MOKANE, Mo. - The top-seeded South Callaway Bulldogs advanced to the Class 3, District 8 championship baseball game after defeating the No. 4 Montgomery County Wildcats 8-5 in the semifinals Tuesday.
The host Bulldogs (22-5) - ranked No. 6 in Class 3 - will play the No. 6 seed Hermann Bearcats in the championship at 5 p.m. Thursday. Hermann advanced after beating No. 2 seed Father Tolton 6-4 in the semifinals on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs scored the first run of Tuesday's game in the second inning. Senior right fielder Dillon Stone led off the inning by reaching second base on an error and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior first baseman Ryan Edler.
Senior catcher Cameron Richardson drove in Stone on a single to left.
Montgomery County scored a run in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-all. The Bulldogs would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning.
Sophomore center fielder Kaden Helsel led off the bottom of the third with a double to left and stole third. With one out two batters later, Helsel scored on a ground out by junior starter Graysan Peneston.
The Bulldogs produced six runs in the fourth to extend their advantage to 8-1. The Wildcats came up with four runs in the fifth.
Helsel went 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored as the Bulldogs collected six hits. Peneston was 1-for-4 with two runs batted in.
Peneston (6-1) went the distance to pick up the win. Peneston allowed five runs - two earned - on six hits, struck out five and walked two.