PIEDMONT -- It took every hit they could muster and a nail-biting escape Tuesday night but the East Carter Redbirds bested Clearwater again.
Cody Hampton provided the go-ahead RBI double just inside the right-field line, breaking a tie in the fifth inning as the second-seeded Redbirds outlasted Clearwater 4-2 in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament semifinals.
"We had to grind the whole game," Hampton said. "I was going up there to swing at the first pitch in the zone, just trying to put it in play and help our team.
"I got ahold of one."
The win puts East Carter (16-5) in the title game for the fourth time in as many seasons. The Redbirds, who have lost the last two by a combined three runs, will go for their second championship in 10 seasons when they face top-seeded Neeylville at 6 p.m. Thursday.
It also marked the Redbirds' second win over Clearwater (11-6) this season after a 10-4 win on Sept. 25. Only this time the hits were hard to come by and had to be placed just right.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Drew Asher came up with East Carter's third hit of the game, a single. He stole second and advanced to third on a groundout before Hampton stepped to the plate.
The Redbirds' No. 3 hitter lofted a high fly ball over the first baseman's head and out of the reach of a sprinting right fielder to give his team a 3-2 lead.
"When I hit it and saw that nobody was going to catch it I just made the turn and sprinted to second, hoping that run was going to score," Hampton said.
Added East Carter coach Scott Henfling, "He put it right where nobody could get it, the perfect spot. We had speed on the basepaths and when he put it in no-man's land Drew had an easy path home."
Hampton stole third during the next at-bat and trotted home when Jake Andrews lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to set the final score.
Asher threw five solid innings in relief to get the win for East Carter. The senior did not allow a run and gave up just two hits and four walks with six strikeouts on 81 pitches.
Clearwater put the go-ahead run on first and loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh before Asher got a game-ending strikeout.
"The senior stepped up. That's big time," Henfling said of Asher. "He doesn't get rattled on the mound and he's a little cocky, which is good in those situations."
In all, the Tigers stranded nine runners, seven in scoring position, and all three of their hits came from Heath Ayers.
"We kind of just beat it in the ground tonight," Clearwater coach Cole Sheets said. "We weren't the typical line-drive, gap-hitting team that I think we've been all year long."
Ayers, who was 3 for 4, opened the game with a bunt single that was bobbled by East Carter's third baseman. Two more slow rollers off the bats of Jesse Holmes and Fynn Cooper were misplayed at third to load the bases.
Jackson Eaton and Karson Fay followed with back-to-back walks to give Clearwater a 2-0 lead.
With a chance to add more, the Tigers instead hit into an inning-ending double play.
Clearwater's lead didn't hold up long as Asher worked a full count before taking a walk against Holmes, Clearwater's starter, in the bottom of the first. Dalton Rudd drove him in with a double and scored on an error two batters later to tie the game.
Holmes held the Redbirds to four hits but took the loss. He pitched a complete game allowing all four runs with five walks and seven strikeouts.
Clearwater put two runners in scoring position in the second as Gage Keller walked and Heath Ayers reached on a fielder's choice. But Hampton, East Carter's starter, got a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat.
"You've got to tip your cap to their pitchers because they just made pitches all night," Sheets said. "We definitely didn't capitalize when we needed to."
It was the final inning for Hampton, who got a strikeout and walked three on 45 pitches. The right-hander will be available to throw in the championship game, according to Henfling.
"He didn't pound the zone early I know as much as he or I would've liked and we need to change it up," Henfling added. "The good thing is we've still got his arm and I know he'll be ready to go Thursday."