The Rebels were feeling pretty good after their opening-round victory over a solid Trousdale County baseball team on Tuesday. They had time to relax, watch TV, play cards, horse around like high school kids are wont to do. They deserved the break; they earned it having beaten a pretty good Trousdale County team 6-1.
While Trousdale County and Oliver Springs were battling for survival at Siegel’s field, McKenzie was having lunch, savoring the memories of that opening-round win and focusing on Wednesday’s game with Summertown. The spoils of winning enabled McKenzie to rest its arms and legs and prepare for its all-important battle the next day. And the Rebs knew they played pretty well, but not their best. With every step of the ladder at the state tournament comes an even stronger opponent. The Rebels couldn’t afford at letdown at this point.
One of the guys who didn’t have that great a day offensively in the opener was sophomore catcher Drew Brown. Brown had a good day behind the plate, but struggled at the plate. Against Trousdale County, he was 0-3 with two strikeouts, a walk, a run scored and a ground out.
It was an unusual situation. McKenzie and Trousdale both used their catchers as leadoff hitters. Normally, you don’t see a catcher as a leadoff man. Brown even remarked how unusual that was after the opening-round game. Trousdale’s Dustin Dillehay struck out four times on the day, twice looking.
“Two catchers, two leadoff hitters, six strikeouts,” said Brown with a frustrated, yet amused, smirk on his face. You just had an idea that the youngster was going to seek redemption at the expense of Summertown on Wednesday afternoon. Sure, the Rebels had won, but Brown wanted more. After all, he was one of the first players to publicly list winning a state title as a personal goal.
When he arrived at the ballpark that day, he picked up his bat and went to the cage for a little soft toss, an exercise where a kneeling player lobs baseballs in the hitting zone for a batter. It was then that Brown made a pledge to Coach Maddox. "We went to hit early today and the first thing he said to me was, 'It's going to be a good day, coach,'" said Maddox.
Things didn’t start out big for the Rebels. Brown grounded out to start the game, then his older brother, senior Beau Brown, grounded out to the first baseman, followed by a pop out to center from Drew Hayes. Summertown jumped on McKenzie’s slow start and tuned up MHS starter Beau Brown for two runs in the bottom of the first. Summertown scored two runs in the first inning. Cole Long singled and John Ivie was hit by a pitch with one out. After Carson Brewer struck out, Cameron Bradburn roped a two-run double but was thrown out on a 9-4-5-6-1 rundown play at third base for the final out. From there, Summertown bats went dormant and McKenzie woke up.
In the second frame, the Rebels loaded the bases. Jonathan Wheat walked, took second on Glenn “Bugs” Smith’s single, but was thrown out at third attempting to steal. Justin Wilson dropped down a sacrifice bunt, moving Bugs to third. Brice Priestley reached on a fielder’s choice, then Craig Broadbent reached on an error to load the bases when the inning ended. Summertown’s Roger Harrell led off the Eagle second with a double, but Beau settled in and wrapped a pair of strikeouts around a pop out to end the inning.
The Rebels came through with a run in the third. In the third, Drew Brown was hit by a pitch then reached second on a sacrifice bunt. Hayes walked when Wheat cranked an RBI single. MHS had cut the lead in half. Beau Brown retired the side in order in the Eagle third, setting the table for a big fourth.
In the fourth, Priestley got the Rebels rolling with a one-out base hit. Broadbent reached on an error then John Kermit Laughrey ripped a run-scoring single. Enter Drew Brown and his aluminum lumber. He lined a two-run double and then Marshall Smith, running for Brown, scored on Hayes' double. McKenzie led 5-2. The Rebel defense sprang to life in the third, executing a Jones-to-Wilson-to-Laughrey double play to end the inning. There was more defense to come. Wilson made a diving stab to save two runs for the final out.
"I was just running my hardest, trying to catch the ball and make a good throw," he said, sort of shrugging his shoulders about the double play. "Everybody was clutch and there were no real flaws today." "People were stepping up all over the field," said Maddox. "Wilson made a phenomenal diving play for the third out and saved two runs and when something like that happens, you feed off it. It becomes contagious."
In the fifth, Jones made a backhand stab for the second out, which prevented an Eagle runner from getting aboard. "I like going to the backhand side and I take those every time at practice because it's my favorite play," Jones said. "At practice, I try to wait for situations like that and try to make it as routine as possible."
In the sixth, Broadbent reached on an error and took second on a wild pitch. Drew Brown walked and Beau Brown squeezed Broadbent home. Incidentally, Brown reached when the fielder missed the tag on the bunt play. Things were looking pretty good for the Rebels, who had crafted a 6-2 lead. But Summertown would be heard from.
