CHARITON — The sixth-ranked team in Class 2A, Chariton, is barely one run better than the Central Lee High School Hawks but the District 9 champions.
The two teams met Saturday in Chariton in a Class 2A Substate 5 District 9’s final game that the Chargers won 3-2.
Central Lee had five hits to the Chargers’s three hits and made one error to Chariton’s two. Caedon Newton, Bo Herdrich, Blake Davis, Kayden Calfee, and Mason Sanders each collected one hit for the Hawks.
The game was a pitchers’ duel with Chariton’s Jace Gwinn going seven innings for the win while Central Lee used Newton, Davis and Chase Johnson.
Gwinn fanned seven and walked three while giving up two earned runs.
Newton walked three, gave up three hits and three earned runs in the first inning. Johnson started the second inning and did not allow a hit over four-and-a-third innings. Davis faced two batters and got two outs with a line out and a strikeout.
Chariton scored all of its runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to three singles and three walks. The Chargers sent nine batters to the plate in the inning.
The Hawks answered in the top of the second inning when Calfee started the frame with a single. Two walks loaded the bases and Newton’s ground out scored Calfee.
The Hawks had two on with no outs in the third inning but left them stranded.
One Hawk reached base in each of the next two innings and were stranded.
A Hawk error was erased in the fifth inning with a double play of shortstop Davis to second baseman Sanders to Newton at first.
Newton singled with two out in the sixth and was left on base. Davis drew a two-out walk in the seventh but didn’t advance before a fly out ended the game.
Central Lee ends the season at 19-5, its best record since the the 2020 team was 12-2 and the 2019 team was 21-3.
Chariton advances to Tuesday’s substate final against District 10 champion Cardinal (17-10) which beat Interstate 35 (20-9) 6-0.