Warriors comeback attempt ended late by Marysville in first round play
Sports reporter
After spotting the Marysville Bulldogs five runs in the first inning Monday in the first round of the Chapman regional, the Marion-Florence/Peabody-Burns Warriors made a comeback, but eventually fell 11-4 to the number one seed.
MFPB went into the game without three starters and it showed early.
After going 1-2-3 in the top half of the first inning, the Warriors gave up five runs in the bottom of the inning. Two more RBI-singles in the bottom of the second pushed the lead to 7-0. All the confidence and swagger belonged to Marysville, and MFPB looked ready to pack its bags and go home. But even with seniors Cody Weerts and Derek Benson out of town on a senior trip, and Clayton Garnica out with an injury, the Warriors did not back down.
The eight seed made their run in the top of the third when sophomore Chase Williams, starting at first for Garnica, singled to right. Leadoff batter David DeForest then flew out to left for the second out of the inning, and it looked like the inning would end without a run. However, the luck finally began to take the side of MFPB.
Second baseman Clinton Jeffrey hit the ball just outside of home plate as the Bulldogs catcher picked it up and had an easy play to first for the third out. Instead he went to second, but Williams beat the throw. With new life, Calvin Jeffrey came up and blooped a singled to left that score Clinton Jeffrey and Williams for their first runs of the game.
The Warriors weren't done as Aaron Burnett and Zan Fine followed with RBI-singles, before Matt Thierolf flew out to end the inning. After pitcher Todd Woodruff kept the Bulldogs from scoring in the third, MFPB came out swinging again in the fourth.
Preston Williams led off the inning with a single, but was thrown out at second on a Woodruff bunt. Chase Williams then hit a grounder to third, that the Bulldogs threw into right field, giving the Warriors first and third with just one out. Despite being poised to score another run, the Marysville defense stepped up again. DeForest then smashed a one-hopper to shortstop that was turned into a 6-4-3 double play, the second one the Warriors had hit in in the last three innings.
Woodruff set down the Bulldogs 1-2-3 with the help of two backhand plays by Calvin Jeffrey at shortstop, the second nipping the Bulldog runner by half of a step. Looking to score again, the Warriors bats went silent in the fifth after Clinton Jeffrey led off with a walk. A new pitcher stuck out the side to strand Jeffrey at first, and keep the score at 7-4. With two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Marysville scored two runs on a MFPB error to up the lead to 9-4.
The momentum that had swung in favor of the Warriors, had worked its way back to the side of the Bulldogs. Burnett would throw out a runner trying to steal third to end the inning, but the lead was now five. The Bulldogs allowed a one-out single to Woodruff, but struck out the side again in the sixth, keeping the score 9-4.
Three Warriors' errors contributed to two more Bulldog runs in the bottom of the inning, as the lead increased to 1-4. Calvin Jeffrey, who had committed two errors in the game, made another incredible backhand play to end the inning. The damage had been done however, with the Warriors down to their final three outs.
Clinton Jeffrey ended his career with a one-out single, but Calvin Jeffrey struck out and Zan Fine grounded out to third to end the game. MFPB ended the season 2-17, just one year after missing the state playoffs by just one run.
