The Steelville High School baseball team’s fall season ended with elation as the Cardinals defeated Bourbon 4-3 on a walk-off hit from Caden Collinson. Steelville was down 3-2 in the seventh and final inning and were down to their final out when the heroics began. With a runner on second, Ripken Halbert kept the game alive with a single to right field to tie the game. Collinson followed, and launched a pitch from Bourbon pitcher Ian Mueller down the left field line that brought Halbert around the diamond to score and end the game, bringing the home crowd to their feet.

Collinson and Hunter Starbeck each had two hits for the Cardinals who came back from a 2-0 hole in the third inning. Steelville received a stellar relief pitching performance from Chase Grayson, who held the Warhawks to one run in four and two-thirds innings after relieving starter Garrett Richter in the third inning.

Steelville head coach Ryan Weber spoke afterward about how his team was able to come back and win while being down to their last out.

“We just hung in there, kept chipping away, and played a little bit of small ball right until the end,” Weber said.

“We had some controversial calls back and forth with both sides, but we told the guys, we’re going to overcome adversity and see it to the end. We put them in scoring position, put it in the hands of a freshman (Halbert). He got it done, put it in the hands of a sophomore (Collinson), and he got it done.”

Weber’s bunch finished the fall season with a 5-5 record and on a high note, for a young roster  made up of nine freshmen out of 14 players. Weber spoke about the growth of his team who had three-game winning and losing streaks during the fall.

“There’s been a lot of growth, top to bottom, not just young guys, the old guys too,” Weber said.

“We came a long way. We’ve learned a lot about each other and how we can all work together as a team. I’m very excited for spring, for sure.”

Weber, Steelville’s athletic director, completed his first stretch as head coach of the baseball team after taking over this year and spoke about his experience in the dugout.

“It was fun,” Weber said. “Sometimes you don’t get to end the season like that. It really made everything come together. Mostly happy for my boys. Just proud of them.”