That’s Baseball

That’s Baseball

The Game

“That’s baseball” is usually said when the game stops making sense.

Tuesday’s Class 3 State Sectional between Jefferson and Valley Park became exactly that kind of game.

For six innings, Valley Park had control. The Hawks scored early, Luke Geary homered in the third, and by the fifth, Valley Park led 3-0. On the mound, Geary was even better. Through six innings, he held Jefferson scoreless on two hits, struck out nine, and walked nobody.

The story looked finished.

Then the seventh started.

The Turn

Jefferson was down to its final two outs when Bo Davis launched a line-drive home run to left, cutting the lead to 3-1.

Geary nearly reaching his pitch limit, Blake Whitney entered and hit the first two batters he faced. That brought Blake Hampton to the plate with two outs and Jefferson down to its final strike.

Hampton delivered.

His double into left-center made it 3-2 and put the tying run at third.

Then Jack Klump stepped in.

Again, Jefferson was down to its final strike.

Again, Jefferson answered.

Klump lined a ball into left, it got by the outfielder, and two runs scored. Just like that, Jefferson led 4-3.

The Finish

Valley Park still had one last push.

The Hawks loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, putting the tying run 90 feet away. Matt Wood got a popout to catcher Parker Taylor, then faced Geary with the game on the line.

Geary got a pitch up and took his swing.

For one second, everyone looked skyward.

Then Wood settled under it.

Game over.

Jefferson 4, Valley Park 3.

The Devoted Take

Valley Park was excellent. Geary was dominant. For most of the afternoon, the Hawks looked like the team moving on.

But high school baseball gives you 21 outs, and Jefferson used every inch of them.

Down to its final strike three different times, the Blue Jays did not fold. They answered. Now Jefferson is 22-4, owns the best record in school history, and moves on to face 33-1 Scott City in the Class 3 State Quarterfinal.

Unbelievable?

Maybe.

But there is a simpler phrase for it.

That’s baseball.