By JIM STEELE
mckenzierebels.com

McKenzie junior pitcher Nick Chappell gave McKenzie a bigger lift than he probably realized Saturday in winners' bracket play of the District 13A tournament.

He was really supposed to work maybe three or four innings, then give way to some relief help. But he shook off a nagging hamstring pull, worked seven innings then went 2-3 at the plate with three RBI and the Rebels defeated Clarksburg 9-4. The game wasn't as close as the score indicated. The Rebels were an out away from ending the game 10-0 in the sixth, but left a runner 90 feet away.

It was a good day up and down the lineup and down the lineup for the Rebels, but Chappell may have set up McKenzie's fortune for the next week or so.

"Chappell wanted the ball and wanted to put this one on his shoulders," said McKenzie coach Lynn Yarbrough. "He went the whole game and that was huge."

Now, the Rebels rested pitchers have deeper options and they are now two games away from the District 13A crown. Clint Kee will get the ball 4:30 Monday in the winners' bracket semifinals. The Mustangs beat Bruceton 14-4 in the early game Saturday. Bruceton ended West Carroll's season in loser's bracket play Saturday afternoon .

Yarbrough was pleased with the way Chappell hit the ball, too.

"His approach at the plate was good and he got some big hits for us," said the coach.

McKenzie jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Senior Drew Brown was, hard to believe, hit by a pitch. Parker Jones cranked a big two-run hit.

In the second frame, Rusty Chapman had an RBI double down the rightfield line for a 3-0 advantage. In the third Kyle Kirk reached on a fielder's choice to drive in a run. Then the Rebel bats went silent for the most part. Chappell singled in the fifth, but courtesy runner Mark Newman was retired at second on Jones' fielders' choice.

In the Rebel sixth, McKenzie exploded. With one out, Tyler Holt singled, Brwon was plunked yet again, Champan reached and Derek Carr was hit by a pitch to drive in Holt. Chappell pouned a two-run double to plate Brown and Chapman. Jones was hit by a pitch and Tyler Reeder blasted a two-run double off the centerfield wall, a shot that almost left the park. Jones was retired at the plate, but Reeder raced to third on a passed ball. He was stranded there, 90 feet from ending the game early.

Clarksburg posted four runs on two hits and three errors in the seventh, but with a force situation at third base, Jones picked up the grounder, stepped on the bag to end the game.

"Reeder had a huge hit, Rusty's double early in the game was big, Holt had some big hits for us," said Yarbrough. "We left a lot of runners on and we could have finished it early, but we won the game and the guys played really well."

Brown reached base four times, was 2-2 and was hit twice. Chapman was 1-3 with an RBI, Reeder was 2-4 with two RBI, Jones had a hit and two RBI, Holt was 2-3, Carr was 1-3.

A win Monday night would land the Rebels into the 13A finals for the third straight year, 4:30 Wednesday night. The victory improves McKenzie's record to 23-7 overall.