OZARK, MO -- The Irish pulled off yet another nailbiter in extra innings on Wednesday night at Sky Bacon Field in Ozark. Ben Smith led the Irish on the mound in his final start for Catholic, going eight full innings and finishing with 104 pitches. 

The Irish jumped out to an early lead scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jack Schoen took advantage of an Excelsior Springs error and scored. Coleman Morrison followed up with a stand-up triple to right field, driving in Nic Ruter. The Tigers evened the game up, scoring two runs on a single to center field.

After the second inning, the pitchers for both teams settled in, delivering goose eggs in innings three through 6. The Tigers made the decision to pull their starter after the sixth inning but the Irish stuck with Ben Smith. After retiring the side on 10 pitches in the top of the 8th, the Irish came to the plate with the heart of their lineup. Ben Smith started the inning with a deep shot to left-center, bringing the Catholic fan base to their feet.

"The coaches told me before the at-bat I have to do something to get the other guys going," Smith said. "We knew that guy was predominantly fastballs on the mound, and I knew I was going to get fastballs. I felt confident and I just swung my hardest."

The Tigers battled back, striking out two of the next three Irish and bringing Logan Ripper to the plate with runners on first & second and two away. On the very first pitch of the at-bat, Logan Ripper sat back and drove a breaking ball towards the second basemen. The ball deflected off the tip of the defenders glove and skipped into no-mans land in the outfield. Courtesy runner Quinn Northrup got a good jump on the hit and quickly rounded third, beating the throw home to end the game. 

"I love that pressure", Ripper said. It puts me in a spot where I have to get something done and I just love it. I love that sense of do something. It gets me riled up. It is more or less a tunnel vision. It is nerves but a lot of tunnel vision. You are focused on what the pitcher wants to throw and you see the ball and jump on it."

This was the second game winning at-bat for Ripper in as many games after last Thursday's 2-run homer against Nevada in the Class 4 sectional victory. 

The Irish will face 2-ranked John Burroughs in the MSHSAA Class 4 finals tomorrow night. This is the second straight championship appearance for the Irish.