Chiefs go deep to whip Concordia

ALMA -- Defending Class 1 state baseball champion Santa Fe brought out its whipping sticks Thursday for its home opener against I-70 Conference rival Concordia, smacking three homers during a 15-0, five-inning victory.

Despite returning the bulk of a line-up which posted a 19-0 record last year, the Chiefs weren't ranked in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll -- and are apparently taking the insult out on their early opponents.

That was the case with the Orioles (1-1), who were belted around for 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Senior Ben Catlett drove in two with a double and was still on the filled sacks when junior Jake Hollingsworth turned on the power switch with a grand slam.

Four pitches later, senior Logan Kirchhoff also found the fence, and the onslaught wasn't over. A hit batter and singled by junior Matt Lovercamp, senior Taylor Wesley and Catlett produced two more runs.

Hollingsworth doubled to begin the second inning, scoring on Kirchhoff's single. Junior Hunter Rolf and Lovercamp singled and Wesley hit a sacrifice fly to plate two more runs.

Kirchhoff and senior Ross Tieman singled for a run in the third and Wesley added a solo tater in the fourth.

Wesley, an all-state right-handed pitcher, allowed only one hit during his four innings of work -- with freshman Dalton Wilkinson adding an interesting scoreless frame, yielding three singles to start the stanza before picking a runner off third base and then getting out of the jam with a strikeout and fly ball.

Santa Fe (2-0) banged out 16 hits for its 21st consecutive win. The Chiefs' scheduled home game today against Sweet Springs has been postponed, so they are next due to play Monday at home against Northwest of Hughesville.