RUSSELLVILLE, Mo. - Austin Roe was already getting the job done with his arm. He just needed one run of support.
He would supply the offense for that as well.
The Russellville sophomore left-hander pitched seven shutout innings and produced the game-winning run with an RBI single in the fifth inning Monday, leading the Indians to a 3-0 win against the Linn Wildcats in the Class 2 sectionals.
"When I got to about the fifth inning, I started getting a little sore," Roe said. "But then I had the base hit to score a run and got us up 1-0. The adrenaline took over from there."
In last Wednesday's Class 2 District 7 championship game, Roe made it through four innings before struggling to find the strike zone in the fifth. He retired the first nine batters he faced Monday and only allowed two runners to reach third base.
Roe scattered five hits and walked one while striking out six batters in the shutout.
"Austin struggled early in the district championship game, so it was kind of a question mark as to what he would do in the first inning," Russellville coach Lucas Branson said. "I knew once he got through in the first, he was going to be pretty locked in for the entire game.
"He threw one heck of a game in a big spot."
Roe and Linn's Chase Laughlin had a pitcher's duel going Monday, matching scoreless frames through four innings.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Russellville finally pushed through.
Nick Thompson hit a leadoff single up the middle and another single by Tyler Voss put runners on the corners with one out.
Linn coach Clay Crouch then made a pitching change, bringing in Ryan Deeken for Laughlin.
"A good baseball team, third time through the lineup, is going to get their timing down and pick up on the pitcher," Crouch said of Laughlin. " I thought he gave us a spectacular outing tonight. If you had told me before the game he was going to go five innings and give up a run, I'd take that every time."
Roe took the third pitch he saw from Deeken and drove it into left field, scoring Thompson to put the Indians ahead 1-0.
"I had to at least put the ball in play," Roe said. "You're giving your team a chance to score when you put the ball in play."
Russellville added two insurance runs in the sixth inning, taking advantage of three Linn errors.
Braden Hickey reached on an error to start the inning and then was safe at second due to a throwing error on Cory Minor's bunt. Trenton Morrow followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt that turned into an infield single, loading the bases with no outs.
Hickey would score on Mason Stewart's sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0. As Hickey scored, Minor advanced to third on the throw home. A wide throw from the catcher to third base allowed Minor to score as well, giving the Indians a three-run lead.
"We were able to capitalize on mistakes," Branson said. "We did that late in the game with our bunts and that put us in a position to have a little bit more breathing room."
Linn brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the top of the seventh, but Roe got a strikeout and a groundout to strand both runners and end the game.
Branson made a visit to the mound after Linn's Logan Peters hit a leadoff double in the seventh to calm his players' nerves.
"When the guy got on second, that run doesn't mean anything," Roe said. "They still had to get three to tie it up and we just needed three outs."
The defense backed up Roe throughout the game and played error-free ball. Hickey had an outfield assist in the fifth, throwing out Peters at second base as he tried to stretch a single into a double to start the inning.
In the sixth, Minor raced from his spot at first base into shallow right field down the line to make a running catch and rob Linn of another extra-base hit.
"This was probably our best defensive game of the season," Branson said. "We know that defense wins at this point in the season.
Voss had a pair of singles to lead Russellville, while Peters went 2-for-3 with a single and double for Linn.
Laughlin took the loss, allowing one run on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 41/3 innings.
Linn (9-12) lost six of its last seven games to finish the regular season before winning three straight games to claim the District 8 title as the No. 5 seed.
"It's a testament to the kids," Crouch said. "They took it upon themselves to buckle down and just get the job done."
Russellville (15-9) will face either Canton (17-4) or Sturgeon (14-2) in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Monday's scheduled sectional game between Canton and Sturgeon was postponed until 6 p.m. today due to rain and will be played at Hickman High School.
"Fortunately for us, we play Sturgeon during our fall season, so we're familiar with them," Branson said. "Canton, we've got a bad taste in our mouth from what we had happen to us in 2013, when we went up there and lost to them in the quarterfinal game.
"It would be nice to potentially get that one back."