With a chance to prevent Belle from winning the Gasconde Valley Conference title on May 4, the Cardinals fell short and are now 4-13 on the season with just one regular season game remaining. 

Steelville played in Owensville on May 11 in its regular season finale and will compete in the first round of the Class 3 District 8 Tournament against Dixon at 5 p.m. on May 14 at Belle City Park. 

The sixth-seeded Cardinals will play third-seeded Dixon following the matchup between fourth-seeded Cuba and fifth-seeded Bourbon. The winner of the game between Steelville and Dixon will play number two-seeded Fatima at 5 p.m. on May 18 in the semifinals. Number one-seeded Belle will take on the winner of Cuba and Bourbon at 3 p.m. on May 18.

Tigers pull away late to take GVC title

A close game turned into a lopsided final score as the Belle Tigers used a five-run sixth inning and a four-run seventh to pull away with a 14-2 victory over the Cardinals.

Belle scored the first three runs of the game before Steelville added one in the bottom of the second to make it a 3-1 game. The Tigers added one run in each of the fourth and fifth innings and Steelville countered with one run in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run blast from Jackson Woods to make it 5-2. Belle’s pitching then held the Cardinals scoreless for the final two innings while their bats turned their three-run lead into a 12-run final margin.

Woods started on the mound for Steelville and threw 107 pitches in six innings, striking out two Tigers. Ripken Halbert pitched the final inning, striking out one batter while scattering two hits.

Halbert accounted for half of Steelville’s hits, roping a pair of singles out of the leadoff spot in the lineup. Carter Wallis moved up to the second spot in the order and drove in a run on a single. Woods walked and stole a base to go along with his home run shot in the fifth inning and Trentin Garrison stole a base to round out the Cardinal’s offensive production. 

Sophomore starting pitcher Ryder Butler earned the win on the mound and drove in a game-high four runs to lead Belle. Freshman third baseman Lathan Miller doubled twice, singled, scored twice and drove in two runs and seniors Hank Stratman and Garrett Gehlert each added a pair of base hits for the Tigers in the win.