[wpbvideo id=”891376″]
By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SPRINGFIELD — As far as regular season games are concerned, there are few bigger opportunities for a pitcher than the one Zach McKinnis was awarded on Tuesday afternoon.
With Kickapoo looking to win its first Ozark Conference title in a decade and go undefeated in the conference for the first time since 1984, the Chiefs turned to the senior to get it done.
McKinnis ended Kickapoo’s wait almost as quickly as one could, throwing just 63 pitches in an efficient complete game and the Chiefs capitalized on Glendale’s errors in a 4-1 victory.
Kickapoo (23-7) finished its Ozark Conference schedule with a 9-0 record and won its title outright for the first time since 2011, ending Glendale’s five-year reign atop the standings.
The Falcons had won four of the past five titles outright and split the honor with Kickapoo in 2016, but McKinnis ensured that wouldn’t be the case this season. He allowed just four hits and one walk in seven masterful innings, four of which ended him retiring the side in order.
“He had his A-game today,” Kickapoo coach Jason Howser said. “He’s a big-time pitcher. The bigger the stage, the bigger he tends to perform. We always thought our team was built on pitching and defense and I thought both were on display today. I thought we made some nice defensive plays and we caught it extremely well and our kids found a way to win.”
Kickapoo scored all four of its runs on Glendale miscues, including two on a single wild pitch in the third-inning, while the Chiefs defense didn’t make an error in the field. Second baseman Evan Vienhage, shortstop Ayden Fetters and first baseman Reed Jensen combined for a 6-4-3 double play in the sixth inning and recorded 14 total putouts.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“Our defense showed up today,” McKinnis said. “They were stellar, especially our middle infielders. It was just a good day all around. I was putting it in the right spots and the guys were in the right spots.”
McKinnis, who committed to Mizzou as a freshman, added four strikeouts.
“He did a great job getting us to chase pitches outside the zone early in counts — and late in counts,” Glendale coach Jim Julian said. “He’s always around the zone and everything that came out of his hand looked like a strike to our hitters. We chased a lot of pitches early. He does a great job of limiting baserunners and he has a great defense behind him.”
Kickapoo’s offense couldn’t come up with a timely hit — the Chiefs stranded 13 runners and didn’t record an RBI — but aggressive baserunning got them all the runs they needed.
After Vienhage and Cole Murrell hit back-to-back singles in the third inning, the Chiefs executed a double steal to place both in scoring position. Both scored on a wild pitch as Murrell built an enormous lead off second base and never broke stride rounding third.
“We pride ourselves on running bases and I didn’t have to coach that,” Howser said. “He just went because he recognized where the ball was and he took the risk versus reward.”
Glendale (16-8, 7-1) got an RBI single from Caimon Kufahl in the top of the fourth to cut it to 2-1, but Kickapoo’s baserunning strategy paid off again in the bottom half of the inning.
Jensen led off with a single and stole second. Fetters planned to move him to third with a sacrifice bunt, but the throw went awry and Jensen came home to make it a 3-1 lead.
The Falcons then thought the umpires granted time, but Fetters realized they had not. He bolted for third base and an off-guard throw went into left field, putting the Chiefs up 4-1.
“Ayden Fetters did a great job of just keeping his head and eyes on the ball and recognizing the situation and kind of made an in-game decision,” Howser said. “It worked for him.”
Julian said the umpires told him they did not hear his players ask for time.
“I kind of took my eye off what was happening out there because I just assumed that we had time, but I guess either umpire didn’t hear us calling time,” Julian said. “It’s neither here nor there. Kickapoo did a good job of taking advantage of it and that’s one of those little things that we’ve got to do a better job of — finishing plays and being focused.”
Glendale starter Isaac Wells allowed four runs, five hits and five walks in four innings.
Zach Beatty allowed two walks and struck out three in two scoreless innings of relief for the Falcons, who host Lebanon on Thursday and play Branson on Monday in the first round of the Class 5 District 6 tournament.
Rhett Hendricks had two hits for Kickapoo, which closes out the regular season on Thursday at Webb City and then opens Class 6 District 6 play Monday against Central.
“We wanted to win 20 games and we’ve checked that box,” Howser said. “We wanted to win the conference outright and we’ve checked that box. So now they’re going to recalibrate and refocus and we’ve got a very good Webb City team on Thursday that will help us tune up for districts.”
