Ten-Run Rule!

Chapter 2

The Rebels entered the District 13A tournament with a pretty impressive 21-7 mark and a 9-1 league ledger, but did so perilously.

McKenzie wasn’t at its best heading into district tournaments, having limped into the tournament with a 2-2 mark in its final four games. McKenzie coach Jeremy Maddox was curious as to how his team was going to respond. The Rebels had solid leadership, proven veterans, RBI guys in the lineup, solid pitching, but had underachieved a bit along the way. In the 3-2 loss at Wilson Park versus Dresden, Maddox said his team was cerebrally absent.

"We just weren't mentally there tonight and it showed in the way we played," the coach said. “We couldn’t swing the bats to save our lives. You don’t want to be playing the way we’ve been playing going into tournaments.”

He was right and his concerns were legitimate. But the good thing about post-season is that it is, for all intents and purposes, a new season. Records are expunged, everyone is 0-0 and the saving grace for top teams is the seeding system. McKenzie was the top seed which, ostensibly, offered it a bit of breathing room. And Clarksburg was on the Rebels’ radar screen in the opening round of the tournament. McKenzie had beaten Clarksburg twice already by a combined score of 30-7 (14-4 and 16-3).

On May 6, the Rebels did more of the same against the Rockets. Beau Brown struck out nine and Drew Hayes homered as the Rebels won an abridged contest 10-0. In this game, the MHS mantra of getting the big two-out hits started to manifest itself. Toward the end of the year, the Rebels struggled to get the big two-out hit. They were overdue. Leading 1-0 going into the second frame, McKenzie scored six runs, all with two out. That gave Maddox an indication that the Rebels might be on their way.

"Between innings we talked about getting hits when we have opportunities and two out," said the coach. "They gave us baserunners early and we came through with big hits. Once the hits get going, it’s contagious."

Hayes caught the bug in the third when he sent a blast well over centerfield that traveled nearly 400 feet. In the fourth, Priestley walked and scored on Drew Brown’s single. Then in the fifth, with the bases loaded, Priestley put his bat on the ball to end the game early.

Next up was archrival Huntingdon on its field against ace Spencer Clifft, who struggled against the Rebels just a couple of weeks or so earlier. It was a dandy game that drew nearly 300 fans. The Rebels sent Drew Hayes to the mound, who had a 1-1 mark against the Mustangs and he brought his A game.

McKenzie set the tone early. Hayes struck out the side to start the Huntingdon half of the first, then the Rebels went to work with the bats. With one out, Beau Brown was hit by Huntingdon hurler Spencer Clifft. Hayes, the next batter, made Clifft pay. He lifted a homer over the right-center wall and the Rebs led 2-0. Huntingdon had a chance to blow it wide open in the top of the second. Will Spellings reached on an error and Clifft was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Then Hayes plunked Brandon McCormick to load the bases. Hayes settled down to fan Zach Blount and Jake Mason to end the threat.

In the third, Huntingdon got a run back when Cody Crocker doubled and scored on an error. The Mustangs stranded runners on second and third in that inning when Hayes rung up Blake Baker. The Rebels soon surged ahead. In the Rebel fifth, Justin Wilson worked his way aboard via the free pass. Two outs later, Laughrey cracked his RBI single to score Wilson. In the HHS fifth, Powell singled with two out and tried to steal second where Drew Brown pegged him for the final out. Huntingdon narrowed the gap in the sixth when Spellings led off with a single. He took second when Blake Baker walked and both runners advanced on a passed ball. McCormick lofted a fly ball to right field. Wheat came up with it, but it was deep enough to score a run.

In the Huntingdon seventh, Hayes had a hand in all three outs. He fanned Mason, then got Cody Baker to ground back to the box for the second out. Crocker hit a bloop handle shot right back to Hayes who caught it and then yelped with joy having topped the Mustangs. It was a big day for the senior hurler, who fanned 13 batters, allowed five hits, issued two walks and hit two batters. He pitched out of a few jams as well. It was a monumental victory for the Rebels, one that suggested that they may well be on their way. Maddox knew it, too. After the victory, he was effervescent.

"This was a fun one to be a part of," Maddox said, beaming like a kid who just got an X-box or in-line skates for Christmas. "We did a lot of things good against a good baseball team." He singled out Hayes' performance on the mound and Laughrey's key hit as some of the good. "Drew got out of a bases-loaded jam and we made good plays in the field," Maddox said. "And our two-out hits are starting to play off; Kermit's two-out hit was the difference in the ballgame."

Ah, those two-out hits. They made an impact once again. Maddox preached the advantages of getting two-out hits and two-out RBI. Perhaps McKenzie was buying into the axiom?

