Moniteau’s PIAA baseball playoff run ends against defending champion Bald Eagle in quarterfinals
DUBOIS — The fifth and sixth innings likely felt like an eternity for Moniteau.
Warriors pitchers Dawson Cook, Connor Ealy and Ian Ross needed a combined 84 offerings to get through those frames Thursday as Bald Eagle tacked eight runs onto DuBois’ Showers Field scoreboard.
The two frames toppled Moniteau in a 10-1 PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal baseball playoff loss to the defending state champion Eagles.
“It just came down to we didn’t execute, we didn’t throw strikes when we needed to throw strikes, we didn’t make plays when we needed to make plays,” Ealy said. “The bats weren’t going. They’re a great team. They won it last year for a reason.”
The Warriors (13-9-1) trailed by a run entering the home half of the fifth. Cook walked Bald Eagle’s Kahale Burns on five pitches, Gavin Burns singled and Tayten Yoder followed suit to drive in the lead-off man. At 85 pitches, Cook then gave way to Ealy.
“It was definitely getting tired,” Cook said of his arm at that juncture. “I’ve thrown a lot this year.”
Ealy admittedly didn’t possess his best command. The junior fired 52 pitches, 27 of which were balls. He walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, then gave another free pass to let Burns across. Right after, Kaden Burns made it 5-1 with a sacrifice fly.
“I can definitely blame myself for a little bit,” Ealy said. “I’ve got a great defense behind me, but I just couldn’t find the zone today.”
The Eagles (23-2) had an inconsequential lead-off hit in each of the first two innings before breaking through in the third inning with a double steal where Cook tried to throw out a runner stealing second only for the runner at third to get home safely ahead of a throw from second. Still, they hadn’t yet opened the floodgates like they’d wanted.
“I think it took once or twice through the lineup before our guys started to see the ball,” Bald Eagle coach Jim Gardner said. “Their pitcher (Cook) was doing a nice job with us and it was a little frustrating for us the first time through the lineup. That’s kind of the way we are.
“We kind of just grind it out, grind it out, and then finally have a big inning and put some runs on the board there.”
Moniteau’s lone run came after Dawson Wallace singled to lead off the top fourth. Two pitches later, he stole second as the backstop’s throw went wide. Center fielder Camron Watkins scooped it up in the outfield and launched it toward third, where it sailed over the Warriors dugout.
“That was one of the more ugly things I’ve seen out of our ball team ever,” Gardner said. “It just got crazy there a little bit.”
“Usually, when we strike first, we know we’re going to be alright,” Ealy said. “But that’s a thing we’ve had trouble with is bouncing back after we’ve gotten down. We just couldn’t do it today.”
Moniteau went down in order in just eight pitches before the Eagles batted around in the sixth, notching a pair of hits and working three walks.
“Most of this team was the state championship team last year,” Gardner said. “We play a lot of a bigger-school schedule — and we always have — in hopes that it makes us better. … We’ll play 5A, 6A teams and compete with them, so when it comes to a playoff setting with schools our size we believe it gives us an edge."
Moniteau 000 100 0 — 1 3 2
Bald Eagle 001 135 x — 10 10 1
W: Weston McClain 7 IP (8K, 1BB). L: Dawson Cook 4IP (1K, 1BB).
Moniteau (13-9-1): Dawson Wallace 1B R, Keagan Book 2B, James Gillen 1B
Bald Eagle (23-2): Kahale Burns 2B 1B 2R, Gavin Burns 2-1B 2R, Tayten Yoder 3B 1B 3RBI 2R, Carson Nagle R, Brayden Dubbs 2-1B RBI R, Kaden Burns 1B 3RBI R, Weston McClain 2B, Camron Watkins R
