The Jackson Indians looked as sharp as ever in their two-game tuneup this week before they will attempt to go on the warpath in the SEMO Conference Tournament over the weekend. The Tribe mercy-ruled the Central Eagles 14-4 on Monday and followed up that shellacking with an 8-4 victory over the Kennett Indians the next day.
Despite the positive end results, the game on Monday against the Eagles started out a bit rocky. Central put up a run in the first and three more in the second to take a 4-1 lead, but Jackson fought back and then some the rest of the way. In the bottom of the second Clayton Ernst smoked a frozen rope to center that skipped passed the defender and he cruised around the bases for an inside-the-park home run to cut the lead in half.
A sac fly by Quinton Borders made it 4-3, and then two innings later, the Indians would break the game wide open. Seven runs in the fourth was the exclamation point the Tribe was looking for and it pretty much iced the win for them. Baden Hackworth had a big two-RBI double in the frame and Ernst struck again with a double of his own to plate another run. Jack Wyatt also doubled in the inning and drove in a run as well.
Jackson was able to keep the Eagles off the board the rest of the way and put up additional runs in the fifth and sixth innings to enable the mercy rule. They won handily 14-4.
Steven Schneider got the win in this one after coming on in relief. He pitched 3.1 innings and kept his sheet clean. He didn’t allow a hit, walked just one batter and struck out six.
Ernst had the big day at the dish with his 2-for-4, 2-RBI performance and was helped by Landon Watkins (2/3, RBI) and Borders (1/3, 3R, 4SB). As a team, Jackson was able to accumulate 10 hits, nine walks and 12 stolen bases.
That win brought the Kennett Indians to town just 24 hours later, and the Jackson Indians were ready for them. It was a special game because it was Alumni Night at the ballpark, and Caden Bogenpohl got things started in the first with an RBI single to put Jackson on top. They picked up three more in the following frame thanks in large part to a Henley Parker triple that scored two, and just like that the Tribe had a 4-0 advantage after just six outs.
Kennett mounted a bit of a comeback in the next two innings, scratching out two runs in the third and one more in the fourth to cut the lead to 4-3, but Jackson fired right back. Bases loaded walks by Bogenpohl and Hackworth in the bottom of the fourth gave Jackson their lead back, and they would take it and run.
Parker had an RBI single in the fifth and Cooper Rhodes drove in a run with a fielder’s choice to put the home-team Indians up 8-3. Kennett would eke out one more run, but that was all she wrote. The win moved Jackson to 19-6 on the season.
Bogenpohl had a huge game with two walks and two RBI at the plate and six solid innings on the mound. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks, but fanned 11 and was consistently able to get the punch out when he needed it.
Parker had a great day at the plate with two hits in three trips, three RBI, three runs scored and a steal. Wyatt was the only other player with multiple hits, going 2-for-4. He also scored two runs and stole a base.
The Indians look like they’re ready for the SEMO Tournament to begin, and should be in peak form to try and bring home some hardware. The tourney kicks off Friday 4/28 and should be an exciting one to watch. Jackson is the top seed and will take on Sikeston in the opening round.
