On Monday May 1st at 5:45, two tribes of Indians will collide at Capaha for the SEMO Conference Tournament Finale. The top-seeded Jackson Indians will take on the second-seeded Kennett Indians to see who will reign supreme as Conference Champions.
Jackson, having the luxury of the number one seed, got to take on the Sikeston Bulldogs in the first round. The Dogs have struggled this year with just a 5-13 record, so it’s not surprise that the Indians blew them away with a 15-0 mercy-rule throttling.
That sent the Tribe to the semifinals to take on the fourth-ranked Cape Notre Dame Bulldogs. Same name, same result, as Jackson won this one as well. To be fair though, these bulldogs put up a fight and gave Jackson a run for their money. Still, the Indians prevailed 3-2 with solid pitching and timely hitting to earn a trip to the Finals.
As for the Kennett Indians, they followed a similar path. They too won their opening round match in convincing fashion with a 15-0 drubbing of seventh-seeded Poplar Bluff. The 10-12 Mules didn’t stand a chance in this one and the victory set up Kennett to face Cape Central in the Semis.
The Tigers fared a little better than the Mules, but they still got worked in a 7-3 loss. That set up the all-Indian Final on Monday, and these two teams have some recent history.
Earlier this week the two clubs faced off in the final game before the start of the tournament. Jackson won handily, doubling up their namesake counterparts 8-4, giving them a perfect 6-0 record in Conference play.
In that game, Jackson got three RBI from shortstop Henley Parker and Caden Bogenpohl picked up the win with six innings of work that featured 11 strikeouts. Third baseman Tanner Pierce, centerfielder Brooks Night and catcher Caleb Duncan provided the four runs four Kennett.
The 21-6 Jackson Indians appear to be the superior team, but don’t sleep on this 16-7 Kennett squad. It’s never easy to win back-to-back important games against the same opponent, especially when the opponent in question has a talented lineup. Thankfully the Indians should have their ace on the mound for the Championship game in John-Paul Sauer. He has been lights out all season, and if anyone can shut down this potent Kennett offense, it’s him.
Monday’s game should be full of drama and excitement for all Indian fans. Check back here after the Final for a full breakdown of all three Conference Tournament games.
