SportsApril 27, 2024
Kennett shreds Cape Central in SEMO Conference Tourney prelim
KENNETT, Mo. - Head baseball coach Aaron New's Indians Friday welcomed Cape Central High School's team to Indian Park, then knocked two home-run balls into next year and clubbed the Tigers 12-1 in the SEMO Conference Tournament preliminary round. Kennett's Ashton Williams was first to send a ball screaming over the fence and collected two RBIs for his effort, while teammate Matt Gardner closed the contest with a three-run blast over left-field barriers in the bottom of the sixth...
KENNETT, Mo. - Head baseball coach Aaron New's Indians Friday welcomed Cape Central High School's team to Indian Park, then knocked two home-run balls into next year and clubbed the Tigers 12-1 in the SEMO Conference Tournament preliminary round.
Kennett's Ashton Williams was first to send a ball screaming over the fence and collected two RBIs for his effort, while teammate Matt Gardner closed the contest with a three-run blast over left-field barriers in the bottom of the sixth.
The game opened with hurler Hayden Gilmore on the mound for the Indians and cannon-armed Jathan Spain, with a fastball clocking at a steady 89, pitching for the Tigers.
Gilmore hit Tiger batter Caden Chenoweth before settling in and commanding the strike zone. Chenoweth advanced from first to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jackson John Witvoet, fielded by Gilmore who threw out Witvoet at first.
Spain at the plate struck out and Chenoweth stole third. He scored on a Kennett error and Cape Central drew first blood in the top of the first.
Gilmore walked Tigers Brayden Meade and Hayden Bowers before Christian McNew grounded out to Indian third-baseman JC Poole, who fielded the ball and fired to first baseman Owen Williams for the third out. Kennett entered the bottom of the first down 1-0.
Bottom of the first, Spain on the mound fielded a Caleb Duncan ground out, then hit Kennett's JC Poole, walked Gilmore and Indian runners are on first and second. Kennett's ace, acting center-fielder Ashton Williams, hit a foul into left field for out two, and the runners remained glued to their respective bags.
Payton Branum was put out on a foul tip and the game proceeded to the second inning.
Top of the second inning, Gilmore walked Tiger Connor Poole, who was replaced by courtesy runner Gavin Pittman. He stole second while Tiger batter Evan Hall struck out looking, and Pittman remained on the bag. Tigers' freshman Ayden McGuire hit a line-drive to Williams at center, the Indians turned two and put the kibosh on the Tigers at bat while trailing 1-0.
Bottom of the second inning and Kennett owned it.
Up first is Gardner, who reached on a Tigers error. That brought up Kennett freshman Kaiden Prewett, who blistered a grounder into left field, beat the throw and advanced Gardner to second base.
Gardner and Prewett took advantage of a Spain wild pitch and took bases, which brought Jackson Morrison to the plate. Morrison found the same hole toward left drilled out earlier by Prewett and singled, knocked in Gardner, Prewett hung on third and the game was tied at one.
Indian Owen Williams went down swinging and Spain walked Caleb Duncan, loading the bases. JC Poole struck out swinging, Gilmore stepped into the box, eyed Spain's first two pitches and nailed the third. Gilmore doubled on a fly ball and scored Prewett, Morrison and Duncan.
A somewhat shook Spain walked Ashton Williams, who took first while Gilmore hung on second. Gilmore stole third on the following pitch and Williams followed to second base. Peyton Branum hit a fly out to center and the inning ended with the Indians on top 4-1.
The Tigers at the top of the third went down in three and headed into the bottom of the inning.
Spain walked Gardner before Central head coach Justin Lieser yanked the starter and replaced Spain on the bump with a reliever, southpaw pitcher Zade Hickey. The sophomore reliever loaded up, struck out Prewett, and Gardner remained on first base.
Up next was Morrison, who grounded into a fielder's choice and Gardner was forced out at second. Owen Williams batted next and popped out to center to end the inning.
Top of the fourth and Gilmore walked Meade, Bowers popped out a foul toward first, McNew walked and was replaced at first by pinch runner Grant Skelton. Tigers' batter Connor Poole went down swinging and left Tigers' runners on first and second. Hickey stepped to the plate and grounded out to end the at bats for Cape Central.
With southpaw Hickey on the mound in the bottom of the fourth, the Indians' Duncan popped out to center, JC Poole hit a line drive to center for a single and Gilmore stepped into the box.
Poole stole second on a Hickey wild pitch, Gilmore swung hard, doubled, scored Poole and the Indians took the lead 5-1.
Gilmore on second and Ashton Williams at bat. Williams on a full count blasted a fireball over the center field fence, brought home Gilmore and the Indians were up 7-1 over the Tigers.
Branum knocked a pop fly and reached on a Tigers' error, Gardner lined into a double play and that was it for four innings.
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The Tigers went down in four in the top of the fifth on a McGuire ground out, a Chenoweth strike out and Spain grounding into a fielder's choice after Gilmore walked Witvoet.
Bottom of the fourth and the Indians' Prewett singled a pop fly to short. He was replaced at the corner by Zayne Franklin.
Morrison at bat struck out looking, Owen Williams hit a pop and reached on a Tigers error.
Franklin was put out stealing second and Hickey walked Duncan. That brought JC Poole to the plate, who doubled on a line drive to center, brought in both Duncan and Williams, and the Tribe was on top 9-1. Gilmore popped out to left to end the inning.
The Tigers went down one, two, three in the top of the sixth and Kennett went on the offensive.
Hickey was relieved by the Tigers' third pitcher of the day, freshman John Trueblood. Trueblood walked Ashton Williams in his first four pitches, went a bit wild and Williams stole second. Trueblood hit Branum and the Indians posted runners on first and second.
Gardner at bat, swung for the cheap seats on the reliever's first pitch and connected. Gardner launched the ball over the left-field fence, scored Ashton Williams and Branum, then jogged across home plate himself to end the game mercifully 12-1.
New said he was pleased by the Indians' performance.
“I thought Hayden Gilmore threw the ball really well,” New said postgame. “The team's offense is what I was most proud of.
“The Tigers started the game with Spain, a really good pitcher,” he continued. “We got to him a little bit and they made an adjustment, brought in a left-hander who was throwing pretty hard. We made a really good adjustment against him, so that was a really good sign for our offense.”
That offense included two home-run hitters Friday, Ashton Williams and Matt Gardner.
“That left hander really wasn't suited for Ashton,” New said. “He struggled a little bit against Ashton.
“Ashton got to two strikes and really cut his swing down a little bit,” New added. “He kept his swing down and hit the ball in the middle of the field, just hit a missile out of the ballpark.”
A wise Hickey said although he came in during the third inning, his game wasn't all it could be.
“I feel like I executed some of the pitches well,” Hickey said. “Some could have been a lot better.
“We didn't play as a team the way we could've,” the reliever added. “We know we could have done better, and we know that tomorrow's a new day, another day to go out and play another game.”
And Gardner?
“Matt there ended the game with a three-run homer,” New said. “Matt's really getting hot with the bat right now.
“And he's getting hot at the right time,” coach mused. “So, we're excited for those guys and we're excited for our team.”
A humble Gardner said he was just doing his job for his team.
“I saw a fastball,” Gardner said. “I just let it travel and let the team do the rest.”
The Indians were on the road Saturday to play Jackson High School in the SEMO Conference Tournament semifinals at Jackson. The Tribe was down 3-0 in the second inning at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Cape Central was scheduled to play Sikeston High School Saturday.
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