WILTON °®¶¹app” When it comes to the postseason, throw out all the numbers.
The Wilton High School baseball team had been mired in a hitting slump late in the season.
Winfield-Mount Union junior Kason Dopler had been the Wolves°®¶¹app™ ace all season and was almost unhittable in his previous three appearances.
So naturally Wilton came away with a 15-2, five-inning victory over Winfield-Mount Union/Columbus in a Class 2A district quarterfinal game Monday at Wilton High School.
Wilton (17-11) advanced to play Central Lee (18-4) in a district semifinal game Tuesday at Chariton.
Winfield-Mount Union/Columbus closed the season with a 5-15 record.
The numbers pointed to a close contest.
Reality proved otherwise.
Wilton struck for four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take control.
Carter Hull had the key hit, a towering two-run home run to left field. Winning pitcher Ben Garvin followed with a triple and scored in an inning filled with wild pitches and passed balls.
The Wolves had their chances.
Kohlby Newsom led off the game with a walk and stole second, but was left stranded as Garvin fanned Lane Genkinger, Riley Kaalberg and Tyson Kaalberg is succession.
W-MU/Columbus loaded the bases in the second inning. Parker Wilson worked a one-out walk, Trevor Phillips singled to right-center field and Tayson Samuels walked.
Once again, Garvin had an answer, striking out Jaxton Jones and Newsom to extract the Beavers from another logjam.
Wilton broke the game open, scoring three runs in each of the second and third innings. Garvin singled in a pair of runs in both innings.
W-MU/Columbus scored its two runs in the fourth. Dopler, Gavin Prior, Trevor Phillips, Samuels and Jones drew consecutive walks which forced in Dopler and Prior to extend the game.
The Beavers once again wriggled out of the jam. This time, left fielder Thatcher Murguia made a catch of a fly ball by Newsom, then fired to catcher Cade Sauhrada, who tagged out Phillips trying to score. Genkinger then grounded out to end the inning.
The Beavers put the game away with five runs in the fourth inning off Phillips and Carter Finnell.
W-MU/Columbus pitchers combined for 13 walks, while the Wolves committed two errors. The Wolves had three hits and stranded seven base runners.
W-MU/Columbus graduates three seniors in Riley Kaalberg, Genkinger and Newsom.