Seniors help ’Birds hang around

COLE CAMP — Trenton Miller, Corey Vance and Caleb Eckhoff showed their senior leadership on the field Monday.

The three Cole Camp seniors helped keep the Bluebirds in the Class 2 sectional game — one Cole Camp ultimately lost 8-4 to El Dorado Springs.

“I’m really proud of our kids, they came out and fought the battle,” Cole Camp coach Todd Rusk said, “but when you’re playing from behind all night, it’s tough.”

Defense was a concern for the Bluebirds coming into the game, especially since the team committed five errors during its 17-7 district championship win against Lincoln.

Cole Camp’s three seniors all made key defensive plays in the first two innings — when the Bulldogs were threatening to blow the game open.

The Bluebirds got out of the first inning when Vance and Eckhoff combined for a nice defensive stop.

With two on and two outs, Vance fielded a well-hit ball in the hole at short. His throw to first was in the dirt, but Eckhoff made a nice scoop and kept his foot on the bag to secure the inning-ending out.

Eckhoff, playing on an injured hamstring, used his glove again in the second to record an out to start the inning.

El Dorado’s Corey Ketchum hit a routine grounder to Vance, but the shortstop’s throw was low. Eckhoff stretched out on the injured hammy and dug the ball out of the dirt, again keeping his back foot on first base.

“A big glove at first base, huge glove,” Rusk said. “He made some big picks, big picks and that’s what he’s done his entire career.”

Miller and Vance combined for another nice defensive play in the second.

Alex Boonyakiti, the Bulldogs’ leadoff hitter, reached on an infield single. He tried to steal second, but Miller made a perfect throw down to second — hitting Vance in stride as he broke toward the bag. Vance caught the throw and dove in front of the bag to tag Boonyakiti out.

“He was 17-of-17 (on stolen base attempts) this year and Trenton threw him out for the first time all season,” Rusk said. “It tells you about the athleticism of (Miller). He just did it all for us this year; he did everything I asked.”

Miller did most of the Bluebirds’ damage at the plate. He had two of the team’s three hits and had a pair of RBIs.

Vance scored one of Cole Camp’s runs in the third when he alertly came home on a wild pitch that was ball four to Eckhoff.

“The ability to hit in the (No.) 2 hole for us really helped,” Rusk said of Vance. “Especially a power bat in the two hole. He’s going to be sorely missed.”

Vance came up with a key stop on the mound. With the Bluebirds trailing 6-3 in the fifth, Vance entered with two outs and the bases loaded. He promptly struck out Colt Whitesell to end the threat and keep Cole Camp within reach.