready to go out there and try to go all the way."

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com The Bernie baseball team with its first-place plaque Thursday night at Malden after it beat Cooter 3-2 in the Class 2, District 1 title game.

No. 2 Bernie 3, No 1 Cooter 2

BHS 100 002 0 - 3 4 1

CHS 120 000 0 - 2 5 0

WP - Devin Trammell. LP - Tyler McLevain. 3B - Austin Beck (B), Owen Foster (B). Multiple hits - Bernie: Matt Vernon 2-2.