The Rebels earned a spot in the district championship, but more importantly, extended their season by at least one more game. The victory landed McKenzie in the Region 7A tournament. But there was more business ahead. The Rebels would await the winner of the Huntingdon-West Carroll game in about 46 hours. McKenzie earned the advantage of having to win just one game to capture the 13A title. Huntingdon would have to vanquish the Rebels twice on Wednesday for the championship.

Huntingdon held up its end of the bargain and there McKenzie was, waiting. Many thought this game was going to be an epic battle and that perhaps the Rebels would be extended to an extra game. Huntingdon certainly had the chops to dispatch McKenzie, having defeated the Rebels already. McKenzie, however, put it all together and played almost the perfect game against the Mustangs. Maddox has been heard to say many times “early and often,” meaning score runs early and often. The Rebels took the rather aggressive hint at Huntingdon’s expense. And there was evidence that this team was starting to come together as a solid unit. In many respects, it seemed the team that finished the regular season was a series of imposters. This was a new ballclub. Huntingdon found out just how good McKenzie could be.

Early and often never was so significant.

The Rebels shell-shocked Huntingdon in the first two innings. Drew Brown opened the game with a lead-off double. He crossed the plate when Jonathan Wheat reached on an error. The Rebels loaded the bases but Wheat’s RBI was the only Rebel run. Ordinarily, that would send up warning flags, but this was a new Rebel spirit. Leaving the bases juiced, as the Rebs would soon find out, wouldn’t hurt.

Why? Because the Rebels would bat in the second frame. And what a second frame it was. As the bottom of the second began, Craig Broadbent was hit by a pitch and that started the avalanche. Laughrey laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt to move Broadbent to second. Then Drew Brown was hit by a pitch, setting the table for Beau Brown. Beau singled, scoring Broadbent, then Drew Hayes singled to score Marshall Smith, running for Drew Brown. Then Wheat singled followed by a two-run single from Bugs Smith. Justin Wilson came aboard with a bunt single. With two outs, Broadbent walked setting up Laughrey's two-run single. When the bearings burned out on the merry-go-round, the Rebels were looking at an 8 spot on the scoreboard after having sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame…at Huntingdon’s field. But defense may have been the catalyst.

Senior righty Beau Brown mystified Mustang hitters. He struck out only two, but distributed four hits and let his fielders do their jobs. A great defensive play by Wilson, where he made a diving stab to stop what would have been a single, ended the second frame. Hayes, Wilson and Laughrey teamed for a 6-4-3 double play to erase a single by J.P. Powell. With a force situation at third, Parker Jones knocked down a worm-burner grounder, maintained composure and, instead of scrambling to third for the easy force, made a nice throw to Laughrey at first to end the inning.

"Wilson made a great play and that just picked everybody up," said Maddox. "Then Parker stayed with it on a couple of grounders. Good defensive players help get the pitcher off the mound."

In the fifth, McKenzie put a lid on it. Drew Brown led with a walk and got in scoring position when Beau Brown singled. Hayes walked with no outs and Wheat laced a two-run double to end the game. There was a post-game ceremony where all-district awards were announced. Seven Rebels earned all-district honors. They were Brice Priestley, Justin Wilson, Glenn "Bugs" Smith, John Kermit Laughrey, Beau Brown, Jonathan Wheat and District 13A MVP Drew Hayes. Maddox was named District 13A coach of the year, sharing the honor with Huntingdon coach Alan Eubanks.

"It all finally clicked tonight," said Maddox. "We had a great defensive performance, a great pitching peformance and we got big hit after big hit on offense. We were able to find holes."

It was a great ballgame and a shocking one as well. It seemed to be too easy for the Rebels that night. Fans were elated and still talking about defeating a very, very good Huntingdon team 10-0 on its own field. Nobody expected the 10-run rule, but for Rebel fans that made the sweet 13A title even more savory. There was a lot of excitement. The Rebels were 13A champions, having won easily at Huntingdon and now it had to face Humboldt in the first round of the Region 7A single-elimination tournament. The run-rule victory at Huntingdon provided a lot of hoopla, but Maddox warned the team that this was just a step along the way. Sure celebrate the title, be excited, but when Humboldt comes to town, forget about it because it’s another new season.

For the Rebels to earn two more games, it would have to defeat the Vikings in the opening round of the regionals. A loss would send the Rebels home. And beating the Vikings wouldn’t be easy, as they’d soon find out, even with Drew Hayes on the hill.

"We'll enjoy this, but we have to get back to work," said Maddox. "We're not done yet."