Tallman delivers on mound and at plate to guide Palmyra to district baseball championship

SHELBINA, Mo. — It didn’t take long for the Palmyra baseball team to take control.

The challenge was to keep it.

Ethan Tallman and a stout bullpen made sure that was never a worry.

Tallman worked the first five innings of Wednesday’s Class 3 District 6 championship game, surrendering one unearned run while striking seven. He turned the ball over to the bullpen with Nolyn Richards and Alex Loman each working a scoreless frame to preserve a 6-2 victory over Clark County at South Shelby High School.

It is Palmyra’s third straight district championship and 13th in program history. It also sends retiring head coach Mark Loman out with one final postseason run.

The Panthers (12-10-1) will face Elsberry (17-11) in the sectionals next Tuesday at Flower City Park in Palmyra.

After Tallman struck out the side in the top of the first, the Panthers seized control by scoring four times in the bottom of the frame. Landyn Smith led off with a single, stole second and scored on Alex Wilson’s single up the middle.

One out later, Wilson took second on a passed ball and scored on Loman’s single up the middle. Rayce Ragar’s single put runners at the corners, and after a strikeout, Tallman doubled to right field to plate both runners.

Clark County answered with a run in the top of the second, but Palmyra came right back with one in the bottom of the frame by scratching a run across with two outs. Wilson walked, advanced to third on Adam Goodwin’s single and scored on Loman’s single.

Tallman added an RBI double in the fifth.

Goodwin, Loman and Tallman each had two hits as the Panthers finished with 10 hits.