Senior Mike Sartor tried to slide home with the Owls' third first-inning run, but was tagged out by Kirksville catcher Aaron Yelton. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

The Marshall baseball seniors have never said die, but perish they did anyway Monday in the first round of the Class 3, District 13 Tournament on the MHS field.

The seventh-seeded Owls gave No. 2 Kirksville a scare while slicing into a seven-run deficit in their final at-bat, but couldn't catch up during a 9-7 loss. Marshall had lost to the Tigers twice already this season, 11-1 and 7-0, but came out firing.

The Owls did something they couldn't do the last time they faced Kirksville junior Cody King: score, and quickly. Senior Josh Glassmaker singled to begin the game and came in on a double from senior Mike Sartor, driven in by senior Ethan Williams' single.

However, after getting roughed up early, King settled down and shut out Marshall the next four frames. That gave the Tigers time to recover.

Senior right-hander Michael Crim got through the first inning unscathed, and may not have been hurt in the second if not for a misplayed King pop-up behind third base which fell harmlessly for a single. Sophomore Trevor Allinson drew a two-out walk, junior Colton Schmidt singled in one run and junior Michael Shoush followed with a two-run double.

A hit batter, a double by junior Travis Mundahl, triple from freshman Bo Western and two errors produced five runs in the Kirksville half of the third.

King knocked his counterpart out of the game with a screaming liner off of Crim's shoulder, then scored on sophomore Derek Allen's single.

However, senior reliever Jared Porter didn't allow the Tigers to strike again over the next two innings, keeping alive Marshall's slim hopes.

The Owls had been in this position before, down seven runs with only one more turn left to bat, and had won with a nine-run rally against Savannah. Could lightning strike again?

It appeared possible when Glassmaker and freshman John Lozano singled and senior Kodi Phillips was hit by a pitch -- for the fourth time in the game -- to load the bases with none out. Sartor singled in two runs and senior Andrew Bridges -- who had doubled off Allen the previous inning when he had taken over for King on the hill -- smashed a two-run homer over the left-field fence.

When Porter was plunked by King -- returning to the mound to preserve his own win -- with two outs, it brought the tying run to the plate. Glassmaker, whose three-run shot gave Marshall its 13-11 win over the Savages in the earlier comeback, was on deck.

It wouldn't get to him, as King induced a grounder by junior Kaleb Brashears to end the game.

Kirksville (15-5) will play Moberly, a 9-2 upset winner over third-seeded Chillicothe, in Wednesday's semifinal round at Boonville.

Not only did the Owls (7-14) improve dramatically from last year's 3-12 record, but first-year head coach Ian Verts was able to work in some promising underclassmen and has put into a place an ambitious summer program which will have the Marshall club playing over three dozen games on a competitive level commensurate to that of the high school season.

Getting in more than last year's dozen warm-weather games should increase the learning curve for the younger Owls, who hopefully have been already well-schooled in the virtue of perseverance by the departing senior class.