Sikeston trades in its hitting slump for league title

For a baseball team ranked No. 1 in the state, slump takes on a whole new meaning.

In the case of SEMO Conference regular-season champion Sikeston, slumping can still mean winning.

Despite having a potent offense throttled for the better part of its last two games, top-seeded Sikeston managed to depart Capaha Field with the SEMO Conference Tournament championship plaque Wednesday after a 6-4 victory over the second-seeded Central Tigers.

Sikeston won the regular season title and entered the tournament with a robust .400 team batting average. After spanking Chaffee 13-0 in five innings in its opening round game, the Bulldogs managed just four runs over its next 12 innings.

Despite a sudden drop in run production, Sikeston (18-1) eked out a 2-1 semifinal victory over Poplar Bluff. It trailed Central 4-2 entering the bottom of the sixth in the title game before awakening with three hits in a game-deciding four-run sixth.

It was a big departure from a 20-5, five-inning loss Central encountered to Sikeston during league play.

"I really don't know what happened the first game," said Tigers second baseman Chris Conrad, who went 3-for-3 and had two RBIs. "They just outplayed us in every category. I knew this time it would be different."

In the rematch, Sikeston came out on top despite being outhit 9-7 by the Tigers and committing two errors to the Tigers' one.

"Things were kind of slow -- none of us are playing very well," said Sikeston shortstop Blake DeWitt, who had a two-run single in the sixth. "I guess a few of us are playing good, but none of us are playing as good as we could. We came out today and the last couple of innings everybody just turned it on. Hopefully we can pick it up and not do that again."

On Wednesday, Sikeston in effect spotted the Tigers a two-run lead in a six-inning game. Central (14-9) took the lead Tuesday night on a two-run double by Patrick Slattery before a severe thunderstorm stopped the game at the end of the first inning.

The game resumed Wednesday with Central batting in the top of the second with a 2-0 lead and ace John Thies returning to the mound.

"We came out two runs down, and it kind of was a boost for us I felt," DeWitt said. "I was kind of glad we were two runs down. It sparked us a little bit because we were playing down a little bit and started out kind of down today, but we picked it up and got done what we needed to get done."

Sikeston tied the score in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Richard Landers, who scored on a two-out double by Adam Miller.

Central failed to regain the lead in the fifth off starter Lance Rhodes, unable to chase home runners from second and third with nobody out despite its Nos. 3-4-5 batters at the plate. The Tigers managed to get the clutch hit the following inning when Conrad's bases-loaded, two-out, seeing-eye single through the left side scored two runs for a 4-2 lead.

"I thought we had it," Conrad said. "We just needed six more outs. I guess the better team came out on top."

The slumbering Bulldog offense received a nudge from Central's pitching with three walks in the sixth.

After Landers opened the inning with an infield single -- his third hit of the day -- Thies retired Cullen DeHart on a popfly, but Thies then walked No. 9 batter Adam Miller and leadoff man Drew Lawrence. Thies' sixth walk of the game was his last as shortstop Seth Hudson relieved.

Thies (5-2), who threw a no-hitter in the first round Saturday against New Madrid, struck out six batters and allowed five hits.

"He was going as hard as he could and threw two days in a row," Central coach Steve Williams said. "He gave it everything he had. I'm very proud of him. He pitched into the sixth inning and gave us a chance to win."

Hudson issued the third straight pass, walking Rhodes on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run. Besides cutting the lead to 4-3, the walk also left the bases loaded and the Tigers dealing with two of the top hitters in Southeast Missouri -- DeWitt and Jacob Priday.

"We didn't make their first guys hit the ball, and then their big dogs came up and really pounded us," Conrad said.

DeWitt, who came into the game with 10 home runs and 10 doubles, lined a 1-2 delivery from Hudson into center field for a 5-4 Sikeston lead.

"My teammates did what they had to do to get on base and they had to throw to our 3 and 4 guys, and that's what happens," DeWitt said.

"That's a situation where you have to get the guys ahead of them and at least make them swing the bat," Williams said. "That's what hurt us today. We didn't force them to have to hit it. Once you get good hitters up there you've got to make perfect pitches."

Priday, hitting a team-leading .549, followed with a sharp RBI single to left for a 6-4 lead.

Rhodes, who struck out six and walked three, allowed Slattery's second hit of the game to lead off the seventh, but retired the next three Tigers.

Catcher Aaron Dohogne also had two hits for Central.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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