Chiefs making third straight trip to state

Senior Logan Kirchhoff didn't medal in the 100-meter dash last week at the state track meet, but he had enough speed to score from second base on a single during the Chiefs' 12-1 romp at Lakeland. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The traffic on the four-lane thoroughfare south of Deepwater wasn't as heavy as the congestion of the Chiefs on the base paths Thursday during a 12-1, six-inning victory over Lakeland in the MSHSAA Class 1 Quarterfinal.

Top-ranked Santa Fe will get a chance to defend its state title next week at the MSHSAA Championships in Springfield, with No. 2 Cooter (24-1) from the Missouri Delta the semifinal opponent. It will be the Chiefs' third straight appearance in the Final Four.

"This is huge. This is something for our boys to be proud of," declared Santa Fe head coach Josh Fisher. "It's well-deserved."

Given the Vikings' reputation under veteran head coach Steve Kuchta -- now guiding the program once run by his father, John, for whom the Lakeland field is named -- Fisher admitted he "was more nervous about this game than any game this season."

The Chiefs didn't show any jitters at the plate, as junior Matt Lovercamp and senior Taylor Wesley cracked homers in the top of the first inning -- as they did during the final frame of the previous day's 12-3 sectional win over Lone Jack.

"That's absolutely huge," Fisher said. "I harp on the kids that we've got to get on the board, and get on the board early. The last couple of games, that hasn't been the case."

It was the third game in a row in which Santa Fe has had back-to-back homers. With Lovercamp smashing another solo homer in the fifth, he now has a 9-8 lead over Wesley in what Fisher called "a competition between the two" for jacks. Lovercamp also tied the school record set by Roger Feagan in 2001.

The Chiefs have hit 30 dingers in 17 games, a new high mark for the 11-year-old program. Although the small size of its home park may puff up its total, Santa Fe has given up only two homers to opponents.

Sophomore Ross Tieman's RBI single in the second put the Chiefs up 3-0, which was more than was needed by Kirchhoff -- an all-state right-hander.

The only Lakeland run came after junior Thomas Stewart's two-out single in the bottom of the third. A hit batter and passed ball sent him to third base, from where he scored on senior Cody Holt's single.

Kirchhoff allowed only two hits and three baserunners the rest of the game, none getting past second, while striking out nine to improve his record to 7-0 and lower his earned-run average to 1.17.

This with the usual starting catcher, senior Ben Catlett, being used only as a designated hitter after spraining his ankle the previous night -- freshman Dalton Wilkinson starting instead.

"That's the first time I've pitched with Dalton behind the plate," Kirchhoff noted, "but I was hitting my spots and he was calling them where they needed to be."

"The kid was flawless. He threw a great game," Fisher praised Kirchhoff's performance, aided by a defense which didn't commit an error. "It helps when you have a great defense to back you up."

The brief surge wasn't enough to save the Vikings (14-11), as Santa Fe kept adding on to its lead.

Kirchhoff and sophomore Nathan Wesley singled for a run in the fourth, Lovercamp homered and Wesley singled and scored in the fifth, and the Chiefs assured an early end to the game with six runs in the sixth.

Tieman and junior Hunter Rolf followed a lead-off walk with singles to load the bases. Two scored when a fielder's choice on Lovercamp's bouncer to shortstop was botched, Wesley drilled a two-run single and Catlett doubled in a run and hobbled around the rest of the circuit on a wild pitch and grounder.

Lovercamp, Wesley and Tieman each had three hits for Santa Fe (16-1), which has won six straight playoff games. No matter what happens at the state tourney, getting there for the third season in a row -- according to Kirchhoff -- "means ending on a good note and setting a good example for the kids next year."

"We had to fill some spots and had some people lost from last year," said Kirchhoff, admitting this season "felt different" from the 19-0 campaign of 2008. "Hopefully, it ends the same way as last year."