MOUNTAIN GROVE - The South Callaway Bulldogs are now one step away from a run at a repeat.
Junior third baseman Drake Davidson had two hits, drove in three runs and scored three times as defending Class 3 state champion South Callaway mashed Mountain Grove 13-2 in a sectional romp Monday night.
Junior starter Peyton Leeper scattered two hits and struck out 11 in 5 2/3 innings to win his sixth start in a row for the fourth-ranked Bulldogs (22-8), winners of seven straight and 11 of their last 12.
South Callaway will return to the Springfield area for a showdown at second-ranked Strafford (23-4) in the Class 3 quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Strafford advanced with a 10-5 sectional win over Stockton on Monday night.
"Strafford is similar to us," Bulldogs head coach Heath Lepper said. "From what I've heard from a few people I've talked to, they're scrappy at the plate and they have a couple of good (pitching) arms - they mirror us a little bit."
Davidson went 2-for-4 as South Callaway collected eight hits. Senior center fielder Kaden Helsel was also 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while junior designated hitter Austin Loucks finished 1-for-5 with two RBI.
Junior left fielder Tyklen Salmons went 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored two runs. Senior shortstop Dylan Lepper was 1-for-5 and scored twice.
"We finally got some timely hitting," Heath Lepper said. "We were patient - we didn't chase a lot of balls up, we were disciplined and we got back to some situational hitting.
"It wasn't all one guy. Everyone did their job."
The Bulldogs struck early, jumping on Mountain Grove (19-7) for four runs in the top of the second. Davidson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second when sophomore second baseman Devon Borghardt was safe on an error with one out.
After senior first baseman Landon Horstman drew a walk to load the bases, Davidson came home on Salmons' single to right. Borghardt and Horstman both scored on another error by the Panthers, and sophomore catcher Braden Lallier's groundout brought in Salmons to make it 4-0.
Mountain Grove answered with a run in its half of the second, but South Callaway replied with three runs in the fourth to pad its advantage. Dylan Lepper was safe on a two-out error, went to second on a passed ball and Leeper earned a walk.
After Lepper moved to third on another passed ball and Leeper stole second, both runners scored on Davidson's single to center to put the Bulldogs up 6-1. Davidson went to second on the play and then raced home when Loucks followed with a single to center.
The Panthers added their final run in the fifth and South Callaway immediately countered with two runs in the sixth. Lepper started the inning with a double to center and then came around to score to make it 8-2 when Davidson grounded a double to right with one out.
Davidson stole third and then darted home when Loucks was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike.
The Bulldogs piled on their final four runs in the seventh. Helsel delivered a two-run single and eventually scored on a wild pitch, while Leeper came home on an error.
Leeper (9-2) issued four walks and gave up two unearned runs as South Callaway survived five errors. Mountain Grove - which was also plagued by five errors - left 12 runners on base.
"Peyton just kept battling," Heath Lepper said. "It's pretty frustrating when you're on the bump and the defense is committing errors behind you, but he would bare back down and then we finally made some plays."