Strong bats lead top-seeded Jackson past Sikeston in conference tourney rout

The top-seeded Jackson Indians wasted little time in a matchup with the No. 8 Sikeston Bulldogs, scoring seven runs in the second inning en route to a 15-0 win in four innings to open up the SEMO Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon.

Jackson’s win improved its season record to 20-6, reaching the 20-win mark for the eighth consecutive season dating back to 2015. Sikeston’s loss dropped its team record to 4-13 on the season.

After narrowly winning a 9-5 contest in Sikeston two weeks prior, the Indians took full advantage of the quarterfinal hosting opportunity, winning by mercy rule at Jackson Indian Stadium.

“The first matchup at Sikeston they played, it was really tough,” Jackson coach Josh Roach said. “It was kind of back and forth. They were ahead of us for most of the game. I wasn't real happy with the way we approached that game offensively.

“This game was completely different. We had a really good offensive approach. We had a lot of guys that found a lot of barrels today, so it was fun to see.”

Henley Parker opened the game with a triple on the second pitch, with Cooper Rhodes following with a double on the next pitch to drive in Parker.

Parker led the game in runs scored with three, finishing tied with Rhodes and starting pitcher Jaiden Glency for most hits in the game, each with two for the Indians. Caden Bogenpohl hit twice for the Indians, both doubles to drive in a total of four runs.

Glency pitched a scoreless four innings for the Indians, allowing one hit, two walks, and two hit-by-pitches without ever seeing a runner cross while throwing just 42 pitches. His two-way approach played perhaps the biggest role in Jackson’s lopsided win.

“Glency has been really, really good for us lately, especially on the mound,” Roach said. “Glency has stepped up in that role and shown us that he can consistently throw strikes, consistently get guys out and, as for the future, he's going to be a senior next year. He's going to be a big part of what we got going on next year.”

With the loss, Sikeston drops into a consolation semifinal against No. 5 Dexter at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Cape Central High School.

Jackson is set to play the Notre Dame Bulldogs (10-8) in a SEMO Conference Tournament semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Cape Central High School. The Indians won their first matchup against the Bulldogs, winning 13-0 on the road.

“The good thing with this group is that they love playing baseball,” Roach said. “There's been a few games where we've had to kind of get them energized a little bit, but they love to play. They're usually ready to roll as soon as they get to the ballpark.

“We've been preaching to these guys that we're going to approach every game the same no matter who we're playing. We just say ‘Nameless and faceless.’ We're always ready for the next guy, the next opponent.”