South Callaway wins Class 3 title, beats Valley Park 4-0

South Callaway players swarm pitcher Graysan Peneston (center) after he pitched a five-hitter Thursday afternoon in a 4-0 win against Valley Park in the Class 3 state championship game at CarShield Field in O'Fallon.
South Callaway players swarm pitcher Graysan Peneston (center) after he pitched a five-hitter Thursday afternoon in a 4-0 win against Valley Park in the Class 3 state championship game at CarShield Field in O'Fallon.

O'FALLON, Mo. - For a spectacular change, Peyton Leeper turned around and duplicated the extraordinary feat from the other side.

South Callaway's switch-hitting shortstop blasted his second three-run home run in as many days - executing it this time as a left-handed hitter - as the Bulldogs locked up the Class 3 state title with a 4-0 victory Thursday afternoon against Valley Park at CarShield Field.

Graysan Peneston tossed a five-hit shutout as South Callaway redeemed itself following last year's disappointing fourth-place finish in Class 3, securing its second state championship after winning a Class 2 title in 2012. The Bulldogs rolled a seven - as in winning streak - to complete their championship season with a 28-5 record.

"I don't know exactly what it means just yet, but it was a pleasure to watch these guys every day show up, never get complacent - work their tails off, get there early, leave late," South Callaway coach Heath Lepper said. "They had a mission, they knew what they wanted to accomplish and then they went and got it done.

"That's special - that doesn't happen very often. That the expectation, when you start the season, is to go out and win a state title - and then go do it - that's awesome."

Leeper put on a dazzling display at the Final Four, commencing with his three-run shot as a right-handed hitter to stamp the Bulldogs' eight-run outburst in the second inning of Wednesday night's 10-0 semifinal dismantling of Knob Noster.

After taking a called third strike in the bottom of the first inning Thursday, Leeper demolished the first pitch he saw from Valley Park starter Austin Schmitt in the third for a three-run shot over the fence in right-center.

"I was just trying to hit the ball solid, I was looking for a fastball," said Leeper, who doubled his season total for home runs in the past two days. " (Wednesday night) I hit a curveball out - I was thinking curveball when I hit it; I was looking for that pitch.

"I definitely hit them (both) hard enough and I knew they were gone."

Almost lost in the excitement about his homers were a pair of electrifying defensive plays by Leeper on Thursday. He made a diving stop to his left on a ground ball in the second and then chased a foul ball deep down the third-base line in the fifth and came up with a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch.

"He's a special kid - they don't come along very often," Lepper said. " He's a joy to watch, and he's going to be a joy to watch for a long time.

"His baseball IQ, his hitting IQ is phenomenal. He knows what his strengths and weaknesses are - he knows how to hit at a level that not very many high-schoolers get to."

South Callaway did all of its damage against Schmitt in the third, delivering its four runs on all four of its hits. The bottom part of the batting order jump-started the Bulldogs as Drake Davidson and Tyklen Salmons - their Nos. 7-8 hitters - led off the inning with back-to-back singles.

With one out, Kaden Helsel dropped a single into left-center and Davidson barely beat the relay throw home with a headfirst slide to put South Callaway on the scoreboard. Leeper then lit up the atmosphere at CarShield Field with his three-run launch to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 edge.

"If you look at those at-bats (Davidson's and Salmons') and what they did - I don't know how many pitches they were - it shows you, top to bottom in the lineup, these kids fight and they fight for every pitch," Lepper said. "We've talked several times throughout this year, one pitch at a time.

"Offensively for those two guys, it was one pitch at a time. They get on ahead of some pretty big sticks, and those big sticks do their job. It's a joy to watch whenever you can have the bottom (of the lineup) get on and the top hit them in."

South Callaway supplied Peneston with more than enough offense as he blanked Valley Park (24-3) on five singles. Peneston (9-2) - the Bulldogs' only senior - struck out four and walked none.

Peneston also made a flashy defensive play of his own when he speared a sharp line drive for the final out in the sixth, punching the air as he bounced off the mound and headed to the dugout.

"I saw that ball coming at me and I got a little nervous. I was like, 'Is the ball hit hard or what's going to happen?'" said Peneston, who will play at the collegiate level at Hannibal-LaGrange University next year. "I just happened to stick my glove out and make a play.

"After that, I knew there was no way they were going to beat me in that seventh inning. I had just enough pitches and I was going to get the job done, no matter what it took."

Lepper was delighted to see Peneston end his high school career as a state champion.

"I can't be more happy than what he is probably right now, for him, but looking at the smile on his face, he loves it," Lepper said. "He deserves it - he's a great kid, he's a great leader on our team.

"We're going to miss him a bunch."

Lepper appreciated the path his Bulldogs persevered to reach the summit of Class 3 baseball.

"We don't take anything for granted," said Lepper, who got to share the state title with his two sons - junior second baseman Dylan and freshman pitcher-outfielder Tyler. "We play a tough schedule and it was not an easy road to get here. If you look at the teams that these boys had to go through, it makes it all that much more special."