Prep Round-up: Chiefs win 20th straight game

ARCHIE -- Defending MSHSAA Class 1 baseball champion Santa Fe may not have another undefeated season (19-0), but it began impressively Monday with a 12-1, five-inning non-conference victory at Archie.

Even since knocking the Chiefs out of the 2005 playoffs with a 5-4 home victory, the Whirlwinds have lost to them four times in a row -- twice a year ago, including the second straight quarterfinal setback.

Santa Fe took command early with five runs in the top of the first inning, led off by junior Hunter Rolf's triple. Senior Taylor Wesley doubled and sophomore Nathan Wesley drove in the inning's only earned run with a base hit.

After committing three errors in the first, Archie (0-1) settled down defensively -- but the Chiefs' sticks did their job in the third with six runs, all earned. Wesley and freshman Dalton Wilkinson started the rally with singles, both scoring on senior Max Capps' double.

Junior Jake Hollingsworth doubled in Capps and crossed himself on Wesley's two-run double, his third two-bagger of the game.

Meanwhile, senior all-state pitcher Logan Kirchhoff was in fine form. He allowed only one hit -- a fourth-inning single to junior Kyle Teter, who scored on an error -- and whiffed 10 batters.

Rolf scored three runs for Santa Fe (1-0), which plays Thursday at Concordia.

Sweet Springs 10, Green Ridge 3

SWEET SPRINGS -- Sophomore David Hall tossed a complete game and knocked in three runs Monday to get the Sweet Springs baseball team's season off to a good start with a 10-3 non-conference victory over visiting Green Ridge.

Hall allowed only five hits and two earned runs, while striking out 12 batters. While the Tigers scored in the first inning on senior Brett Shoop's single, they wouldn't stay ahead for long.

The Greyhounds tallied five runs in the third, senior Zach Thomas delivering a two-run single and Hall driving in the last run with a base hit after two scored on an error.

Senior Blake Vogelsmeier plated a run with a single in the fourth and was the first of two runners to cross the plate on Hall's two-out double. Vogelsmeier also had a sacrifice fly in the two-run fifth for Sweet Springs.

Shoop added another run-scoring single for Green Ridge (0-1), but took the loss as the starting pitcher.

Senior Jake Navarro, juniors Aaron Schatweiler and Chris Clevenger, and sophomore Kyle Fuehring each scored twice for the 'Hounds (1-0) -- who host St. Paul on Thursday.

Boys' Tennis

Marshall 7, Sacred Heart 1

If blustery winds helped dry the court from rain earlier in the day, it also made for difficult playing conditions Monday for the season opener of the Marshall boys' tennis team.

The Owls coped with it, and were rewarded with a 7-1 victory over the fledgling program from Sacred Heart of Sedalia -- which had only five players.

"It was good because everybody who was eligible got to play," remarked MHS head coach Susan Carney -- noting that not all of her team had the required practices.

Marshall was also missing senior Mac Evans, who had a schedule conflict, at the No. 1 spot -- where the Gremlins (0-1) got their only win. Junior Alex Cline, an experienced USTA player, got by junior Ethan Murphy, 10-5.

The rest of the singles matches weren't any trouble for the Owls. Juniors Jimmy Rector, Lucas Hart and Trey Clemons won by 10-0 scores and junior Brandon Mullins enjoyed a 10-2 victory.

Murphy was the only Marshall player to double back in doubles, in order to give Cline better competition, and paired with freshman Reece Evans for a 10-7 win at No. 1. The team of sophomore Patrick Butler and junior Jason Hadley posted a 10-0 shutout at No. 2 and the combo of junior Zach Smith and freshman Anthony Van won at No. 3, 10-5.

The Owls (1-0) will step in the quality of opponent Thursday when they travel to Higginsville.