Kewpies march on

Hickman senior Blake Tekotte stepped out of the batter’s box in a Class 4 sectional game Thursday and looked to coach Dave Wilson for a sign.

Wilson paced by third base, stewing after Chad Hatcher was picked off at first. Fort Zumwalt West pitcher Chad Henkelman had shut out the Kewpies through three innings.

Tekotte stepped into the box and took his stance with the bat held high and his front leg completely straight.

Henkleman threw and Tekotte sent the ball to the right-center field gap.

The left fielder blocked a follow-up double by Andrew Mueller with his foot, and a quick throw to the shortstop could have cut Tekotte off at third. But the ball was overthrown.

Tekotte kept his wits and reacted fast, tearing for home with the Kewpies’ first run. The Hickman offense came alive after Tekotte’s effort.

“One hit can change the game, especially with our lineup,” Tekotte said. “One hit can break it open and unleash our bats and it did, up and down the lineup.”

Top-ranked Hickman (26-2) ran away with the game, winning at Zumwalt West 13-3.

The Kewpies scored five runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, and six in the sixth.

“Early in the ball game we played into (Henkelman’s) hands,” Wilson said. “He’s kind of a junk-ball pitcher, a good pitcher. We swung early and got ourselves out.”

“The pitcher caught us off guard in the beginning by changing his motions up and throwing a lot of junk,” Tekotte said. “After everyone saw what he had, we reacted to it.”

The reaction was dramatic in the fifth when Hickman second baseman Chad Hatcher and Tekotte opened the inning with back-to-back home runs.

“The game of baseball is a game of adjustments,” Zumwalt West coach Mike Rimmer said. “We were working the plan we came up with and by the second and third time through the lineup they were able to adjust and it was very successful.”

Hickman starter Steven Boyer held the Jaguars to three runs, but in the sixth he loaded the bases with a single and two walks.

Zack Heath came on with one out and coaxed Zumwalt West shortstop Ed Morelli into a double-play ball.

“I was pumped up to come in and play,” Heath said. “I wanted a strikeout but a double play works.”

The Kewpies face Joplin (21-8) in the state quarterfinals 1 p.m. Saturday at Hickman High School. Joplin’s Blake Chapman threw a no-hitter to beat Glendale 7-0 in a sectional in Springfield.