Cobb perfect for Rams

Scott City's Skylar Cobb is mobbed by teammates after tossing a perfect game against Kelly in the Class 2, District 3 Tournament on Tuesday afternoon in Perryville. Chris Pobst, Staff

All good words to describe Scott City senior Skylar Cobb on Tuesday afternoon but only one fits the bill.

Perfect.

Cobb tossed a perfect game against the Kelly Hawks in the first round of the Class 2, District 3 tournament in Perryville as the Rams rode Cobb's performance to a 4-0 win.

"I'm feeling really good right now," Cobb said. "My arm still feels good. We got the win and we get to come back tomorrow. That's the main thing."

"That's something you never really envision yourself being apart of," Scott City head coach Lance Amick said. "When you get to witness it you just sit back in awe and just think how good you had to be to do something like that."

Cobb faced the minimum of 21 batters in seven innings while striking out an astonishing 17 batters. He threw 68 strikes and a lowly 14 balls. That's almost a strike-to-ball ratio of 5:1.

"I felt good out there," Cobb said. "It's been awhile since I've threw. Here lately I've really been ready to play but the rain has been holding it off. I was just really ready to go."

This was Cobb's second no-hitter of his career. His first one happened earlier this year against the East Prairie Eagles which was nearly a perfect game itself. He gave up a walk to Connor Scott in the second inning.

"You just can't have it happen to a better kid," Amick said. "He's just a top-notch kid, ball player and citizen.

"It couldn't have happened to a better person. He's an amazing kid."

Like all exceptional pitching outings, there were a few late inning scares that had Cobb, Amick and the rest of the Rams holding their breath.

In the top of the sixth inning, Kelly's Jeff Gates hit a small bloop just over the pitcher's mound. After a generous, and somewhat awkward bounce right back to him, Cobb scooped up the ball and flung an over-the-top throw to Justin Modglin at first base to barely edge the hustling Gates.

"It had a little english on it," Cobb said. "When it bounced it came back to me, so that helped out."

"You could see his eyes light up," Amick said about the play. "He knew what was at stake because you saw the panic there.

"It's just nerve-racking watching that from (in the dugout)."

Other than a dribbler down the third base line that was wisely touched foul by Jamie Scholz, Cobb wasn't threatened again in the last two innings.

"The last two innings I got a little bit nervous when I walked out there," admitted Cobb. "You try not to think about it but you can't help it."

Gates and Kelly starter Ian Householder were the only two Hawks to put the ball in play.

Householder surrendered nine hits to Scott City while Ryan Fortner led the Rams with three hits including a double. Cobb drove in the game's first run in the first inning with a double.

Scott City (15-4) scored two more runs in the third inning and their last in the sixth.

"We got some good swings on (Householder) in the first and second innings but, other than that, we really didn't hit the ball like we're capable of," Amick said.

Scott City will try and build off of what Cobb started as they strive to remain perfect throughout districts. They will play East Prairie today at 4 p.m. for a chance at a district championship.

Kelly finished their season with a 4-16 record.

WP -- Skylar Cobb. LP -- Ian Householder. Multiple hitters -- (S) Landon Robert 2-3, Ryan Fortner 3-3. 2B -- (S) Robert, Cobb, Fortner.

East Prairie 3, St. Vincent 0

PERRYVILLE -- East Prairie's Connor Scott did his best Skylar Cobb impression in the very next game of the Class 2, District 3 tournament with a three-hit shutout against the St. Vincent Indians on Tuesday evening.

"Anytime we throw him out there we feel like we've got a chance," East Prairie head coach Gary Scott said. "Some guys made some plays behind him, the outfield made some good plays and (Connor) gave us a chance to win."

Scott struck out five batters in his seven innings as the Eagles scored all three of their runs in the first inning.

Dalton Golightly scored their first run on a passed ball while Kaleb Williford and Ryan Mathis scored later in the frame.

The Eagles tagged St. Vincent (7-11) early but was shut down the remaining six innings. Although, the way Connor Scott was dealing, that was all it would take.

"We knew when we got three in the first we had a chance," said Scott. "We had a couple opportunities throughout the game to push another run or two across and we just couldn't get the big hit or make anything happen.

"Luckily, three stood up and we got out with a win."

East Prairie (13-9) will now face the Scott City Rams for a chance at the district championship game.

WP -- Connor Scott. LP -- Corey Sauer. 2B -- (S) Kyle Rollet.

Charleston 10, Woodland 9

PERRYVILLE -- A two-strike, bases loaded double by Charleston's Ethan Browning gave the Bluejays back their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as the No. 2 seed Bluejays defeated the Woodland Cardinals 10-9.

Charleston (16-7) had opened up the game with a 5-1 lead in the first inning highlighted by a 3-run home run by Danny McKinney and an RBI triple by James Naile. But, the Cardinals answered with six runs in the top of the second which would give them the lead until Browning's heroics in the fifth.

"Ethan Browning comes up with a clutch hit with the bases jacked," Minner said. "And what a job by our group of kids that we have to have do good things.

"That's just a tribute to our kids. We don't quit."

Charleston sophomore Marshall Stallings received the surprise start after the recent weather cancellations had the Bluejays searching for an answer. For Minner, Stallings was that solution.

"When the rain came and somebody had to step up, Marshall did a tremendous job," Minner said. "The kid has thrown 3 2/3 innings all year and we throw him in the district opener and he battles his tail off.

"He put us in the position to win and he's the reason we won the ball game by keeping it close."

Naile relieved Stallings in the fifth inning and earned the win in the process.

Charleston will play Meadow Heights in the district semifinals today at 2 p.m.

WP -- James Naile. LP -- Neil Johnson. Multiple hitters -- (W) Andrew Minson 2-4; (C) Naile 2-4, Marshall Stallings 2-3. 2B -- (W) C.J. McAllister; (C) Ethan Browning. 3B -- (C) Naile. HR -- (W) Johnson, David Gray; (C) Danny McKinney.