McKenzie’s baseball team was feeling pretty good about itself. And it should have. The Rebels essentially rolled through the District 13A tournament without so much as a scratch. The post-season minefield included two bouts with Huntingdon on its home field. The Rebels exploded for a 10-0 victory against the Mustangs for the 13A title, so yeah, McKenzie was walking on clouds.
It was fun and spirits were high. The Rebels were proud of the fact that they made Huntingdon cry “uncle” on its own field for the 13A title. But the celebration wouldn’t last long.
McKenzie was assured of at least one more game and that was against District 14A runner-up Humboldt, a team that was used to spending time in Class 2A. The Vikings had a pretty good baseball history, too. But they were visiting the Rebels and the Rebels gave the baseball to senior Drew Hayes. For all intents and purposes, this game could have been characterized as a formality. The game with Humboldt was a perfunctory exercise as the Rebels ascended to the coronation.
Humboldt had other ideas, ideas that almost ended McKenzie’s season prematurely. The Vikings marched to the mound a crafty lefty who flummoxed the Rebels for much of the game. Still, McKenzie did burst to a 2-0 advantage. Senior Jonathan Wheat laced a two-run double and the Rebels were staked to a lead. But after Wheat’s hit, McKenzie bats went silent. They managed only one more hit through the next four innings.
All Humboldt needed was an opening. In the fourth inning an error and some defensive mental mistakes led to a Viking eruption. They scored three runs on the error and two hits and took a 3-2 lead. For a while, the Rebels were worried. Maddox was a bit angered by the lack of execution, especially at this point in the season. At-bats were in short supply and this was a do-or-die situation.
However, McKenzie was building a reputation for getting things done in the clutch, especially with two out. In the fifth inning, the Rebel bats woke up. Junior Glenn “Bugs” Smith vaulted McKenzie back in front with his two-run, two-out triple. The Rebs surged ahead 4-3 with two gone. But they weren’t done yet. Justin Wilson was hit by the next pitch, which set the table for Brice Priestley’s two-out triple that lifted MHS to a 6-3 lead…all with two out.
"Two-out hits will win you a ballgame," said Maddox. "Two-out RBIs are a big key to winning ballgames."
That’s all Hayes needed to shut the Vikes down. In the bottom of the sixth, Hayes was hit in the hand by a pitch. There was concern that he might have sustained some damage, even after the game. But going out into the field, Maddox asked Drew about his hand. “Are you okay to go?” queried Maddox.
Hayes’ facial expression was a mix of amusement, consternation and disbelief. With an are-you-crazy grin, he responded, “What kind of a question is that?”
Hayes returned to the hill for the top of the seventh, gave up a home run, but struck out the side and the Rebels were assured of two more games and more importantly, a substate berth. In fewer than 48 hours, the Rebels were going to host a familiar foe for the fifth time: Huntingdon. This time, it was for the Region 7A title.
Last time out, McKenzie had an easy time with the Mustangs, but the Ponies did beat McKenzie once this year and had a sour taste of revenge on their lips after losing the 13A crown 10-0 on their own pasture. They felt like they owned the Rebels a little something.
This shaped up to be a dandy game, though. And there was no pressure. Regardless of the outcome, McKenzie and Huntingdon would be playing on Friday, May 20 for a sectional campaign. The only uncertainty was the location. The loser of the 7A title game was on the road, the winner would host.
The Rebels and Mustangs hit the field in an epic battle, one that will linger in the memories of the fans for both teams. It was, to be certain, a heartbreaker for fans of the red and gray, but it was a great game for a baseball fan to watch. The 7A championship had all the drama and appurtenance of a title bout, not to mention a title bout between two archrivals. If you were a baseball fan, you couldn't ask for better drama. McKenzie vs. Huntingdon. Archrivals. A home substate berth on the line. Lead changes. Home runs. Rallies. Great defensive plays. If you don't remember this game 50 years from now, you have no soul.
This was a thriller of thrillers. Huntingdon took a 3-0 lead early only to watch McKenzie rally to recover the lead. Twice, McKenzie trailed by three and twice the Rebels rallied to tie or lead. And twice, Huntingdon repelled the recovery, in the end, winning the Region 7A championship. The loss avenged last week’s 10-0 pasting by the Rebels on the Mustangs' field for the District 13A title, the first such MHS title since the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
McKenzie punched its ticket to Adamsville for its substate game while Huntingdon would entertain Jackson Christian School on Friday. Of course, substate winners become part of the eight-team draw at the Spring Fling and the state baseball tournament in Murfreesboro. The losers pack up the gear for the season.
"I hate losing, but this was a great baseball game," said Maddox. "I am very proud of the heart these guys showed to go down 3-0 and come back and then get down 7-4 and come back again." Trailing 3-1, the Rebels scored a run in the third. Beau Brown singled on an infield hit. Drew Hayes walked. With one out, Glenn "Bugs" Smith earned an intentional pass. Justin Wilson drove in Marshall Smith, running for Beau Brown and the Rebels had gotten a run back. In the fourth, Drew Brown was hit by a pitch, Hayes walked, Jonathan Wheat walked and Bugs Smith drove on Drew Brown and Hayes for a 4-3 lead.
Huntingdon scored four in the fifth, which could have demoralized the Rebels. Cody Crocker singled with one out, Matt Spellings walked with two away then starting pitcher Spencer Clifft cranked an RBI double to knot the game at 4. Then Blake Baker drove a three-run homer over the left-center wall for a 7-4 advantage.
McKenzie didn't drop its head. In the MHS fifth, Brice Priestley walked and John Kermit Laughrey, with one out, laced an RBI double. Drew Brown singled home Laughrey then Beau Brown singled. Hayes came to the plate and rocketed a line drive to right field, but Huntingdon came up with a tremendous defensive play to rob Hayes of extra bases. That one play may have saved the game for the Mustangs. Drew Brown scored to tie the game, but no further damage was done.
"When something like that happens, when a you hit the ball hard and a guy makes a great play, you tip your hat to them and just come back and sit down," said Maddox in amazement after the play."
Huntingdon went down in order in the sixth and the Rebs stranded runners on first and second in the sixth. In the HHS seventh, J.P. Powell doubled and scored on Clifft's RBI sacrifice fly. That gave Huntingdon an 8-7 lead.
Hayes walked with two out in the seventh and was left on first when the game ended. "This was a tough game to lose, but everybody battled today," said Maddox. "This is something we can carry over to Friday and we now know we are one win away from going to Murfreesboro." It was a solid effort up and down the batting order.
"We played solid defense, everybody battled well and I'm proud of the way we swung the bats," Maddox said. "They played solid defense, we played solid defense; they made great plays, we made great plays. It was a good game to watch."
It was a good game to watch. It was a loss that felt like a victory. I can remember immediately following the game feeling a bit depressed having watched the Rebels lose this 7A title game. But the look on the kids’ faces told me that the Rebels weren’t done. Maddox also saw the positives.
After the game, former McKenzie boys’ basketball coach Tommy Dean, who now coaches at Jackson South Side, was in attendance. He sort of thought that McKenzie may match up better with Adamsville, even going on the road, than it would Jackson Christian School in the substate game. It wouldn’t matter who the Rebels played or where. It was do-or-die, survive and advance. A win at Adamsville would give McKenzie two more games. A loss would end the season.
Yes, McKenzie had lost an 8-7 battle to Huntingdon in the regional championship, but it was a great high school baseball game. And the Rebels learned a little something about themselves that day. A little knowledge can go a long way, as Rebel fans would soon discover.
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