KENNETT, Mo. - A half dozen Kennett Indian baseball players from the Class of 2024 capped their regular season schedules Tuesday with a 3-2 loss against a tough Jackson Indian squad at home on Senior Night.
Peyton Branum, Matt Gardner, Carter Shewmaker, Jack Morrison, Ashton Williams and JC Poole all were escorted by loved ones and honored on the diamond.
When Indians face Indians, one expects a precise fundamental battle played at the top of each performance with the best each team has to offer.
And that is exactly what fans received from Tuesday's extra-innings game.
Kennett carried a 1-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning on a Williams single that scored a run and thanks to a brilliant pitching performance by Branum that was almost matched to a tee by Jackson's tall right-hander, Drew Parsons.
With two outs and a Jackson runner on base,
a strong wind that blew across the diamond toward right field all afternoon lifted a ball hit by freshman Grant Brown over the left center-field wall just a few feet from the 335ft mark, and gave Jackson a go ahead 2-1 lead.
Kennett managed to scratch a run across in the bottom of the inning on a Parsons wild pitch, which led to a 2-2 tie game and extra innings for both tribes.
Top of the eighth, Jackson did what it had done so well the whole game.
The leadoff hitter singled to center field, stole second on the next pitch, moved to third on a fly out, scored on a flyout to center and Jackson fundamental small-ball baseball took the lead again 3-2.
Jackson head coach Josh Roach, seeing the first two batters for Kennett due up in the inning were left-handed hitters, called up a southpaw pitcher and Kennett, needing a run to continue the game, faced Jackson reliever Adrian Fox.
Fox struck out the two Kennett lefties and induced a groundout to third to end the game.
Fox was winning pitcher and allowed no hits and no runs over one inning. Fox struck out two during his tenure on the mound.
Gardner took the hit for Kennett. Gardner was in one inning, gave up one run on one hit and struck out one.
Branum started the game for the Kennett tribe. Branum allowed seven hits and two runs during seven innings and struck out five Jackson batters.
Parsons started for Jackson and allowed five hits and two runs (one earned) across seven innings and struck out 12.
Kennett baseball head coach Aaron New was quick to praise his six seniors for their outstanding play under tough circumstances, and said he was proud of their high-school careers.
“This was a very competitive and hard fought game between two fine baseball programs,” New said postgame. “Although this was a a tough defeat I think the team will be more focused and mentally ready for Friday, knowing that it takes their best efforts on every play to compete.”
Kennett, now 8-13, participates in the SEMO Conference Tournament beginning at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 26 against Cape Central (8-16).
Jackson (18-6) meets Sikeston High School's squad (3-14) Friday at the SEMO Conference Tournament.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.