Loeffler's Link

Weirich, Jays handle
Kewpies to win second
straight district crown

Wood, Weirich help Jays get past
Willard, advance to quarterfinals

Jefferson City's Grant Wood delivers the game-tying RBI double during the third inning of Tuesday's Class 5 sectional game with Willard at Vivion Field. Wood finished 3-for-3 with a home run, two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI, and was also the winning pitcher.

May 23, 2017

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --- Grant Wood is becoming a broken record.

Literally.

There haven't been this many broken records since the protest of the Beatles in the 1960s.

After becoming the school's all-time career leader in both hits and doubles last week ---- and the senior added to those totals Tuesday --- he became the school's record holder for wins in a season.

And what a perfect time to do it.

Wood went 4 1/3 innings --- surviving a brutal start and a rough exit --- to pick up his 10th win as the Jefferson City Jays overcame an early 3-0 deficit to get past the Willard Tigers 6-3 in the Class 5 sectionals at Vivion Field.

This quest, this dream of returning to the Final Four is just one more win away from reality.

"Willard's a great team and they've been here before," Jays coach Brian Ash said. "We were fortunate to beat them last year in the sectionals (5-2) and we're lucky to get out of here alive today. We're grateful for it.

"Now, we're looking forward to another opportunity against Kickapoo."

The top-ranked Jays (28-2) --- winners of 18 straight and ranked No. 26 in the nation by MaxPreps --- will host Kickapoo at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

The unranked Chiefs (20-9) advanced with a 5-0 win over Webb City.

But this season for Jefferson City was in peril after the seventh-ranked Tigers (24-5) popped the Jays with three runs in the top of the first inning.

After the leadoff man was retired, back-to-back singles (both coming with two strikes) was followed by a three-run homer by Tanner Stewart.

Before you could wonder, Where is Willard, anyway?, it was 3-0.

"Boom, that kind of shell shocked us," Ash said. "The kid put a good swing on it and got the barrel on it. But the pitch was in the middle of the plate and against teams like Willard, you just can't do that.

"We had a game plan for him, but if you miss, he was going to hammer it. And he did. It's all about execution at this point."

It was a lousy start for the Jays and Wood, but it was also no time to worry.

"We've been there before, we knew there were still seven innings to play," said senior Jacob Weirich, who would be an integral part of this story. "In baseball, anything can happen, so there was no panic."

Indeed. In the bottom of the first, a one-out single by sophomore Payton Bodenstab brought Wood the plate.

While Stewart's home run had clanked off the front of the shed over the left field fence, Wood drove a 1-0 pitch nearly over the shed.

Boom back at ya ... 3-2.

Game on.

"That was unbelievably huge," Ash said. "Because three runs against a good team in playoff baseball can be enough to beat you. But to get two and answer back, everybody had a sigh of relief ... the momentum got back on our side."

The Jays took control the third. Weirich doubled and scored on a double by Wood to tie it 3-3 and two pitches later, on a 1-0 count, Gaven Strobel's two-run homer made it 5-3.

While the Jays were never headed, the affair became interesting in the fifth when Wood walked the bases loaded with one out. At that point, it was time to bring in the ace, Weirich --- and get out your calculator.

Weirich is normally a starter, but he's made several relief appearances this season.

"I've had some experience --- I've actually come in a few times with the bases loaded, so I was definitely prepared," Weirich said. "I'd prefer to start, but I also have some adrenaline going when I come in in relief ... that's always nice."

Not only were the bases loaded with only one out, but Willard's No. 3 and 4 hitters --- the latter being Stewart --- were coming to the plate.

With the game and season on the line, nerves were an issue for Weirich, right?

Wrong.

"I knew with our offense and defense," he said, "I had some room (for error), so I was definitely relaxed. But I was also focused, because I knew I had a job to do for my teammates."

The lefthander promptly struck out Ben Morris and Stewart, both looking, to end the threat. And in reality, end the game.

"There's no other guy in the state I'd rather have out there in that situation," Ash said. "He's done that a few times this season, coming in with the bases loaded, just to get us out of the situation."

Weirich is now 8-0 with five saves and an ERA below 0.50. That's not good, that's stunningly great..

"Anything he does on the mound does not shock me," Ash said. "He's that big of a competitor and when the game's on the line, he's the best kid in the state. I wouldn't trade him for anybody."

The Jays made it 6-3 in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Strobel, who also had a huge day with three RBI, that followed a ringing double by  Wood.

"Two doubles and a bomb, it doesn't get any better than that," Ash said. "That ball he hit out to right center (in his last at bat) was one of the hardest-hit balls I've ever seen, as far as how quickly it got out there."

The only drama left was Weirich's pitch count.

"Jacob had 45 pitches to work with on one day's rest," Ash said, "so we knew in the fifth inning --- if it was close --- that he would be available."

45 was the magic number, as Weirich is now available to start Thursday's game against Kickapoo and throw the full 105 pitches, under MSHSAA's new (and silly) pitch-count rules. If he'd thrown three more pitches Tuesday, he wouldn't have been allowed to pitch.

To summarize ... 43 pitches Tuesday = 105 Thursday, 46 pitches Tuesday = 0 Thursday.

Fully aware of the situation, Ash was ready to pull Weirich after 45 pitches.

"We were right there going over the limit," Ash said. "If he'd reached 45, depending on the situation, I would have pulled him. We have other guys who can do the job."

Fittingly, the Jays will be back in the friendly confines Thursday to close the Vivion Field experience --- it was overflowing once again Tuesday --- for one of the best senior classes in school history.

"One last time," Ash said. "The community's done a great job of supporting us, the stands were packed again and our guys feed off that energy. If we can get that atmosphere again, that's going to help.

Said Weirich: "I love it. To do this for our city (and Helias has done likewise), it's great."

It certainly is.

For questions, comments or story ideas, contact Tom at loefflerslink@hotmail.com.