Miller became the first Springfield area baseball program to advance to the Missouri high school state semfinals next week, marking a historic return for the Cardinals.
Clever is also one step closer, and will play Fair Grove for the right to advance in the Class 3 postseason.
Here’s what happened Wednesday night:
Wheatland baseball run rules Halfway in Class 1 quarterfinal
Wheatland advanced to the Class 1 state semifinals with a 12-2 win in six innings.
In a 3-2 game heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Mules scored seven runs to end the game. Brock Mendenhall ended the game on a walk-off single to force the run-rule final.
Mendenhall finished the game 3 for 4 with a pair of runs scored. The Mules held the Cardinals to a pair of hits, one of which was a Peyton Timmerman home run in the third.
Wheatland will play Monday at 1 p.m. in a Class 1 state semifinal at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark. It will be the program’s second-straight state semifinal appearance, marking the only two times the Mules have ever advanced to the final four.
Miller baseball advances to first state semifinal since 1996
Miller’s 5-1 win over Hartville advanced the Cardinals to their first state semifinal since finishing fourth in the 1996 state tournament.
The Cardinals took the lead in the bottom of the first, and they didn’t give it up. Gavin Hendricks’ two-run double gave them the runs they needed before adding three more runs before the end of the game.
Hendricks led the team by going 2 for 2 with three RBIs. The Cardinals also got an outstanding pitching performance from sophomore Hayden Schnake, who went six innings and allowed just two hits and an unearned run.
Miller will play Chaffee on Monday in a Class 2 state semifinal at 4 p.m. at Ozarks Mountain Sports Complex. The Red Devils have finished third in the state in two consecutive years.
Clever baseball advances to Class 3 quarterfinal
Clever and Lamar finally got their game in, which saw the Blue Jays advance to a Class 3 state quarterfinal against Fair Grove with a 3-2 win on Wednesday night.
Clever held off a late Lamar push after holding the Tigers scoreless through the first four innings while holding on to a 3-0 lead. The Tigers had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t push any runs across.
Lamar was held to two hits. Owen Hall went 5 1/3, allowing one hit and one earned run. Rex Deters pitched the rest of the way, allowing one hit and striking out three.
Clever will now travel to Mid-Lakes rival Fair Grove for the right to play in the state semifinals. Fair Grove said earlier Wednesday that the game will be played Thursday at 5 p.m. in Fair Grove.
Logan-Rogersville baseball to host defending champion Blair Oaks
Logan-Rogersville will have to go through last year’s best to be this year’s best. The Wildcats will host defending state champ Blair Oaks in a 5 p.m. contest in Rogersville on Thursday.
Blair Oaks is coming off a 3-0 win over Nevada. The Falcons pitching staff combined to hold the Tigers to one hit in the win. Rogersville defeated Seneca 6-1, holding it to three hits. The Wildcats should have top arms Nate Eakins and Jaxon Parent available for the Class 4 quarterfinal.
A Logan-Rogersville win would put the Tigers in the state semifinals for the second time in four years, joining the 2022 state runner-up squad.