By JIM STEELE
mckenzierebels.com

McKenzie, for the most part, had taken care of business. The Rebel baseball had won 11 of its last 13 tames and was poised for a District 13A regular-sesaon title.

They had beaten Bruceton on Monday night 14-4 and only had a doubleheader with visiting Big Sandy standing in their way on Tuesday. The Rebels were 7-1 in the district going in while Huntingdon was already finished at 9-1. If the Rebels could win, they'd have a better overall record, which would be the key for locking up the crown, since MHS and Huntingdon split their regular-season games.

Huntingdon entered Monday at 19-6 with a game against Ripley. The Rebels entered at 20-7, but they were two back in the win column.

Drew Brown must have had some place to go. The Rebel senior pounded two doubles and five RBI in the opener as the Rebels won the game 15-0 in three innings. In the nightcap, Brown singled, doubled, drove in two runs and McKenzie captured a 10-0 victory and the District 13A regular-season crown.

It was a fitting farewell for the Rebel seniors as MHS improved to 22-7 overall and 9-1 in league play. McKenzie now faces either West Carroll or Clarksburg 7 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the 13A tournament at Huntingdon.

"Drew Brown did what he needed to do today and showed why he's going to be playing in college next year," said McKenzie coach Lynn Yarbrough. "Drew had a big day today and his on-base percentage is probably .700 or .800. He finds a way to get on base."

Brown walked to lead the game off, then batted a second time in the first and cranked a two-run double. In the second frame, he raked a base-clearing, three-run double. In Game 2, he led the game off by getting beaned (again), then drove in a run with a single in the second. In the fourth, he ripped an RBI double.

In the opening game, the Rebels cracked 11 hits and sent 23 men to the plate in two innings to score 15 runs. In the nightcap, MHS had 10 runs on nine hits.

In the opener, senior Derek Carr struck out seven, allowed two hits and hit one batter in three innings. In the nightcap, Nick Tucker, making his varsity debut, struck out three, scattered three hits and hit a batter. In four innings he allowed no walks. It was a solid pitching and defensive outing for the Rebels.

"Carr pitched a really good game," Yarbrough said. "Tucker really pitched well and he's going to be around the plate."

Offensively, McKenzie didn't just power the ball. They had a lot of little seeing-eyed hits. In the opener, the Rebels had four infield hits.

In the Rebel first, Brown was hit by a pitch, senior Rusty Chapman singled, Carr tapped an RBI single and it was 1-0. Nick Chappell reached on an RBI error, followed by Parker Jones run-scoring single and it was 3-0. Senior Clint Kee popped out and Reeder followed with a dribbling single for an RBI. Senior Kyle Kirk singled, Brandon Sellers walked and Brown launched his two-run double. Chapman managed an infield single and the Rebels were up 8-0.

In the second, Parker Jones led with a single and stole second. Kee singled, then Reeder reached on an error, which scored a run. Kirk reached on a fielder's choice and Sellers legged out an infield hit. Brown pounded a three-run double and wth two out, Carr was hit by a pitcfh. Chappell had an RBI hit, then Jones laced a run-scoring double. When the dust settled, MHS held a 15-0 advantage. Carr struck out Big Sandy lead-off man Tom Cunningham, got Jeffrey Medlin to pop out. Kevin Adams singled, but Carr sliced up James Wisniewski for the third out and the victory.

McKenzie was one game closer to the regular-season title.

In the nightcap, Tucker got the first two out, but gave up a single to Adams, who pelted his third hit of the day. Adams stole second and tried to steal third where Brown gunned him.

In the Rebel first, Brown was hit by a pitch and stole second. With one out, Jacob Fussell walked. On a wild pitch, Brown bolted for the plate and scored. Tyler Holt singled and Fussell scored on a passed ball. Holt stole second and took third on a passed ball. Tyler Rhoads drove in Holt with a fielder's choice and the Rebs led 3-0.

In the second frame, Matt Foster hit a dribbler that appeared to go foul, but it spun into fair territory. Foster stopped, started, stopped and started again and beat the throw to first. He took second and almost got picked off. The throw went into centerfield and Foster rumbled to third. With one out, Brown drove Foster home with an RBI hit. Mark Newman was hit by a pitch and scored on Holt's stand-up triple to the right-center gap. McKenzie led 6-0 to that point.

Logan Poore made a great throw to peg Bryson at the plate in the fourth to keep the Red Devils from scoring.

The Rebels went quietly in the third, then in the fourth, Payne collected a base hit and scored on Brown's double. Newman pounded a double to drive in Brown. Then Fussell doubled to put Rebels at second and third. Holt reached on a two-run error and the Rebels captured a 10-0 victory and the 13A regular-season title.

"Poore, Holt, Newman all contributing like they did today I think will help the team because they've worked hard, gotten a chance to play and made the most of it," said Yarbrough. "And Tucker really pitcked well. It was a team effort today and a good win for us."

Brown was 2-2 with a walk and five RBI in the opener. Chapman was 2-3, Carr was 1-2 with an RBI. Chappell was 1-2 with two RBI. Jones was 3-3 with two RBI. kee was 1-2. Reeder was 1-2 with two RBI. Kirk was 1-2 with two runs scored. Sellers was 1-1.

In the nightcap, Brown was 2-2 with a single, double and two RBI. Newman was 1-2 with an RBI. Fussell was 1-3 with a double. Holt was 2-3 with two RBI. Poore was 1-2 with a double. Foster was 1-2 and Payne was 1-2.