The Jackson Indians suffered their fourth loss of the season on Tuesday, April 26th against the Kennett Indians, but quickly rebounded in the SEMO Conference Tournament a few days later. They took on Sikeston and Poplar Bluff on Friday and Saturday and easily dispatched their foes with 12-2 and 7-3 victories. Now they have a chance to avenge their loss against Kennett on Monday in a rematch in the Conference Finals.
The game against Kennett on Tuesday certainly wasn’t what Jackson had in mind, but it looked like they were going to pull one out against a notably tough opponent. They trailed 1-0 after the first two innings, but broke out with three runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead. Kennett answered back in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own to make it 3-2, but then dumped three more runs on Jackson in the fifth to secure the 5-3 victory.
The Indians didn’t have a player with multiple hits, but Baden Hackworth and Quinton Borders were responsible for the team’s two runs driven in. On the pitching side of things, JP Sauer took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks. He fanned six before giving way to Cameron Marchi, who posted a perfect 7th with one strikeout.
So, with the bad news out of the way, the Indians decided to get back to their old form in the SEMO Conference Tournament. They took on Sikeston first and made their mark early with three runs in the opening inning. The Bulldogs came back with a run in the third and one in the fifth to make a game of it, but the Indians wanted nothing to do with that narrative. They erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the frame and dropped a mercy bomb on Sikeston.
Three singles, a couple errors and four doubles were the backbone of the nine-run outbreak and led to the 12-2 victory. Clayton Ernst led the charge offensively with two hits in three at-bats and three RBI while Borders had a 3-for-4 effort with a pair of runs driven in. They were joined in the multi-hit category by Henley Parker and Caden Bogenpohl as the Indians tallied 12 hits as a team.
Cadyen Drum was on the bump in this one, and shined through his five innings with just one earned run allowed. His complete game effort was highlighted by only one hit and two walks as he fanned four batters.
Next on the docket was the Poplar Bluff Mules, and while they put up a bit of a fight, they were no match for the Tribe. The Mules jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first, but that would be the extent of their offense. The Indians fired right back with three of their own in the third, highlighted by a two-run bomb to right by Bogenpohl.
Jackson then broke the tie in the fifth with four more runs to seal the deal. Bogenpohl had the big knock, but Hackworth was the only Indian to record multiple hits. Jack Wyatt and Ernst each had an RBI in the contest and the offense collectively generated seven runs on eight hits in the 7-3 victory.
This one was the Bogenpohl show though. Not only did he have the only round-tripper, but he also got the start and went 6.2 with 13 Ks. He allowed just two earned runs on three hits and a walk was in Randy Johnson territory with his whiffs.
The two wins in the SEMO tourney set up a rematch with Kennett on Monday that should be a sight to see for Indian fans on both sides of the rivalry. You can check out all the action on the Ameritime Sports livestream page while you soak in the velvet tones of Chris Marchi on the broadcast.
