ELLINGTON -- Gavin Brown and Dalton Hobgood provided the highlights for Bernie.
Unfortunately for the Mules, the Whippets provided many more memorable moments and beat Bernie 12-6 in the first round of the MSHSAA Class 2 playoffs Monday at Elllington.
The Whippets dominated early, taking an 11-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning, and they came within one out of ending the game early on the 10-run mercy rule.
However, Bernie loaded the bases, and with two outs, Brown smacked a grand slam, keeping the Mules in the hunt.
"We didn't start out the game how we wanted," Bernie coach Marcus Massey said. "They kind of jumped out on us early. They continued to pour it on through the third and we were down 6-1. They came up and had another big inning in the fifth and scored five more. We were kind of on the ropes. We could've lost the game there, but we didn't.
"We had some good at-bats that inning, and Gavin Brown had a big hit and scratched four across and kind of made it a game again. I'm proud of them for not giving up in that situation."
While Hobgood went 0-for-2 reaching base on an error, the senior's mere presence in the lineup was a highlight. Hobgood, the team's top player in the fall season, missed the entire regular season this spring after tearing his ACL before the start of basketball season. Only those close to the team knew that Hobgood would start at second base and bat sixth in the lineup.
"(Dalton) got released Friday, so he hasn't had many practices or anything like that," Massey said. "Normally he plays shortstop, but we were worried about his mobility. At least he got to come in and play a game as a senior and get to perform one last time."
The top five batters in the Whippets' lineup combined for 13 of the team's 17 hits. Leadoff batter Will Copeland went 3 for 3 with a double, two home runs, three RBIs and five runs scored.
"In the last two weeks, he's been locked in," Ellington coach Jake Hime said. "I don't know if we have anybody other than Kaleb Richards hitting the ball as solid as he is right now. Even when he's not hitting the ball, he's finding a way to get on base for us and just being a great leadoff man."
Richards, who hits third, went 3 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Batting fifth, Dillon Buckner went 3 for 4 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. Second-place hitter Trevor Copeland and cleanup batter Cameron Brewer had two hits each.
"It's really come in ups and downs for us," Hime said of the Whippets' offense. "We've been a solid hitting club. I think we're hitting .370 or .380 as a team. ... When the bats show up this year, we have been tough to beat. They were definitely there for us today."
Brewer and Garrett Morris singled home runs in the top of the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Brown doubled and scored on a single by Wyatt Barnett, cutting the Whippets' lead in half in the bottom of the first.
Brown finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored.
"He's hard to get out," Hime said of Brown. "He hit the ball solid all day long. He was a thorn in our side."
Will Copeland belted a solo homer in the second inning, and Buckner singled home another run against relief pitcher Barnett for a 4-1 lead in the second.
Brown pitched the first 1 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and no strikeouts.
Will Copeland smacked a two-run homer in the third for a 6-1 lead.
"We were behind. We were up in the zone," Massey said of his pitchers. "We'd get behind and then leave one up high and they didn't miss it. That's a great job by them being disciplined and waiting for the right pitch and driving it somewhere."
Richards doubled home two runs in the fifth, and Buckner hit a three-run homer to give Ellington an 11-1 lead.
The Mules loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Jaden McGowan doubled, Hunter Slavings was struck by a pitch, and Josh Vaughn reached base on an error by the shortstop. After Weston Zoll struck out, Brown homered to left-center field to keep the Mules alive.
After a scoreless sixth, Will Copeland doubled and scored when Richards occupied Bernie's infielders in a rundown.
The Mules scored a run against relief pitcher Buckner in the seventh. Vaughn drew a leadoff walk and scored on an error by the center fielder following a single by Brown.
Buckner struck out Barnett and induced a ground out to second by Nate Dillinger to end the game.
Richards was the winning pitcher, permitting five runs (three earned) on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in six innings.
Brown was charged with the loss.
"It's the first playoff baseball game Ellington's hosted in 15 years," Hime said. "For our fans to get this opportunity to come out here and just enjoy the day, it was amazing."
Massey was pleased with what the Mules accomplished this season.
"We went 19-2 in the fall and 17-6 in the spring. A lot of people don't realize the adversity we went through," Massey said. "We lost four guys from injury or whatever from the fall to the spring season. We had several guys playing new roles on the team and hitting in different spots.
"For them to come out and compete and win a district title despite everything that went on, I'm just super proud of this group for being able to do that."
Besides Hobgood, the Mules lost Mason Mayberry to a torn rotator cuff and Trenton Johnson to a broken hand. Another senior didn't return to the squad this spring.
Ellington (17-7) will face either Valle Catholic or Van-Far in a quarterfinal on Wednesday at a time and site to be determined.