April 23, 2016
Sikeston pulls out 13-inning grind against Cape Central
Bryce Bays hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the 13th to give Sikeston a 7-6 win over Cape Central during the first game of a triple-header Saturday.
By Chris Pobst ~ Standard Democrat
sports@standard-democrat.com
SIKESTON -- It took four hours and one minute, but for a Sikeston Bulldogs team looking to turn around its recent misfortunes in the SEMO Conference it was worth every second.
Bryce Bays hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the 13th to give Sikeston a 7-6 win over Cape Central during the first game of a triple-header Saturday at VFW Memorial Stadium in Sikeston.
Three of Sikeston's five losses this season have been in conference and they've all been one-run games. It felt good for Sikeston coach Alan Scheeter, who watched his team fall behind by five runs at one point, to finally be on the opposite side of a close finish, especially pulling out Saturday's extra-inning grind.
"You look at the whole complexity of that game and we kept chipping away," Scheeter said. "It could have been really easy after they scored in the 13th to just say, 'Thank God. We've been out here four hours and somebody finally scored. Let's just go pop three up and be done'. But we didn't do that."
Cape Central scored five runs in the first two innings and Sikeston (11-6, 3-3 SEMO Conference) tied the game with two runs in the sixth. The score stayed 5-5 for the next six innings until the Tigers took a one-run lead in the top of the 13th.
Two quick outs brought on the feeling of yet another scoreless frame until a wide throw from Sikeston shortstop Wyatt Pratt pulled first baseman Mackenzie Worth off the bag to allow John Young to reach safely. The very next batter, Kaleb Ward, made that error count when he doubled to score Young, who made the long trek from first, which gave Cape Central its first lead since the sixth inning.
"It was a good, competitive at-bat from Young and then Ward, who's swung the bats well for us lately, he hit a hard ball," Cape Central coach Tatum Kitchen said. "At that point, you're just desperate to get that run across to hopefully end the game. Luckily we scored. We just couldn't quite finish them off."
It was a fresh reminder of Sikeston's previous three conference losses when Cape Central went ahead by one in the 13th. Scheeter couldn't help but look back and worry a bit.
"I thought, 'Boy, here we go again'," he said. "Not again. These kids don't deserve that, but we found a way to get through it. we found a way to get on the other side of that."
Sikeston, who stranded 21 base runners, finally took advantage of opportunities unclaimed the previous 12 innings when Josh Stinnett and Will Pratt, who finished 4 for 6, hit back to back singles to begin the bottom of the 13th.
"We left the bases loaded three out of the first five innings and if we do just a few little things different, we're done in six and a half," Scheeter said. "We didn't and we got what we got. I was very proud of the win but we left the bases loaded and runners stranded too many times. It could have cost us the game, but it didn't this time. I hope we realize and learn that we have to take advantage of opportunities like that."
After a fielder's choice play gave Cape Central one out, Wyatt Pratt, who went 4 for 8, singled to load the bases for Blake Wolferding. Sikeston's No. 3 hitter walked to push the tying run across. That's when Bays, who was the first and only batter Cape Central pitcher Drake Mills saw, hammered a ground ball to the left side of the infield for the winning win.
"We didn't want to change our approach at the plate at this point just because of the new pitcher and the situation we were in," Scheeter said. "(Bays) got a pitch to hit and he lit that thing up."
After giving up five runs on six hits in the first two innings, Sikeston starter Trent Sidwell fell into a groove. He gave up just two hits during his next five innings of work before he was lifted for Brandon Hurt to start the eighth. Sidwell, the right-hander, finished with eight strikeouts too.
"He was a pit bull who lost just a little bit of grip on a bone and then he sunk his teeth back in and never let up after that," Scheeter said, referring to Sidwell's rocky start. "He wants it. He gets tougher and tougher as the game goes on. I can't say enough about that kid and what he's done for us this season."
Hurt continued Sidwell's pace not giving up his first hit until the 10 inning. Hurt pitched the final six innings giving up 1 unearned run on four hits. He struck out eight and had zero walks in the winning effort.
"Brandon is just as tough," Scheeter said. "He's turning into a left-handed Sidwell. He wants the ball, he's competitive and when he's got his good stuff he's tough to hit. He's gutsy."
Cape Central (11-7, 3-3) went through four pitchers starting with Brock Baugher. Baugher, Nick Wiggs, Jacquen Cummins, who pitched the longest with 7 2/3 innings, and Mills combined for 17 walks and 15 hits. Cummins was given the loss after exiting just before Bays' heroics.
"Our pitchers just weren't very sharp today," Kitchen said. "You walk 17 what do you expect? We didn't throw it very well on the mound. We played very well defensively to get ourselves out of some jams, but we also made some critical errors that extended the game."
The Tigers started the game with a flurry getting two runs on three hits in the first inning and tagging Sidwell with another three runs in the second behind three more hits.
"We swung the bats well early," Kitchen said. "I think the strike zone got a little looser as the game went on, both ways, and I think Sidwell settled in and started getting ahead. That's a changing point in the game."
Cape Central erased some of their woes in the very next game when they defeated Bernie 8-1. The Mules took out Sikeston 5-3 in Saturday's finale.
Cape Central 230 000 000 000 1 -- 6 12 1
Sikeston 020 012 000 000 2 -- 7 15 4
WP -- Brandon Hurt. LP -- Jacquen Cummins. Multiple hitters: (CC) Jawone Newell 2-7, Brock Baugher 3-6, Cooper Crosnoe 3-5, Jacquen Cummins 2-6; (S) Wyatt Pratt 4-8, Bryce Bays 2-5, Mackenzie Worth 2-4, Will Pratt 4-6. 2B: (CC) Kaleb Ward; (S) Worth. 3B: (S) Wyatt Pratt.
Advertisement
Advertisement