The Sedalia Bombers won their third MINK League South Division title in four years on Thursday, and this one was by far the most improbable. With nine games left in the season, the Bombers were below .500 and in third place.
After an 8-1 stretch, which included a season-best five-game winning streak and their current three-game streak, the Bombers (23-19) won the division outright when Ozark (21-20) lost 2-1 in seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday at Joplin.
kAm%96 82>6 H2D 5625=@4<65 2E ` 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 D6G6?E9 H96? yFDE:? %C6646’D D:?8=6 @77 ~K2C< C6=:6G6C y24@3 (@@5D A=2E65 !2EC:4< sC2<6 7@C E96 H:??:?8 CF?] xE D6E @77 46=63C2E:@?D :? E96 y@A=:? 5F8@FE 2?5 2E 9@FD69@=5D E9C@F89@FE $652=:2 E92E H6C6 7@==@H:?8 E96 82>6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^!@:?EDEC62<]4@>Qm!@:?EDEC62<]4@>k^2m[ :?4=F5:?8 q@>36CD’ >2?286C yF5 z:?5=6’D 9@FD6]k^Am
kAm“(6 2== 7@==@H65 :E @? @?6 4@>AFE6C 2?5 925 2 32C364F6[” z:?5=6 D2:5 @7 9:D E62>] “(6 5:5?’E 92G6 E@ 42== 2?J@?6 WE@ DAC625 E96 H@C5 @7 E96 5:G:D:@? E:E=6X[ E96J H6C6 2== 96C6]”k^Am
kAm&?E:= E96 q@>36CD’ e\c H:? @G6C ~K2C< @? (65?6D52J 2E {:36CEJ !2C< $E25:F>[ $652=:2 925?’E 366? 2=@?6 :? 7:CDE A=246 2== D62D@?] %96 E62>’D C67FD2= E@ 8:G6 FA >256 E9:D E:E=6 DE2?5 @FE]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E9:D @?6 :D E96 >@DE DA64:2=[” z:?5=6 D2:5] “pD 2 =628F6[ :E H2D E96 E@F896DE J62C] (6 H6C6 C62==J 32=2?465 :7 J@F =@@< 2E 6G6CJ3@5J’D C64@C5]”k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 bb 82>6D[ E96 q@>36CD 925 2==@H65 d]bb CF?D A6C 82>6 H9:=6 D4@C:?8 c]be CF?D A6C 82>6] x? E96:C =2DE ?:?6 82>6D[ E96J @FED4@C65 @AA@?6?ED dc\aa[ D4@C:?8 e]fd CF?D A6C 82>6 2?5 2==@H:?8 a]cc]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2? 2>2K:?8 E9:?8[” z:?5=6 D2:5] “~FC 8FJD C62==J AFE :E E@86E96C 2E E96 6?5] $E2CE:?8 H:E9 E96 r=2C:?52 82>6 W2 h\b H:? @? %F6D52JX H96? H6 H6?E `b :??:?8D] (6 8@E 8C62E A:E49:?8 3J vC64< W#@36CE vC64@X[ WqC:2?X r2CC 2?5 W|:4926=X vF??] %92E H2D E96 3:886DE 82>6 7@C FD] %96? W(65?6D52JX ?:89E[ H6 DE2CE65 D=@AAJ 2?5 4=62?65 FA @FC 82>6 =2E6]k^Am
kAm“%96J ;FDE DE2CE65 A=2J:?8 36EE6C E@86E96C 2D 2 E62>[” z:?5=6 D2:5 @7 E96 q@>36CD’ CF? E@ E96 E:E=6] “(6 8@E 2H2J 7C@> ECJ:?8 E@ 42E49 FA H:E9 D@>63@5J 2?5 8@E 324< E@ 7@4FD:?8 @? A=2J:?8 8@@5 32D632==] (6’C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ >6D9 C62==J 8@@5 @77 E96 7:6=5 E@86E96C]”k^Am
