By Mike Phillips
Contributing sportswriter
When Dalton Christian’s double-play groundball was botched in the bottom of the seventh inning, the winning run scored and the Sedalia Travelers Post 642 posted an improbable 12-11 come-from-behind win over Boonville in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday night at Dey Field at Liberty Park Stadium.
The Travelers also won the second game 13-3 to improve to 14-23 on the season.
With one out in the Sedalia seventh and the bases loaded, Christian hit a one bouncer to third. The Boonville third baseman threw home to force out Henry Keoitz, but the Boonville catcher tried to double up Christian at first and made a bad throw and Jordan Dey scampered across the plate with the winning run, creating one of the biggest rallies in recent Traveler history.
Things looked bleak for the Travelers early as starting pitcher Aaron Skinner lasted less than an inning, giving up 11 runs on seven walks, four hits and an error as Boonville led 11-0 after half an inning
Boonville sent 14 batters to the plate in the first with Skinner pitching to 11 of those. Traveler coach Mark Carey finally got him out of there and brought in Mason McCown in relief. He faced three hitters.
It was only by the saving grace of submarine relief pitcher Austin Bullerd, that the Travelers were able to make their astounding comeback.
Bullerd tossed six innings of one-hit, scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. He struck out one and walked none in the broiling heat. The game started with the temperature sitting at 104 degrees.
The Travelers began their comeback in the bottom of first, scoring five runs. Lane Soendker and Dalto Dull each drove in two runs and Dey singled in a run as the Travelers closed the gap to 11-5.
It wasn’t until the sixth that the Travelers woke up the quiet crowd, plating four runs to close within 11-9. Christian laced a double to left, his second two-bagger of the game and Dull singled in two more as the Travelers started to make it interesting after six innings.
Bullerd allowed a harmless, two-out single in the seventh and the Travelers came to bat.
Pinch hitter Austin Hoffman singled up the middle to get things started. Cortlen Austin flew out to deep center. Leadoff hitter Collin Nolting singled and Keitz walked to load the bases.
Dey lined a single to left to score Hoffman and Nolting to tie the game at 11-11.
Up stepped Christian, who had double in his previous trips to the plate. He hit a hard bouncer to third that the third baseman threw home to force Keitz, but the catcher’s throw to first was wild and Dey scored the winner as the Travelers held a huge celebration around home plate.
Dey went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Christian and Dull both went 2-for-4 with six RBIs combined.
Boonville used four pitchers in the game and lost to the Traveelers for the first time this season after sweeping the Sedalia club two weeks ago at Boonville.
In the nightcap, Skinner came back to the mound and tossed a complete game two hitter as the Travelers swept the doubleheader.
The Travelers played in Independence Saturday against Hi Boy Post 340 at Crysler Stadium and are playing in the Blue Springs Wood Bat Tournament this week.
