Despite a disappointing end in district semifinal play, the Montgomery County baseball team enjoyed another outstanding season that included its ninth Eastern Missouri Conference championship and an undefeated season at home.

The Wildcats finished 14-6 overall and 9-1 in EMO play. They finished in a tie for first in the conference standings with Elsberry, which lost to MCHS on May 3. They also played seven home games and won all of them.

MCHS clinched a share of the conference title by cruising past North Callaway 7-0 on May 8 at home, just five days after beating Elsberry. The Wildcats came into the contest tied for second with the Thunderbirds in the conference standings at 8-1.

“It was huge,” said Jace Ellis, who pitched the complete-game victory over North Callaway. “We were super close to winning a district title last year, so we wanted this one bad.”

Ellis said the league championship was special for the senior class of Travis Hill and Harrison Bishop. Hill and Bishop played for the Wildcats for three years.

“It was awesome for them,” Ellis said. “They played super good. They’ve been the leaders for this team all year. They do the little things. They show up every day with a good attitude.”

Next year, the Wildcats will return Ellis, juniors Dayton Simmons, Mason Leu, Bryson Hoffmann and Djordje Golubovic, sophomores Tatum Wessel, Brayden Harris, Burke King, Jonah Happe, Zack Welker, Bryson Nichols, Landon Pottebaum and Jacob Hogue and freshmen Edwin Garcia, Cameron Knapp, Noah Beck, Mac Farrar, Colby Ellis, Seth Walton, Adrian Combs and Chase Queathem.

The Wildcats won their first four games, beating Duchesne, Silex, Mark Twain and South Callaway by a combined score of 39-5. MCHS was 9-2 after getting a five-game winning streak in late April.

After losing their first conference game of the season at Wright City on April 29, the Wildcats bounced back with a come-from-behind, 11-8 win over Elsberry that gave them an opportunity to finish with a share of the EMO title. MCHS was down 6-5 in the top of the sixth before it came back to win.

“In that one, we came out a little strong,” said MCHS coach Vince Wolk, who wrapped up his fourth year as coach and has 51 wins. “Then, it was back and forth and back and forth. We eventually took over.”

MCHS wrapped up its home season on May 11 with a 5-4 win over Centralia. The Wildcats scored all of their runs in the bottom of the seventh to finish with an undefeated home season. They also had home wins over Mark Twain, Bowling Green, Van-Far and Wellsville-Middletown.

MCHS had its season ended on May 15 with a 7-0 loss to Hermann in a Class 3, District 7 semifinal game at South Callaway, making it the second year in a row the Wildcats were eliminated in district semifinal play.

Ellis, Bishop, Hill and Leu were the Wildcats’ representative on the all-conference team. Bishop, Ellis, Leu, Hill, Garcia and Simmons earned all-district honors.