Summertown scored a run in the sixth when Harville cranked an RBI double to draw within three, 6-3. Wilson made another great play at second with his backhand stab to end the inning. The Eagles weren’t done, however. The Rebels entered the seventh inning leading 6-3 when Summertown went on a spree of sorts. The Eagles sent 10 men to the plate, scored three runs on five hits, including a mammoth blast by Cole Long. Beau Brown worked 6 2/3 innings before giving way to Wilson, who worked out of a bases loaded jam, fanned Logan Harville and enabled MHS to come to the plate needing only a run. That sort of outburst by an opponent could have served to demoralize a team. Not McKenzie. The Rebels came back into the dugout with a vengeance and quashed any kind of momentum the Eagles had.
I recall thinking, while I was covering the game, that winning after giving up the big lead would be a tall order. When Summertown rallied to knot it up, my heart sank.
"I have been around a lot of teams who might have folded when a team scores three runs on them in an inning like this, but not this team," Maddox said. "I knew when we came in, we were going to score a run. This team came out fired up instead of having their heads down. This team expected to score and win the game."
Drew Brown doubled, for the second time in the game, to the left field corner, Beau Brown laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt and Hayes drove him in with a fly ball. Ballgame...almost. In the bottom of the eighth with one out, Jason Smith was hit by a pitch and reached second on a passed ball. That's when Hayes came in and worked the final two-thirds of the inning to nail it down. He got Chris Carrington to pop out to right field, then he fanned Long to end the game. McKenzie had earned another afternoon off with the 7-6 victory.
Yes, it was a concerted effort, but Drew Brown’s effort at the plate that day confirmed that it was, indeed a big day. Brown was 0 for his last 7 with a walk before the Summertown game, but he made up for it with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. "I told Coach Maddox during BP that it was going to be a good day," Brown said. “I had a lot of confidence today.”
"It's a totally different situation with this team when they gave up those runs," said the coach. "A sophomore catcher doubles down the line, Beau executes the bunt and Drew Hayes cranks one to right and Drew Brown scores easily. We were able to play small ball and when you can do that, you can win games." Drew Brown had a big day, but he wasn’t the only one. Beau Brown pitched with a lot of guts after struggling early and gave his team a chance to get back into the game.
"Beau gave us everything he's got on the mound and laid it all on the line, locating his fastball and curve and keeping them off balance," Maddox said. "When he got in trouble in the seventh, he even waved me off the field because he wanted the ball. Yeah, he gave up the home run, but Wilson did a phenomenal job in relief and we were able to pick Beau up." Brown struck out four, walked one, allowed six runs, five earned, and scattered nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.
After the Rebels got the lead, Wilson, who earned the victory after pitching two-thirds of an inning, enjoyed great defense when third baseman Parker Jones caught a line drive for the first out. After plunking Smith, Maddox opted to pitch Hayes for the final two outs. He came through with a pop up and a strikeout for the save.
"We got the first out at third by Parker and Drew shut the door," Maddox said, beaming, once again. "I knew we were capable of making plays," said Beau, "but I didn't expect that. We made great plays out there today."
"Defense and pitching kept us in the game," said Hayes. "Wilson hustling and making a great play, then the double play and Drew behind the plate, they won't run. Defense and pitching played a big part today."
Drew Brown was 2-3 with two RBI, Beau Brown was 1-3 with an RBI, Hayes was 1-3 with two RBI, Wheat was 1-4 with an RBI, Laughrey was 1-4 with an RBI, Smith, Wilson and Priestley each had hits. Broadbent scored two runs. Bradburn was 3-3 with three RBI and Long was 2-5 with a homer and two RBI to lead the Eagles.
The 7-6 victory assured McKenzie of two more games and the comeback nature of the game would serve the Rebels’ confidence. Now MHS knew it could win a game in this fashion under a pressure cooker.
"It's not realistic to come to the state tournament and win every game by six runs; that's just not possible," said Maddox. "You will run into games like today where it's tight all the way and the kids really showed me what they were made of."
"You've got to win these kinds of games where you have to battle back," said Maddox. "Summertown gave a great effort and laid it on the line, but I am very proud of the way these kids battled and expected to win."
Indeed they did. Now they were one game away from playing for a state championship and attaining their goal. The Rebels enjoyed solid efforts from Drew Hayes and Beau Brown on the mound. There was mystery in who would get the ball for Game 3. The decision caused much consternation, contemplation and plain ol’ angst for Maddox, senior Jonathan Wheat and junior Bugs Smith. One of those two would get the ball. But who? After lunch on Thursday, one of the two would find out. In the meantime, the Rebels weren’t facing elimination and had earned another afternoon off. Winning like they did would go a long way…and it was a nice feeling.
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