The Westminster baseball team is headed to the Final Four after surviving a pair of tense postseason battles in the Class 4 State Tournament sectional and quarterfinal rounds.
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After capturing the Class 4 District 4 Championship, the Wildcats returned home on Tuesday, May 26 to host District 3 champion Potosi in the sectional round.
Despite being held to just two hits offensively, Westminster found ways to manufacture runs and came away with a gritty 4-3 victory. Potosi jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Wildcats answered in the second with two runs of their own before taking the lead in the third.
Junior Grady Arnold once again delivered a strong performance on the mound, striking out eight batters across 6.1 innings while allowing three runs. Sophomore Logan Zenker recorded the final two outs to earn the save, setting a new Westminster single-season record with his seventh save of the year.
The Wildcats showed patience at the plate, drawing nine walks in the victory. Arnold drove in a run, while Jack Hirtz and Drew Messey also collected RBIs. Owen Leingang and AJ Stovall each stole bases as Westminster continued its postseason run.
The quarterfinal round sent the Wildcats on the road to Cape Girardeau for a matchup against Notre Dame. In another tightly contested game, Westminster leaned on outstanding pitching and timely hitting to secure a 2-1 victory and punch its ticket to the state semifinals.
The Wildcats scored both of their runs in the third inning when Owen Leingang delivered a two-run hit to score Messey and Logan Zenker. Messey's double that put him and Zenker in scoring position marked the 100th hit of his high school career, making him the latest Wildcat to reach the milestone.
Mitch McAlister turned in five strong innings on the mound, striking out six, before being replaced by Zenker after walking the leadoff batter in the top of the sixth. The Bulldogs were able to push that runner across the plate but Zenker closed out the final two innings without allowing another run, earning his eighth save of the season and extending his school record.
Now sitting just two wins away from a state championship, the Wildcats will travel to the Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark, Missouri for the Class 4 Final Four.
Westminster will face Orchard Farm in the state semifinal at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3. The winner will advance to the Class 4 State Championship game at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 4.
