Santa Fe's Matt "Puddin'" Lovercamp came within an out of throwing a no-hitter. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

CONCORDIA -- They call him "Puddin'," but there was nothing soft or squishy about Matt Lovercamp's mound performance Monday.

The Santa Fe sophomore came one out away from a no-hitter, striking out 10 while tossing his first career shutout, as the defending Class 1, District 15 Tournament champions hammered first-round opponent Sweet Springs, 20-0 in five innings.

That sort of outcome isn't unusual in match-ups between the top and bottom seeds, especially when the second-ranked Chiefs were facing a young, winless club. Santa Fe's dominance was as apparent at the plate as on the rubber, scoring in crooked numbers in all four turns at bat.

Junior Ben Catlett began a five-run rally in the bottom of the first inning with a double. Junior Taylor Wesley hit an infield single and senior Kenzie Thorp walked to load the bases. Senior Logan Wesley doubled in a pair of runs, two more scored on a bad throw and another errant heave allowed the final run to cross.

The Chiefs batted around in the first, and would do so again in the second, tallying seven runs. A one-out error and walk to Taylor Wesley set the table for Thorp's two-run double. Lovercamp walked, stole second base and followed Thorp across the slab when senior Brandon Schmidt dropped a single into short center field.

Junior Logan Kirchhoff singled in a run, with another coming in on the fourth error of the game at shortstop. Sophomore Austin Rolf's double made it 12-0, although it took an inning before the scoreboard caught up.

Kirchhoff had a two-run double after Thorp's two-bagger and a single by Logan Wesley helped load the bases in the third.

Santa Fe head coach Josh Fisher substituted all but his battery, starting in the fourth. The Chiefs still put up six runs, with RBI singles from Thorp and Lovercamp, a sacks-full walk to force in a run by sophomore Noah Stoll and junior Zac Eastin's two-run single.

Lovercamp threw a perfect three innings before walking sophomore Aaron Schlatweiler to begin the fourth.

The Greyhounds (0-10) saw their first two batters retired in the fifth before sophomore Billy Martin whacked a double to left-center field. Lovercamp fanned the next and last hitter for his fourth win.

Thorp was three-for-three, scored four runs and knocked in three -- and leads Santa Fe (14-0) with a .638 average, 32 runs scored and 31 RBIs.

The Chiefs will meet Bunceton, which defeated Concordia in eight innings, 8-4, in the semifinal round today.