SALISBURY, Mo. - With a lineup full of mashing marauders, you couldn't blame Plattsburg's powerful lineup for getting a little antsy and swinging for the fences on occasion.

But patience seems to be a virtue these Tigers possess in spades.

Using a calculated hitting approach, Plattsburg dissected Salisbury's entire pitching staff Monday during a 9-0 blowout victory during a Class 2 sectional matchup at Philpott Field. The Tigers rapped out 12 hits, drew seven walks and put the Panthers on edge with unyielding pressure on the base paths.

"These guys did a nice job of sitting back and driving the ball, and part of our patience was being able to drive the ball from the other way," Plattsburg coach Jason Boldt said. "It's great. We're that way one through nine."

After bowing out in sectionals a year ago, Plattsburg advances to the quarterfinal round. The Tigers on Wednesday will play the winner of No. 3 Lexington and Lafayette County, which was postponed until today because of weather.

Monday's hit parade illustrated just how lethal the Tigers can be at the plate. Facing No. 1 Salisbury starter Austin Springer, who came in with an 8-1 record, Plattsburg used a tolerant game plan to run up his pitch count in a hurry and chase him from the game.

Plattsburg's bevy of right-handed hitters watched a multitude of pitches pass them by through the first three innings against the crafty righty and drew four walks as a result. When they did swing, the Tigers almost always slapped the ball the opposite way - often down the right field line - and used their wealth of speed to circle the bases.

Leading 1-0 in the top of the fourth, senior outfielder Erik May helped spark a three-run burst with a bloop single to right that brought in Kristian Foster. Austin Shaver and May soon crossed the plate, as well, and the rout was on.

"I'm a big guy, so a lot of people underestimate how fast I am," said May, who is playing baseball for the first time since his freshman year. "I'm fine with just hitting little dinkers out in the outfield and beating out ground balls."

The same could be said of the team's entire lineup, as every starter contributed by scoring or driving in at least one run. Even more, four players recorded multiple-hit games for Plattsburg (17-5).

With 68 pitches through four innings of work, Springer was lifted in favor of Ian Clark, who also struggled with his command and gave up three walks in 1 1/3 innings.

"It was a real small strike zone to start with, and we were all around it all day," Salisbury coach Kirk Stott said.

Plattsburg's Taylor Davis, meanwhile, turned in perhaps his best performance of the year atop the mound. The Tigers' senior used his diverse repertoire to hurl a complete-game shutout - his first of the season - and move to 8-1 on the year.

Hardly flawless in the early stages, Davis worked around base runners in the first two innings with the help of two double plays from his infield. The Tigers' three-sport senior also helped himself out with by picking off Austin Scheiderer in the third and faced the minimum through three innings.

The only real trouble Davis got into was in the fourth, when Salisbury (14-4) loaded the bases with two outs on two walks and a single. But Shaver made a routine play on a grounder to second base from Derek Henke to end the threat.

"There's a great defense behind them, and when Taylor and Korbin (Hicks) need to use it, they're there and step up real well," Boldt said.

After his spot of trouble, Davis faced just one more batter than the minimum in the final three innings. In all, he allowed only one runner to reach third base the entire game and surrendered just three hits, striking out three.

With solid performances in every phase of the game and a balanced lineup full of threats, the upstart Tigers are one win away from their second trip to state in five years after a fourth-place finish in 2004.

"We're having a great time," Davis said. "Now we've got to keep it going."