Kennett baseball team edges Cape Central 4-2 in key conference affair

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Kennett second baseman J.T. Williams tags out Cape Central's Trenton Sandusky in a rundown in the top of the fifth inning of a varsity baseball game Saturday evening at Indian Park in Kennett.

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians baseball team kept its hopes of hosting a quarterfinal of the SEMO Conference tournament alive by securing a key conference victory Saturday evening.

Kennett moved to 3-3 in regular-season conference play as it edged the visiting Cape Central Tigers 4-2 at Indian Park.

“I thought both teams played well,” Kennett coach Aaron New said. “Both starting pitchers did a great job. Jackson Henfling came through with a big hit for us in the bottom of the sixth inning. We’ve struggled to get that big hit the last couple games and we finally got one today.”

An opportunity to deliver a big hit developed for Kennett when it loaded the bases with one out of the bottom of the sixth inning after No. 6 hitter Bodey Ellis collected a triple and No. 7 hitter Tanner Duncan and No. 8 hitter Andrew Spence were both hit by a pitch. No. 9 hitter Jackson Henfling followed a one-out 2 RBI double to left field to break a 2-2 tie and put Kennett on top 4-2.

“Kennett is tough to beat,” Cape Central coach Tatum Kitchen said. “Coach New does such a good job. He’s always got big, athletic kids.

"Today was a good game we lost,” Kitchen continued. "We are not playing well enough to beat teams right now and they beat us today. They got a big hit when they needed it. Our pitching has been great all year but we are just not doing enough right now to help our pitchers out.”

Both starting pitchers went deep.

Cape Central lefty Caeden Knepp pitched the first five innings before being relieved by Gunner Crosnoe at the start of the bottom of the sixth inning. Knepp allowed two runs (one earned), four hits, struck out six, and walked two in a 95-pitch outing.

“Honestly, today is probably the least sharp Caedan has been,” Kitchen said. “Part of it was the fact Kennett extended at-bats and forced him to keep throwing pitches. But I thought he threw exceptional. He always gives us a chance to win and if we could have made a couple plays he may have had a lead late.”

Right-hander Marshall Brown pitched the first six innings for Kennett. He allowed two earned runs, six hits, struck out six, and walked one. Brown threw 107 pitches.

"Once again Marshall pitched deep in the game,” New said. "He’s done that in every one of his starts and pitched well.”

Kennett right-hander Reese Robinett struck out all three hitters he faced in the top of the seventh inning for a three-out save.

"I thought today was the best I’ve seen Reese,” New said. “He looks like a guy we can count on at the end of a game."

Cape Central led by one run twice.

Cleanup hitter Owen Sheehan collected a two-out RBI single in the top of the first inning to put Cape Central on top 1-0. No. 7 hitter Noah McCoy added a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Kennett No. 7 hitter Tanner Duncan drove home a runner from third base in the bottom of the second inning to tie things up at 1-1 and another run in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie things up at 4-4. Duncan grounded out in both plate appearances.

“We got a couple runs in on ground balls,” New said. “Duncan put the ball in play and didn’t strike out.”

Cape Central (5-7), which is currently in sixth place at 2-3 in conference play, hosts Poplar Bluff Tuesday at noon. Kitchen said it is unlikely Cape Central will make up its other regular-season conference game against Sikeston until after the conference tournament.

“The SEMO Conference is tough,” Kitchen said. “Everybody has at least one good pitcher so you can’t take the quarterfinal games for granted. We feel like when Knepp is on the mound we have a chance to beat people so when we play Round 1 on Friday we feel like we have a chance to win.

“Poplar Bluff is probably the most talented team in the conference the last five years and we will get to see them before the conference tournament," “Kitchen added. “We’ve just got to find a way to get better by May. We still have some time but time is dwindling.”

The top four teams in the conference will host conference quarterfinals Friday.

Kennett (11-5) is currently in fifth place in the eight-team conference at 3-3. Kennett has already secured a head-to-head victory against Sikeston, which is currently tied for third with Poplar Bluff at 3-2. Kennett plays its final regular-season conference game Monday at 6:15 p.m. at New Madrid County Central.

“We had to have this one to even have a chance to host on Friday,” New said. “It was a good team win today. We need to come out Monday and take care of business at New Madrid.”

Kennett 4, Cape Central 2

CAPE 100 100 0 - 2 6 1

KENN 010 102 X - 4 7 1

W - Marshall Brown. L - Caedan Knepp. SV - Reese Robinett. 2B - Kobe Gates (K), Robinett (K), Jackson Henfling (K). Multiple hits - Kennett: Robinett 2-3; Cape Central: Zach Moore 2-3.

SEMO Conference Standings