Clear Lake Upset Knocks Chariton Out, 5-4

Members of the Chariton Charger baseball team are introduced prior to taking the field.  (Kevin Fitzpatrick photo)

The Chargers had six great innings against Clear Lake before being knocked off.  Clear Lake Lions were 2nd coming into the state high school baseball tournament.  For about six and two-thirds innings it looked like the Chargers would collect their first-ever victory in state tournament playoffs.

With one swing of the bat though, a hit came with bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.  The Clear Lake Lions stole a game right out of the grasp of the ever-deserving 2013 Charger baseball squad.

In the top of the first, Austin Peterson clocked a two out single into center field to get a runner on for Chariton.  Jordan Baughman proceeded to hit a ground ball to the third baseman who cleanly scooped it up, but threw it low to the Clear Lake first baseman  which resulted in an error at first, putting runners on the  corners with two outs for the Chargers.  It looked like Alex Wright might be able to drive in a run when he smoked a hard-hit ball toward the gap in right center field, but the Lions' center fielder sprinted over and made a nice sliding grab to deny Chariton from scoring in the first.

In Clear Lake's half of the inning, their first batter reached via walk to open the game, then stole second, but was picked off by Charger starter Charlie Palmer.  The Lions get two more base runners on an infield hit and walk with two outs, but a ground ball for the unassisted out by the third baseman Brett Braida ended the threat.  Chariton went down in order in the top of the second.  The Lions pushed one across home plate in the bottom of the inning with a one hit-and-run with the runner coming in from third base.  The run scored, but the runner was thrown out at first for the second out.   Palmer hurled a strikeout to end the inning, but the Lions led 1-0.  Two consecutive ground balls through the infield by Token Hall and Austin Ritenour got the inning started off right for the Chargers.  Lucas Heaverlo followed them up with a ground out to the shortstop, but both runners advanced into scoring position.  Peterson, a .488 batter on the year, drove in a run with a line drive single down the right field four line.  With runners on the corners, Baughman nailed a sac fly into right that was deep enough for the runner to tag up and score from third base, but Chariton wasn't done yet.  Wright singled into center field, once again getting two runners on for Chariton at first and second.  Freshman first baseman TJ Hockenson drove in another run with a nice line drive into right field.  A Braida hard hit ball into center field looked like it might add yet another run, but it held up just enough for the center fielder to snag it on the run and stop the bleeding for Clear Lake.  After the top of the third, Chariton led 3-1.  The Lions went down in order in their half, and a walk by Hall was the only successful at bat in the top of the fourth for the Chargers.  The bottom of the fourth went about the same for Clear Lake.when a walk put a runner on, but two strikeouts and a ground out sent the game into the fifth.  In the top of the fifth, an interesting development took place.  Peterson led off the inning for Chariton by striking out, but on one of his strikes he sharply pulled a ball into the Charger's dugout, which actually hit the pitcher Charlie Palmer on his throwing elbow..  Two quick ground outs ended the half of the inning, and Palmer gave the ice pack up and determined he wasn't going to let a little ding on the elbow stop him from pitching in the state tournament.  A blooped ball over the second baseman with two-outs put a runner on first for the Lions, and he stole second shortly after.  An error and hit batter loaded the bases for Clear Lake, but Palmer induced a ground-out to the shortstop to get out of the jam.  A quick liner by Hockenson got him on, and a fielding error by the Lion shortstop let Braida reach to lead off the top of the sixth.  Hall laid down a perfect bunt with one out and legged it out to first to beat out the throw, which meant the bases were loaded for Chariton..  At this point, Clear Lake changed pitchers, which wasn't necessarily successful as the reliever walked in a run when Ritenour drew a base on balls to make it 4-1 Chargers.  The Lions threw out a runner at the plate and to star hitter Peterson to fly out to the shortstop for the last out.  Clear Lake went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth, and Chariton couldn't add to their lead in the top of the seventh as they were also mowed down in order.  A lead off walk put a runner at first for the Lions in the bottom of the seventh.  A balk by Palmer moved the runner to second, and a dropped third strike gave him enough time to advance to third as well.  With one out and a runner on third, the next batter hit a soft floater that found the gap in left field, this scoring the runner and making it 4-2 Chariton with a runner on first for Clear Lake.  At this point, Palmer was relieved by Baughman on the mound.  The next batter batter crushed a double into center with two strikes, putting runners on second and third.  After a quick 3-0 count, the Chargers elected to walk the batter, putting a force at all bases.  The next at-bat was one Chariton fans would probably rather forget.  A triple over the head of the right fielder that sent the winning runs across ended the game in walk-off fashion for the Lions, and the Charges' fantastic season came to a premature halt, 5-4.

Palmer threw six and a third innings for Chariton, allowing two runs and striking out six.  Baughman took the loss on the mound, throwing the final two-thirds innings, allowing three runs.

Chariton ends the season with a 35-6 record overall.