JAMESTOWN, Mo. - Colton DeVore is one of only two seniors on the Jamestown baseball team. So it was fitting that on Senior Night, he ended up being the star in the Eagles' 10-2 win over Tipton on Wednesday, May 4.
DeVore had two hits in the game, but more importantly, he only allowed two hits as well. In six innings of work on the mound, the senior notched 10 strikeouts to go out on top in his final home game.
"I had a lot of good off-speed pitches and pretty good movement on my fastball," DeVore said.
DeVore carried a no-hitter through the game's first four innings, but early on, Tipton's Braydon Renfro matched him pitch for pitch. Renfro also had a no-no going early - through three innings, in fact - until Jamestown's Cole Theissen broke through with a single up the middle to kick off the fourth.
In their second time through the lineup, Eagles hitters got to Renfro in the fourth as they tallied six hits in the frame. RBI doubles from DeVore, Brandon Thompson and Austin Flippin helped power Jamestown to a 6-0 lead.
Tipton would get a couple runs back quickly though. Kenton Stover singled to lead off the fifth and give the Cardinals their first hit. Two batters later, Trenton Pace went opposite field for a home run to put Tipton on the board.
But Jamestown piled back in the bottom half. Shortstop Garrett Wolfe crushed a home run on the first pitch of the inning to ignite another Eagles rally. DeVore, Wyatt Hunziker and Isaac Imhoff all came around to score in the fifth to extend the lead to 10-2.
"I told the guys last week that we got our conference championship goal accomplished, so the only thing we had to worry about the rest of the way was getting ready for districts and improving every day," Jamestown coach Jordan Hoecker said.
"We had a good day of practice yesterday and I think it showed today that they're starting to peak at the right time. It took a little bit to get going, but I think we're getting there."
With the eight-run lead after five, DeVore threw one more inning before handing the ball off to Flippin, who pitched a perfect seventh frame to close out the ballgame.
With four quality starting pitchers to choose from in Flippin, Wolfe, DeVore and Theissen, the Eagles are a team well-equipped to make a deep postseason run.
"A lot of schools in Class 1 might be happy with two arms," Hoecker said. "But we are lucky and fortunate enough to have four guys that can really hurl. It's good to see and it give us confidence any time we go out and play a game."
Jamestown begin postseason play in Class 1 District 9 on Monday at St. Elizabeth High School where it will take on the winner of Otterville and Bunceton. The Eagles were district champions last year.
"(We have to) keep executing. We need to play hardball. It's not going to come easy at all, we just need to go out there and put our nose to the grindstone," DeVore said.