Republic battled two state-ranked teams in a Friday afternoon double-header at US Ballpark in Ozark, and the Tigers came away with a split. Republic lost the first game 6-3 to Kickapoo (Class 6, #9), then blew out Aurora (Class 4, #2) in five innings, 10-0.
In the opener against Kickapoo, Zach McCinniss out-dueled Republic starter Cole Iles in a 6-3 Kickapoo win. Through the first four innings, the score was tied 1-1, and the each team had only two base hits.
Each team scored a run in the third inning with help from the ninth hitters in their respective lineups. Republic scored first in the top of the third inning when Gavin Walker singled with two outs and leadoff hitter Vincent Pyeatt tripled him home. Kickapoo evened the score 1-1 when number-nine hitter Ayden Fetters led off with a single, stole second, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Kickapoo missed a chance to take the lead in the fourth inning when Luke Quackenbush was tagged out at the plate on a botched squeeze play. In the top of the fifth, Republic lost a runner at the plate, as well. After Richard Potter doubled with two outs, Gavin Walker reached on a throwing error by the Kickapoo third-baseman. Potter tried to score on the error and was thrown out.
In the bottom of the fifth, Iles, who had cruised up to that point, ran out of gas. He hit two batters, walked one, and gave up three hits. Kickapoo also benefited from a couple of defensive misplays by Republic, scoring five runs to take a 6-1 lead. Brady Usgaard came in to relief Iles but the damage had been done.
Republic got back-to-back hits to start the sixth – a double by Pyeatt and a single by Gavyn Beckner – but scored only one run. In the seventh, Connor Sandridge drew a leadoff walk and came around to score, making the score 6-3, but that’s where it ended.
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In the second game, Republic sent 14 men to the plate in the first inning, taking advantage of eight walks by Aurora starter Clayton Reed and scoring eight runs. Sprinkled among the walks were a single by Kyle Hill and a triple by Ace McWatters that landed in front of the sliding right fielder, then scooted past him on the turf. Pyeatt also had a single in the inning to go along with a walk.
The Tigers added two more runs in the third inning to make the score 10-0.
Jared Hughes picked up his first win, working three scoreless innings. He struck out six, allowed just one hit, and walked three.
Caide White relieved Hughes in the fourth inning and promptly struck out the side – all three looking, and all three on curveballs. Just as White returned to the mound for the fifth inning, a flash of lightning caused a delay, and that delay lasted about an hour. White returned after the layoff and ended the game by shutting down the Houn’ Dawgs in the top of the fifth. White struck out two more batters, and with a runner at third, Vincent Pyeatt ranged up the middle, made a sliding stop on a ground ball, and threw out Aaron Fisher to end the game.
White pitched two innings, striking out five, hitting a batter, and walking none.
Republic returns to US Ballpark for a Saturday afternoon game at 2 p.m. Republic Tiger Sports will stream the game live on YouTube.