By Ethan Silverman
Missouri Scouting Director

After seven scoreless innings for Fatima and Springfield Catholic, Fatima played a little small ball and had a few clutch hits to win the Class 3 Championship.

Pitchers Patrick Schneiders from Fatima and Tyler Ast from Catholic both had impressive outings, pitching out of jams early in the game and keeping hits to a minimum. Schneiders used an 84-87 mph fastball to power his way to 11 strikeouts and held Catholic to six hits. Ast matched him for seven innings, scattering seven hits.

Both teams left runners on in the first inning, with a combination of pitching and defense to keep zeros on the scoreboard. 

Catholic threatened in the third, with Brayton Ballenger and Eric Smith reaching on back-to-back singles. After a fielder’s choice groundout putting runners on second and third with one out, Schneiders bared down to strike out two and end the threat. 

Fatima would be held hitless for three innings, heading into the top of the eighth. Leadoff hitter Brady Weber led the inning off with a bunt single, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nolan Bax. Reid Kesel followed the sacrifice bunt with a sharp single, allowing Weber to cross the plate with the first run of the game. After advancing to second Kesel scored Fatima’s second run on a RBI single off the bat of Seth Lehman. 

The two runs were all Schneiders needed, with the final out coming on a 6-4-3 double play and the celebratory dog pile on the infield.