Whether you call it an incredible comeback or a heartbreaking collapse likely depends on which dugout was nearest your seat.
As a two-out popup settled into the glove of Braxton Heater near the St. Paul/Palmer dugout, the Cats spilled onto Malcolm’s field in a celebratory dogpile after stunning the three-time defending state champions, 15-13, in the May 8 district final.
The loss ended both Malcolm’s season and its state-title streak.
The top-ranked Clippers entered districts as heavy favorites, with the path seemingly clearing further when St. Paul/Palmer upset second-seeded Raymond Central 8-7 in the opening round. But the Wildcats came into the final with hot bats and nothing to lose.
“Our scouting report said they were aggressive at the plate,” Malcolm head coach Zach Wehner said. “We knew we’d have to score runs and play solid defense.”
After opening districts with a 10-0 win over Palmyra, Malcolm handed the ball to ace Chase Smith in the final. Early on, though, the Nebraska Wesleyan commit struggled to find the strike zone — and when he did, the Cats pounced.
“The zone seemed pretty tight, and they jumped on anything over the plate,” Wehner said. “Chase had some tough innings, but he also settled in and gave us chances.”
Despite allowing a season-high 12 hits and 10 runs, Smith remained in line for the win, thanks to Malcolm’s offense. The Clippers appeared in control after erupting for seven runs in the fifth inning to turn a 5-5 tie into a 12-5 advantage.
Two innings later, everything unraveled.
A leadoff double, hit batter and walk loaded the bases before Zandyn Weller shifted the momentum as he blasted a grand slam to cut the lead to 13-10.
“I thought after the grand slam cleared off the bases, we might settle back down,” Wehner said. “Instead, they just kept squaring balls up.”
A chaotic inning continued filled with hard-hit balls, strange hops and timely hits as St. Paul/Palmer piled up nine runs, taking a lead Malcolm could not answer.
The top of the Clippers’ lineup was retired in order in the final frame.
When the day began, most believed Malcolm would still secure a wildcard berth even with a loss. But after five of the six top seeds in Class C were upset, the wildcard math shifted dramatically, leaving Auburn and Lincoln Lutheran to claim the final spots.
Malcolm finishes 15-6 after spending the entire season with a target on its back.
“It’s extremely hard to defend a state title,” Wehner said. “Those seniors carried a lot of pressure because they didn’t want to be the group that lost the streak.
“This was a special senior class that worked hard for everything they earned. I hate that it ended this way because they were part of something pretty amazing.”
