PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Gavin Bristow has been told all season that one of these days, he's going to have to win the game for Malden.
He did just that Wednesday when he scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat West County 4-3 and send Malden to the MSHSAA Class 3 semifinals. It is the second game in a row where the Green Wave scored on a walk-off passed ball.
"It don't feel real," Malden senior Dee Triplett said. "This is amazing man."
The reason Bristow has been told his moment was coming is that he hits fourth behind Triplett, who hits north of .550 with six home runs and is often intentionally walked.
One of these days, a team was going to walk Triplett and take its chances with Bristow. That happened in Malden's previous game; Bristow singled in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and a bases loaded to tie the game. Drew Blankenship won it on a passed ball during the next at-bat.
Bristow thought his moment might come in the bottom of the seventh against West County with the score tied at 3 and the top of the Malden lineup due up.
"I knew (the pressure) was coming all season. Right when (the 7th inning) started, I knew the top of the lineup was coming up, I knew if Drew got on they were going to walk Dee. It didn't happen that way," Bristow said.
Triplett grounded out to second to end the inning, making Bristow the leadoff batter in the eighth.
As he stepped to the plate, players in the Malden dugout asserted Bristow was fixing to hit a home run.
He came a few feet short.
His fly ball deep to opposite field landed at the bottom of the fence for a double.
Malden's next two batters popped up to the catcher and struck out, leaving Bristow at second.
"I was really hoping that ball would get up and get out of here," Malden coach Tim Harmon said. "Had a chance with a leadoff double and we almost squandered that opportunity."
With a 1-2 count, Bristow stole third, and Ethan Bader worked a full count before being hit by a pitch. He also stole second to take away the force out.
Bristow wasn't being held on and took a big lead from third.
"I was going to take whatever chance I could to get home," he said.
When the passed ball flew toward the brick backstop, Bristow took off and dove head first across home plate, sliding through the back of the pitcher's legs and taking him off his feet as the Green Wave stormed the field.
"I was running hard, I was like 'I got to get there.' I saw the catcher was still chasing for the ball. First thing that came to my mind was 'We're going to state' as soon as I touched home plate," Bristow said. "It's going to take a minute before it all sinks in. It is just an amazing experience all the way around."
Malden will face Holden (23-4) at 4 p.m. Tuesday at CarSheild Field in O'Fallon, Mo. Hallsville (20-4) and Strafford (24-4) represent the other side of the bracket.
The third-place game is at 11 a.m. Wednesday at CarSheild Field with the championship game to follow.
The Green Wave escaped a series of jams before winning in extra innings. West County stranded the bases loaded in the third, fifth and seventh innings.
"We hit a ball as hard as we could hit it (in the third inning). Six inches either way and it probably clears the bases, but that is baseball," West County coach John Simily said. "Losing on a passed ball is tough, but that is baseball."
Instead, that hard line drive up the middle was snared by Malden second baseman Dalton Lewis, who stepped on second for an inning-ending double play.
Malden then took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third after three walks, including one with the bases loaded, an RBI fielder's choice by Mason Brown, and a throwing error on the play that scored a third run.
In the fifth, Malden pitcher Tye Miller walked three guys and hit a batter to gift West County its first run.
With the bases loaded, West County popped up to second base and Lewis again ended its chances at a tie game.
Miller struggled with his control into the sixth inning and allowed two runs to score before Triplett relieved him. Miller had five strikeouts with six walks
"I couldn't locate. I felt like I had better velocity than I normally do, probably just the adrenaline going, but I couldn't locate as well," Miller said. "As you could see I just walked the house a few times, got myself in jams. The zone was tight all day for both sides and I couldn't find it."
With two outs and runners on the corners, West County went for the double steal. The Green Wave threw to second base. Miller dropped down to a knee to catch the low throw as the runner held. He then jumped up and threw home for a perfect strike for the third out.
"Miller comes up with a pinpoint throw at home. If we don't handle that they take the lead," Harmon said.
In the seventh, Triplett walked the bases full before getting a strikeout and a flyout to center for the Green Wave to escape one more time.
"It was all or nothing with Triplett. He couldn't get it down, the umpire had a fairly tight strike zone most of the game, you've just got to find it," Harmon said. "I challenged him. 'It's your senior year boss man. Ain't nobody left. It's do or die. Either you pull through for us or you don't. I can't take the ball from you right now.'"
West County retired the side in the bottom of the seventh, Triplett struck out the side in the top of the eighth, and Bristow closed the show in a way that is suddenly typical Malden baseball.