Chaffee BB goes from ‘rock bottom’ to Cloud 9

From one game to the next, the Chaffee Red Devils went from the worst of times to the best of times.

Chaffee (16-3) concluded last week being on the losing end of Sikeston’s first win of the season on April 19, and suffering injuries to key players that could lead to the derailment of a promising season.

“We kind of hit rock bottom,” Chaffee head coach Aaron Horrell said. “I’m mean 15-3, a lot of people would probably trade us places. But we got three or four or maybe five starters out that day. All kinds of craziness and it just finally caught up to us, all the stuff we were trying to bandage up and hide and we kind of bottomed out that day.”

The Red Devils came back to beat Oran on the road with back-to-back four-run rallies in the seventh and eighth inning to win 9-5 on Monday, April 22 in Oran, Mo. Before the game, Horrell reminded his team that no good story is without adversity and used the example of Michael Jordan overcoming great odds and an even greater deficit to defeat the Monstars in “Space Jam”.

“At some point in every story, a team has adversity, they face a challenge and have to rise and overcome it,” Horrell said. “That’s how all good movies end.”

The game wasn’t without pain. Senior starting pitcher Levi McKinnine lasted one inning after giving up two runs on three hits due an aggravated blister on his pitching hand.

In comes senior hurler Eli Glueck, who goes out to throw seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He gave one his best performances of the season while battling pain in his hand and hip. He was also the only Red Devil to collect multiple hits.

“A couple weeks ago he had a hip injury,” Horrell said. “We sat him all last week. He said it felt good enough and he’s a senior, he loves the game. He’s grown up watching nothing and playing nothing but baseball and he just loves it, and went out there and gutted one out for us. I’m so proud of him.”

A solo home run by Kolbey Estes cut the Oran lead to 2-1 in the second inning. Oran responded with two more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 5-1 leading up to the final inning.

Of the six different Eagles to knock in a hit, all singles, and the five who drove in runs, Parker Bryant led the way with two hits including the first RBI of the game. Bryant also pitched the first five innings of the game with one run to his name and 11 strikeouts.

With another pitcher on the mound, the Red Devils struck back with a double by Kamden Little and a series of walks, errors and even a pair of beanballs to score two runs and load the bases for freshman Rolen Reischman, who tied the game at 5-5 with two-run single that originally appeared as a pop fly.

Reischman got the opportunity to play on the varsity team after injuries cleared him a path and he has capitalized on his chances.

“We gave him a shot here these last couple weeks and he’s responded and really been a big boost for our lineup in the middle,” Horrell said.

After starting the eighth inning with two outs, Mason Vaughn struck out but instead of the frame ending right there, he reached first base after the third strike was dropped and the throw sailed towards right field. A fielding error on a fly ball led to two runners on base for Carson Spies to score two on a double to give the Red Devils their first lead of the game.

“He hadn’t had the best at-bats of the day up until that point,” Horrell said. “That’s just a testament to our kids being resilient and not quitting.”

Leyton Handback, stepping to the plate after previously taking a fastball to the center of his back, got his revenge by hitting an RBI single to score Spies. A bases loaded walk gave the Red Devils their ninth and final run of the game.

After giving up a leadoff single, Glueck retired the side with a pop out, fly out and strikeout, capping an emotional roller coaster of a game and took the Red Devils from the depths of despair to the air.

“Today was really going to be a turning point for our kids,” Horrell said. “We just found a way and our kids are resilient. I hope I learned a lot about our kids today and that we’re not going to quit no matter the circumstance and we’re just going to continue to fight.”

The Red Devils host Dongola on Tuesday, April 23, before traveling to Woodland and Cooter to close out the week. Chaffee will then round out the regular season with four of the remaining six games at home before the Class 2 District 3 Tournament.

Oran (9-5), who saw its five-game winning streak snapped, remains home on Tuesday hoping to rebound against Poplar Bluff.