Eagles cruise to district crown

Austin Gouldsmith said the Grain Valley baseball team has heard all the stories about the school’s past district champions.
Now the junior and the rest of this year’s Eagles have a story of their own to tell.
David Richards slugged his 10th home run of the season and drove in three runs, and the Eagles jumped to a 5-0 lead after two innings on their way to an 11-1 six-inning win over Odessa in the Class 3 District 14 championship Wednesday at Webb Park in Oak Grove.
“This feels good,” Gouldsmith, who had two hits and scored a run, said after Grain Valley advanced to a Class 3 sectional game Tuesday at Kirksville. “The coaches have told us all the stories about the past teams. We had to dye our hair (white) like they did. We’re just glad to be back where they were.”
The Eagles won three straight district titles with the last coming in 2005. This year’s version made sure it would be decided early.
Richards followed a David Duncan single with a blast over the fence in right-center field for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
“I got it up and it just carried,” Richards said. “Their pitcher was throwing a lot of fastballs, and I saw one coming, just tried to throw my weight back and drive it.”
That would be the only runs pitcher Payton Bosserman would need. The junior allowed just two hits and one unearned run while striking out seven for the win.
“The whole team really has been working for this all season,” Richards said. “We’ve all put in a whole lot of work to get here, so this feels good. Payton threw a heck of a game. Every time he’s on the mound we expect to win.”
The Eagles, who had 14 hits, made it easy on Bosserman by giving him a 5-0 lead in the second. Ryan Skinner and Derek Kelton hit RBI singles and Jake Talamonte’s RBI sacrifice fly put them in control.
The bottom of the order – Nos. 7 through 9 – was especially good Wednesday. Adam Harber, Shay Parra and Skinner combined to go 6-for-8 with three RBIs and five runs scored. Skinner, after another RBI single, also stole home in the two-run fourth for a 7-0 lead.
“That’s how it’s been all year for us,” Grain Valley coach Mark Lyford said. “The guys at the bottom of the order have come through. Guys like Shay and Skinner have done a great job for us, giving us production from 1 to 9. They’ve really set the table for the top of our order.”
And Gouldsmith said the early lead allowed Bosserman and the Eagles (17-5) to relax.
“We’ve been playing close games against them – I think the last two games have been decided by three runs combined,” Gouldsmith said. “To get the lead early gave us more confidence and gave us the feeling that we could afford to play loose. And when we do that, we’re a much better team.
“And Payton has thrown so well all year. He’s got us out of some big jams all year, so it was nice to give him some runs to work with.”
Bosserman worked out of a jam caused by two errors in the third, allowing Odessa only one run after the Bulldogs had the bases loaded with one out. He struck out the side in the fourth to make up for two earlier walks.
“I wouldn’t say he had his best stuff, but like I told him, he had his stuff when he needed to have it,” Lyford said.
Richards provided the bookend finish to end it early on the 10-run mercy rule. Richards hit an RBI single to left and circled the bases behind Duncan when Odessa committed two errors on the play.
Now the Eagles must make a long road trip on Tuesday to meet Kirksville, a winner over Boonville in the District 13 final Wednesday.
“That’s a long jaunt,” Lyford said. “But we’d rather be playing than sitting home. We’re excited to be one of 16 teams left in Class 3.”