Offensive outburst

The Sedalia junior Legion Post 642 overcame a rocky start to remain perfect in postseason play.

Sedalia beat Oak Grove 14-5 on Thursday in the first game of a best-of-three zone tournament series at Liberty Park Stadium. The second game was still under way at press time Thursday, but a full story from that game can be found on The Democrat’s Web site.

Post 642 surrendered five runs in the first inning and didn’t score until the third.

Sedalia held Oak Grove scoreless for the last six innings and exploded for 14 runs to blow the game open. Sedalia piled up 16 hits while Oak Grove finished with 10.

Sedalia’s starting pitcher Dylan Mays found himself in a jam after surrendering two walks and a single in the first inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, Oak Grove began to do damage at the plate.

Kyle Jones hit an infield single to score the first run. Landon Greggo followed with a single though the infield to score a run and an error in the outfield allowed an additional run to cross home. Vince Walrath provided Oak Grove its final two runs with a single to center field.

With the fifth run crossing the plate, Sedalia turned to Travis Tindell on the mound. Tindell delivered, drawing a 6-4-3 double play and a fly out with the first two batters he faced. Tindell went on to earn the win for Sedalia, consistently throwing strikes and making Oak Grove put the ball in play.

“Travis came in and did a heck of a job. He shut them out and didn’t give up anymore runs. We played fairly well defensively,” Sedalia coach Jeff Mays said.

Oak Grove started where it left off in its half of the second inning. Singles from Jackson Schniedersm, Cody Lucas and Jordan Oddo loaded the bases with one out. Sedalia capitalized on a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning without giving up any runs. Tindell fielded the hot grounder off the bat of Kyle Jones and hit catcher Dustin Broaddus for the force out. Broaddus then sent the ball down the first baseline to Mays for the third out.

Sedalia scored its first run in the third inning. Mays started off a series of singles with a line drive to center field. Broaddus followed with a single to the same spot. A grounder from designated hitter Hunter Bunker was too hot to handle, earning him an RBI single when Mays crossed the plate.

Sedalia tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. Tindell drew a leadoff walk and was moved over by a beautiful base hit bunt from Jacob Bush. Bush sent the ball down the third baseline and beat out the throw. Alex Lang then executed a perfect push bunt to load the bases with no outs. The opportunity was almost squandered by two consecutive infield flies.

Broaddus kept the rally going with a two-RBI double to score Tindell and Bush. Bunker then smashed a ball off of the right field wall to send Lang and Broaddus across the plate.

Sedalia’s fifth inning was almost a perfect recreaton of the fourth — only bigger. Post 642 scored seven runs on five hits.

Tindell reached base on another leadoff walk. Bush was hit by a pitch and advanced by another textbook bunt from Lang, leaving the bases loaded for the heart of Sedalia’s order.

With one out, Mays sent a pitch between the first and second baseman, scoring Tindell and Bush. A pitching change did not deter Sedalia’s offense. Broaddus singled to left for an RBI, scoring Lang. Bunker delivered big again with a two-run triple to deep right field.

Bunker then crossed the plate on a wild pitch and, with two outs, Smith drew a walk and stole second base. Tindell, at his second trip to the plate in the inning, singled to score Smith.

Tindell picked off an overambitious Oak Grove runner at second base to end the bottom of the fifth inning.

Sedalia took its strong hitting into sixth, where Lang singled to left field to start the inning. Mays added two runs with a towering home run over the 290-foot fence in right field.

sports@sedaliademocrat.com