kAm%96 q@>36CD H:== @A6? FA E96 36DE\@7\E9C66 |x}z {628F6 r92>A:@?D9:A $6C:6D @? uC:52J 2E {:36CEJ !2C< $E25:F> 282:?DE }@CE9 s:G:D:@? 492>A:@? $E] y@D6A9] p=E9@F89 E96 |FDE2?8D Wae\`eX 925 E96 36DE C64@C5 :? E96 =628F6 E9:D J62C[ E96J 2C6?’E 2D 5@>:?2?E 2D =2DE J62C’D bc\`_ DBF25 E92E 362E }6G252 :? E96 492>A:@?D9:A D6C:6D]k^Am
kAm$652=:2[ 92G:?8 8@?6 b\b 282:?DE $E] y@D6A9 E9:D J62C[ :D?’E :?E:>:52E65]k^Am
kAm“x’> 3=6DD65 E@ 36 :? E96 D6C:6D C:89E ?@H[” z:?5=6 D2:5] “(6 92G6 2 8@@5 D9@E]”k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 |FDE2?8D H@? @?=J 7@FC @7 E96:C =2DE `_ 82>6D[ E96J 4=:?4965 E96 E:E=6 2 H66< 28@ 2?5 H6C6 23=6 E@ D6E E96:C A:E49:?8 C@E2E:@?] %96 q@>36CD H:== D6?5 pFDE:? u2F=4@?6C W`\`[ a]ad t#pX E@ E@6 E96 D=23 7@C @?=J 9:D E9:C5 DE2CE @7 E96 D62D@? @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 2 8@@5 4@>A6E:E@C[ 2?5 H6’== DE2?5 2 8@@5 492?46[” z:?5=6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmz:?5=6 A=2?D E@ DE2CE y@9? |:=6D Wb\`[ b]ac t#pX @? $2EFC52J 2E $E] y@D6A9[ 2?5 :7 2 v2>6 b :D ?646DD2CJ @? $F?52J[ 96’== 8:G6 E96 32== E@ vC64@ Wc\_[ a]ca t#pX[ H9@ A:E4965 2 ?@?\=628F6 ?@\9:EE6C 282:?DE E96 z2?D2D r:EJ |@?2C49D E9:D D62D@?] }@C>2==J 2 DE2CE6C[ r2CC Wa\a[ `]_c t#pX H:== 36 2G2:=23=6 @FE @7 E96 3F==A6?] ~E96C E92? (65?6D52J’D H:??6C tE92? ~AD29= Wc\_[ `]hb t#pX — H9@ 4@F=5 A:E49 2? :??:?8 @C EH@ :7 ?66565 — E96 DE277 H:== 36 7C6D9]k^Am
kAmpE E96 5:D9 — 2=E9@F89 E96 q@>36CD 925 2 A@H6C @FE286 2== D62D@?[ H:E9 @?=J D:I =@?832==D — E96 32=2?465 =:?6FA 92D 7@F?5 H2JD E@ D4@C6 CF?D 2D @7 =2E6] $652=:2 92D 7@FC A=2J6CD 32EE:?8 2E =62DE ]b__ @? E96 D62D@?[ :?4=F5:?8 r2CC W]bbfX[ %C2G:D |4r@>24< W]b`dX 2?5 zJ=6 w2C5J W]b__X]k^Am
kAm!:6C46 q:=J W]b`bX =67E E96 E62> E@ 8@ @? 2 42>AFD G:D:E E@ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 %6??6DD66[ 3FE E96 C6DE @7 E96 C@DE6C :D :?E24E 7@C E96 492>A:@?D9:A D6C:6D 2?5 E96 }2E:@?2= q2D632== r@?8C6DD (@C=5 $6C:6D[ 7@C H9:49 E96 q@>36CD 62C?65 2 DA@E 3J H:??:?8 E96 5:G:D:@?]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ3@5J’D 962=E9Jj H6’C6 7:?2==J 9:EE:?8[” z:?5=6 D2:5] “pD 4@>A6E:E:G6 2D E96 =628F6 H2D[ ;FDE E@ 36 23@G6 ]d__ H2D 2? 244@>A=:D9>6?E] xE’D 2 8@@5 E:>6 E@ 36 A=2J:?8 @FC 36DE]”k^Am
