High school baseball: No. 6 Bulldogs escape with 10-inning win over Hermann

MOKANE - South Callaway senior left fielder Tyklen Salmons singled home junior right fielder Devin Borghardt with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the state-ranked Bulldogs over Hermann 3-2 on Tuesday night.

The victory was the third in a row for South Callaway (11-4), which prevailed despite being out-hit by Hermann 7-5. The Bulldogs and Fair Grove are tied for sixth in Class 3 by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association.

South Callaway jumped in front Tuesday night with a run in the first on Salmons' RBI sacrifice fly. The Bulldogs then made it 2-0 in the second on junior left fielder Caleb Hall's RBI single.

Hermann countered with single runs in the third and fourth to tie the game and it eventually went into extra innings.

Borghardt was safe on an error to lead off South Callaway's 10th and senior shortstop Peyton Leeper and senior second baseman Drake Davidson followed by drawing consecutive walks to load the bases.

Salmons then drove a 2-1 pitch into center field to bring Borghardt home from third with the decisive run.

"We just had one more hit in a timely spot than (Hermann) did," Bulldogs head coach Heath Lepper said. "It was another gutsy performance - we did just enough to win."

Senior pinch-hitter Austin Loucks went 1-for-1 for South Callaway, while Leeper finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. Salmons, Hall and junior first baseman Jared Mistler were each 1-for-4.

Junior Tyler Lepper threw six scoreless innings in relief of Salmons to record the win. Lepper (2-1) scattered three hits, struck out four and walked one.

The Bulldogs compete in the Lebanon/Camdenton Tournament on Friday and Saturday. South Callaway opens play in the Gold Pool in Camdenton on Friday against Nixa at 1:30 p.m. and Pembroke Hill at 4.

The Bulldogs then wrap up pool play against host Camdenton at 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

"We didn't trade the Columbia Tournament for an easier tournament," Heath Lepper said. "We're looking forward to going down there and seeing three really good Class 5 teams, and how we stack up."