Oh, so close.
Gruver did so many good things on the baseball field vs. Ropes Thursday during its Region I-2A Division II championship best 2-of-3 series at Bushland High School.
Like terrific starting pitching, first by the dealing Jett Pittman and then bulldog Briggs Satterfield, the pair combining for 19 strikeouts and allowing three runs in 14 1/3 innings of work.
Like solid defense with three errors over 17 innings of play.
Like just plain good ol’ grit, erasing a 3-0 deficit in game two with a pair of runs in the fifth and tying things up with a run in the sixth inning.
But timely hitting wasn’t one of the good things happening to Gruver as it produced runs in two of the 17 innings played on Thursday.
That struggle at the plate meant Gruver’s impressive 2026 baseball season ended with a 19-3 record and with two tightly-contested losses Thursday to Ropes, the first an outstanding pitcher’s duel ending in a 2-0 10-inning loss, then the second a 4-3 heartbreaker with the game tied after six innings.
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With the sweep Ropes (28-5) advances to the 2A Division II state semifinals where it meets the winner of the Muenster-Collinsville series. Collinsville is the defending 2A DII state champion.
Gruver exits the playoffs in the same round as last year.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” said Gruver head baseball coach Khris Kelp, his team losing its first game of the season and then reeling off 19 straight wins. “I assure you they wanted to win and score runs. I felt we had some opportunities. We just weren’t able to produce. Sometimes it’s just isn’t in the cards.”
Game one was simply an instant playoff baseball classic with neither team producing a run until Ropes came up with a pair of unconventional runs in the top of the 10th.
That’s right, the 10th.
Because of the dominate pitching of Gruver starter Jeff Pittman and the combined effort on the bump by Ropes starter Elijah Flores and reliever Cutter Stumbo, any run in in this one was going to be pure gold.
Pittman was brilliant pitching nine innings, not allowing a run, striking out 13, giving up four hits, one walk and allowing one runner past second base. Going nine innings in high school ball is of the charts amazing when you consider there is 110-pitch count limit.
Pittman’s numbers at any level of baseball usually guarantee a win. But while Pittman was shutting down Ropes, Gruver was having its own issue at the plate against Flores and Stumbo.
Flores pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings allowing two hits, while Stumbo closed with 4 2/3 scoreless innings also allowing two hits.
But it was Gruver with the best chance to break open the scoreless tie and win the game when it loaded the bases with one out in each the sixth and 10th innings only to come away empty hand.
In the sixth, Gruver loaded the bases without a hit when Satterfield reached by an infield error then went to second on a wild pitch. Pittman was then hit by a Flores pitch. Flores was pulled for Stumbo with runners at first and second.
Gruver’s Colton Jones then drew a walk off Stumbo loading the bases with one out.
However, Stumbo produced the first of his seven strikeouts getting Bo Cowan. Disaster struck Gruver when Ropes catcher Zack Ramirez threw down to first after Cowan’s third strike and the back-pick play worked ending the inning with a double play.
Ropes broke open the scoreless tie in the 10th inning scoring what would be the two winning runs.
Gruver reliever Brock Buttler opened the 10th strong producing two quick outs with flyouts out of Jaiuyth Cruz and Ramirez. Flores then doubled in the left/center gap. Brayden Hogg followed with a single to shallow right field and Ropes pinch runner Garland Higginbotham was all go running from second base to try and score.
Gruver right fielder Mason Lankford threw a perfect one hooper off the turf to Greyhound catcher Cowan easily getting the sliding Higginbotham.
But the umpires ruled Higginbotham had been interfered rounding third by Gruver third baseman Pittman and was awarded the run and the 1-0 lead.
Ropes’ Cason Kucel followed with another short single to right field. Lankford’s throw to third to try and get Hogg eluded Pittman at third and Hogg scored for the 2-0 lead as the ball was ruled out of play as it snuck/stuck under the fence. Kucel was awarded third base. Butler answered stranding Kucel at third by striking out Branson Simental.
Gruver didn’t go quietly in the bottom of the 10th when Merritt Cudd led off reaching first base on an infield error, Satterfield beat out a slowly hit ball to second base with his hustle, then Pittman followed with a clutch single to right.
Gruver had the pressure on Ropes pitcher Stumbo with the bases loaded and one out.
Jones stepped in and hit a hard grounder to Ropes third baseman Kade Franklin. Franklin scooped the grounder, alertly touched third for the second out and threw home to catcher Ramirez who tagged out Cudd for the game-clinching double play.
In game two, Gruver outhit Ropes 8 to 5, but it was Ropes jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead off Gruver starter Satterfield. But Satterfield battled back as those were the lone three runs he allowed pitching into the sixth inning giving up four hits, striking out six and walking two.
Led by Cowan’s three hits and two RBIs, Gruver scratched a pair of runs off starter Franklin in the fifth inning, then tied game at 3-3 in the sixth inning perfecting small ball when Lankford put down a squeeze bunt plating Simon Ward from third.
But in the bottom of the seven inning, Ropes loaded the bases with two outs and scored the winning run on Butler’s wild pitch completing the sweep.
“Jett and Briggs have been Tuesday/Friday starters all year,” Gruver coach Kelp said. “Those two guys have consistently got it done all year. Today Jett pitched exceptionally. I mean we have our starter still in the 9th inning. Incredible. And then Briggs is just so gamey. So competitive. He grinds it out.
“Like I said, so proud and pleased of this entire team. We had our opportunities.”