Chandler Coates may go down in history as Republic’s best big-game pitcher ever. He came up big again Saturday, but the Tigers wasted his performance in an 11-inning, 4-2 loss to Carthage in the district tournament.
Coates struck out a school-record 19, didn’t walk a batter, and allowed only four hits. He allowed just one unearned run, when Carthage scored on a throwing error after one of Coates’ 19 strikeouts in the 4th inning.
It was the third standout performance by Coates in a district tournament, going back to his sophomore year. Last year, in the district semifinals, Coates struck out 12 and threw a no-hitter to help Republic beat Joplin 2-0. As a sophomore, he struck out 12 in a complete-game shutout.
In three career district starts, Coates pitched 24 innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out 43 batters and walked one. He allowed just eight hits in those three starts.
Republic struggled all day offensively, and when they did hit the ball hard, it went right at Carthage fielders. The Tigers also lost multiple runners because of base-running mistakes.
“Costly mistakes,” assessed coach Howard Quigley after the game. “That pretty much sums up today–and the whole season, for that matter.”
The Tigers’ only run came in the bottom of the 5th inning, when Regan Butterworth lined an RBI singled into right field to score Zach Branstetter (courtesy runner for Gage Morris.)
Ryan Cape and Landin Sigman each had two hits for Republic.
Carthage took the lead again in the top of the 11th, when a walk and a hit batsman by Jansen McQuerter set up a two-run single through the drawn-in infield. Another hit gave Carthage a 4-1 lead.
The Tigers plated a single run in the bottom of the 11th.
The Tigers end their season at 11-13.