North Callaway played the type of game it wanted and needed on Thursday.

North Callaway at Mexico Photo Gallery

In the first game of pool play in the Southern Boone Classic tournament in Mexico, the Class 3 No. 7 Thunderbirds lost 2-1 to Class 4 Mexico (16-10) in game that only featured nine hits. Carter Moore allowed two unearned runs to lose the pitcher's duel against Drew DeMint. 

Head coach Kirt Kleindienst said North Callaway (16-3) was on the losing end, but this is still the best and "most complete" game he has seen from his team this season. 

"We only four strikeouts as a team, and we had about 10-12 barrels and I believe eight of those 10-12 barrels were at a guy," Kleindienst said. "That makes me happy because we swinging the bat at strikes and hitting them."

These types of games leave not much margin for error, but Kleindienst said those are games that should be expected when districts begin later this month. Any mistakes are magnified like a baserunning miscue that occured in the seventh inning when a runner was thrown out at third base on a hit by CJ Cunningham, who went 2-for-3. 

There were a couple defensive lapses that allowed Mexico to take an extra base like when a run scored in the fourth inning on an outfield throw that became loose and when a runner advanced to third base on a another loose ball on a catcher's throw back to the pitcher in the fifth inning. That runner scored on a RBI groundout.

"Those mistakes cost you in districts, and that's why this is my favorite tournament of the year," Kleindienst said. "This shows that, if you make mistakes like that against teams in this tournament, you lose. That's the message I have to drive and use this game as an example heading into districts."

The Southern Boone Classic field this year has four state-ranked teams and three of them are in North Callaway's pool, including the Thunderbirds and Class 4 Nos. 2 and 5 Moberly and Fulton. Class 4 No. 7 Southern Boone is in the pool being played at Southern Boone.

Kleindienst said North Callaway was great defensively other than those miscues and definitely better than the season-high seven errors in the 15-2 five-inning loss to Mexico earlier this season. Second baseman Coltyn O'Neal made an off-balance throw for an out at first base, third baseman Tucker Sheets caught a liner and turned a double play at first, and shortstop Keaton Bell also turned a double play and had another play that impressed Kleindienst.

"The best defensive play of the game was KB going three or four steps into the hole (away from first base) and throwing somebody out at first base who isn't slow," Kleindienst said. "It was fun to watch."

Moore had a RBI single in the first inning and then turned in a complete six innings with four hits, four walks, three strikeouts, and no earned runs. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 27 1/3 innings. 

Kleindienst said Moore battled despite not getting some "50-50" strike zone calls and prevented any "ugly, scary, silly" innings. 

"We got him to speed up his tempo while, at the same time, working off of his offspeed, which is exceptional," Kleindienst said. "Besides that, he has 100 percent been all over the zone. He is competing with every pitch to get balls in play, and he has been our best strikeout pitcher."

In the next pool games on Friday in Mexico, North Callaway faces Moberly (23-4) at 2:30 p.m. and then Fulton (16-4) right after at around 5 p.m.