Defensive problems ruin Kanuckle’s effort

Hickman started and ended well. But during the innings in between, Francis Howell was too much for the Kewpies, who lost 6-3 Saturday at Hickman.

Sophomore Greg Kanuckle was on the mound. Before the game, Kanuckle had worked on a new mental approach Hickman pitching coach Bobby Chick taught him. Kanuckle said he found himself focused while warming up, and feeling comfortable with his fastball and curveball.

“He told me to go off in my own little zone,” Kanuckle said.

Kanuckle emerged from the first inning unscathed. He went back to the mound with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of a sacrafice fly by senior first baseman Casey McIntosh.

Then, with the Kewpies off to a solid start and Kanuckle back on the mound, the team faltered. Two bunts, three miscues by third baseman John Hudelson and one home run later, the Kewpies were down 4-1.

“It’s frustrating, but you have to work through it,” Kanuckle said.

Kanuckle continued to fight for two more innings before giving way to senior reliever Jeff Johanningmeier.

The Kepwies committed two more errors later in the game. The defensive lapse surprised Hickman coach Dave Wilson, who said the Kewpies had an outstanding day on defense at Friday’s practice. The problems, he said, were uncharacteristic of the team. Kanuckle said the Kewpies’ gloves have been reliable over the course of the season, but the team might have been nervous and seemed jittery coming into the game. Wilson said he didn’t know why.

Although the loss bothered him, Wilson took it in stride.

In the ninth, the Kewpies came back to within three runs but left the bases loaded. After sophomores Thomas Brown and Taylor Steuber reached base and McIntosh walked, senior Jon Haas struck out on a full count to end the game. Wilson said he was pleased his team hung in there until the last at-bat.

The loss is especially frustrating because the Kewpies have been fighting to keep their record above .500. After a big win on Thursday against Fort Zumwalt West, the Kewpies are struggling to put together a winning streak. Kanuckle said the season has been up-and-down with part of the trouble stemming from the inexperience of the Kewpies’ regulars. McIntosh is the only returning varsity player, and many of the players that see significant playing time, such as Hudelson, Chris Pfau, Taylor Steuber and Colin Kemble, are sophomores. Kanuckle said the team is still learning how to play at the varsity level.

Hickman falls to 7-8, and Francis Howell improves to 13-3, extending its winning streak to 10 games. The Kewpies return to action at Smith-Cotton on Wednesday night.