Sikeston baseball team shakes off Cape Central in SEMO Conference showdown

Cape Girardeau Central catcher Nathan Patterson tags out Sikeston's Sam Cox at the plate on a steal attempt during the fourth inning Friday, April 7, 2017 at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Fred Lynch

The runs weren’t very easy to come by during Friday’s SEMO Conference game, but with two strikes and two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Wyatt Pratt delivered exactly what Sikeston needed.

The senior shortstop sent an 0-2 pitch into right-center field for an RBI double and sparked a four-run inning for the Bulldogs, who relied on their pitching to secure a 4-0 win against host Cape Central.

“Wyatt’s a ball player,” Sikeston coach Brett Kolons said. “That ball that he hit probably shouldn’t have been a double. He just hustled his butt all the way around and made it. It was really a hustle double, but it was a great clutch play for him to come through in that situation.”

Cape Girardeau Central's Joe Baker hits a single against Sikeston during the sixth inning Friday, April 7, 2017 at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Fred Lynch

The inning began for Sikeston (6-2, 2-2 SEMO Conference) when Trey Smith was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second before scoring on Wyatt’s double. McKenzie Worth drew a walk to keep the rally alive before Sam Cox sent a single through the left side to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage.

That lead grew to 4-0 when Bryce Bays hit a ball to the outfield that was dropped by the Tigers’ right fielder, allowing Pratt and Worth to score.

It proved to be a tough final inning for Central starter Joe Baker, who allowed just one hit through his first four innings before Pratt opened things up.

“Against Sikeston, you’re always in a battle because they’re going to swing the bats well,” Tigers coach Tatum Kitchen said. “... I thought Joe competed and gave us a chance, but we just didn’t get it done. Sikeston came in and had scored 10 runs or more in six of their seven games, so we knew they were going to be good. To hold them to three hits, I couldn’t be much more pleased.

“We just didn’t do enough on offense.”

Each team combined for three hits, as Pratt accounted for the only extra-base hit of the game.

Central (3-9, 1-3) had a base runner in each inning but was unable to maneuver around a trio of Bulldog hurlers. The Tigers left 13 runners on base and watched two separate innings come to an end with the bases loaded.

“I think three of our first four hitters saw breaking balls first pitch, which is just kind of different,” Kitchen said. “Everybody has their own approach. The second time through, they came hard early. ... I thought we had some opportunities. We didn’t help ourselves, but I also think they put us in some tough spots.”

Starter Nate Self earned the win on the mound for Sikeston, allowing just one hit in four innings of work. He struck out four batters and walked four.

Self was relieved by Will Pratt, who pitched two innings and scattered two hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Trey Smith issued a pair of walks in the seventh but struck out the side to secure the win for the Bulldogs.

“Our pitchers really located when they had to,” Kolons said. “They competed every pitch, and that’s really all we ask them to do.”

Baker was tagged with the pitching loss after five innings of work. He yielded four runs (two earned) on three hits with six strikeouts, but he struggled with his command at times, dealing out four walks and three hit batters.

Tigers reliever Caeden Knepp retired all six batters he faced in the final two innings.

“I thought Joe Baker was outstanding on the mound,” Kitchen said. “We always know what we’re going to get from Caeden Knepp. He’s going to throw strikes. He’s the definition of a soft lefty, but he can locate. And he gives us a chance.

Sikeston's Bryce Bays watches his double that drove in two runs against Cape Girardeau Central during the fifth inning Friday, April 7, 2017 at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Fred Lynch

“Both of our pitchers, I thought, were outstanding today.”

The Bulldogs return to action with another conference matchup scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday against visiting Dexter.

Focus continues to be a primary point of emphasis for Kolons and his coaching staff, and he was pleased with the strides his players made in Friday’s victory.

“We had a few mental lapses here and there, and that’s one of the big things we’re working on, trying to put whole games together,” Kolons said. “This is a good step toward doing that.”

Meanwhile, the Tigers have lost three of their last four games and will try to get back to their winning ways when they host Jackson at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“The record is what it is, but like I told them on my birthday a couple games ago, I don’t even know how old I am half the time. And I don’t care. That’s how I feel about our record,” Kitchen said. “We’re on to Jackson on Tuesday, and that’s our primary concern.

“The record helps, but at the same time, we’ll all be in the playoffs in districts. We’ve just got to keep getting better and keep getting at-bats and keep getting reps. We’ve got to keep getting our guys innings on the mound and just figure it out as we go along exactly where we’re going to go. I’m not worried one bit because of how good our kids are to coach.”

WP — Nate Self. LP — Joe Baker. 2B — Wyatt Pratt (S).