By Tyler F. Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
WILLARD — Coming off a 2024 state championship, expectations, as usual, are high for skipper Scott McGee and his Class 5 Willard Tigers.
The Tigers — the top team in Class 5 — were more than pumped to welcome COC newcomer, the Kickapoo Chiefs, to Tom Greenwade Field Tuesday in unfavorable conditions.
Behind the arm of 6’2” hurler, Levi Hilton, the Tigers pounded out more than enough offense as they bested the southside Chiefs, 11-6.
The Tigers now sit 9-0 on the young season.
“It is just a group that really enjoys playing together,” McGee said, whose Tigers have two state titles the past five years. “A lot of these guys grew up playing together. They were all on the same second and third-grade baseball teams, and so it has just been cool to see them grow up and play. It is a group that knows how to win.”
Hilton said the game plan was simplistic.
“I was just trying to use my fastball, and on 0-2, use my curveball and get them to swing over the top of it,” Hilton said. “My four-seam high, they like to swing under that because it rises a lot. It worked out well today.”
Hilton went four innings, allowing one run, before being pulled due to an 88-pitch performance.
After all, it’s the first day of April, and McGee wasn’t taking any chances.
And why should he?
“Levi did really, really well. Obviously, really difficult conditions to pitch in,” McGee said in reference to the 25-30 mile-an-hour wind. “It was a long game. I think he got tired there in the middle innings, but I thought he played really well. He is an elite starting pitcher in southwest Missouri. We want to build him up slowly, not throw 105 pitches. We hope to be playing on June 5.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame after a throwing error by the Chiefs plated the first run.
In the third, Jarrett McGee scored on a wild pitch.
Another error plated Bryton Towe, before Jackson Phipps connected for the RBI double, giving the Tigers the early 4-0 lead.
The Tigers wanted more, though, as Caleb Hayter connected for the RBI single, knocking out Kickapoo starting hurler Colin Muldoon, who has committed to Missouri Southern.
With Hilton out, the Chiefs went to work.
A passed ball gave the Chiefs their first run in the fourth.
In the fifth, Conner Smith came through with the RBI double.
An infield single by Brooks Eaton, who later homered, cut the lead to 5-3.
Nick Long stepped to the dish, plating one run on his RBI double, as the Tigers’ lead was 5-4.
With the bases juiced, Jacob Wilkinson drew the walk, knotting up the contest, 5-5.
After the Chiefs stranded the bases loaded, McGee’s crew went back to work.
The mindset, the ambience in the dugout never wavered — a common theme under McGee.
Towe drilled the RBI single before a fielder’s choice extended the lead to 7-5.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Waiting for his pitch, Rowden LeJune plated one run on his sac fly.
To cap the scoring, Caleb Hayter’s bases-clearing double gave the Tigers all the runs they needed.
The Tigers used four pitchers en route to the win.
While the bullpen performance was not typical of Willard baseball under McGee’s tutelage, working out of jams and leaving the field with the win comments on the resolve.
The ‘pen allowed four runs.
Said McGee: “Our bullpen was up and down. But they did just enough for us. In springtime high school baseball, you have to adjust to the temperatures and the wind. You have days like this where it is blowing straight out. Days where it is blowing straight in. We pride ourselves in being versatile and playing in any conditions. Whatever the wind is doing in southwest Missouri, it is usually blowing about an extra 10 [miles per hour] here, every time.”
Muldoon went 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs.
Muldoon’s size and torque make him a tough out, but the Tigers went up to the dish looking to hack away on the first pitch.
“We were really excited about facing Colin,” McGee said. “He has a really good arm. I thought our righthanded batters did a really good job. He is really tough on lefties. He hides the ball.”
Offensively, the Tigers were led by Caleb Hayter (3-4 with 5 RBI) and Towe (2-3, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI).
Willard is back in action Thursday as they visit Ozark.
