By JIM STEELE
mckenzierebels.com

UNION CITY - In a do-or-die setting during the Region 7A baseball semifinals, McKenzie's banged up team needed some people to step up with some big plays.

Some turned into a lot. The Rebels cranked 11 hits and jumped on the back of senior pitcher Parker Jones, who, in a clutch outing, struck out seven and helped ift his team to a 9-6 victory over host Union City Monday night. Jones also was 2-3 at the plate. Tyler Holt was 3-3 with two RBI while Drew Brown was 2-4 with two RBI.

The victory improves McKenzie's mark to 24-9, but more importanty catapults it to a shot at the Region 7A title. In addition, the Rebels secured one 16 Class A substate invitations.

McKenzie coach Lynn Yarbrough was both visibly overjoyed and relieved after the victory.

"We defintely played well to score nine runs on Union City and beat them at their place," said the coach. "We hit well early and Parker pitched a jewel of a game. I thought we were up for this one."

McKenzie got the job done at the plate and in the field. Yeah, Union City scored six runs, but it seemed that the Tornadoes were doing the chasing instead of making the Rebels be Tornado chasers. The Rebs cranked five runs on six hits (three doubles) in the second frame. McKenzie posted runs in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh frames.

Union City stayed right on McKenzie's heels, but never could top the peak. And in the seventh, senior Rusty Chapman laid down a picture-perfect bunt to squeeze home Holt for a three-run advantage going into the bottom half of the seventh. That insurance run for a three-run lead made Union City's deficit almost too touch. And in the seventh, Jones retired the Twisters in order and McKenzie had secured at least two more games.

"Parker pitched a heck of a game and they never could figure him out," said Yarbrough. "We played really well and now we're heading to substate."

The Rebels' task of beating Union City was made more difficult by the presence of Union City assistant coach Jeremy Maddox, the coach who guided the Rebels for three years and led them to the 2006 state title. He knew the Rebels very well and perhaps had a full scouting report. But what he saw in the second inning may have looked very familiar to him before he swapped a red jersey for a gold one.

Junior Nick Chappell led the second off with a double and took third on Jones' single. Reeder cranked an RBI double to center then Holt and Luke Anderson each followed with RBI hits. Drew Brown had a two-run double and McKenzie was up 5-0. In the third Jones doubled and came home on Holt's single. UC pushed two across in the bottom half of the third and the Rebels led 6-2.

In the fourth, Brown doubled and scored on Kirk's double and McKenzie took a 7-2 lead. Union City closed the gap in the bottom half with two more runs and the score was 7-4.

In the fifth, the Rebels took an 8-4 lead when Jones singled and scored on a hit and an error.

Union City drew closer in the sixth with a walk and then a triple that appeared to have been caught by Chapman in center. After five, McKenzie led 8-6. In the sixth, Union City had something cooking with a leadoff hit. But Derek Carr scooped up the next ground ball, stepped on second then fired to Reeder at first for the twin killing. Jones forced Bruff to pop out to end the inning. McKenzie picked up a run in in the seventh when Holt reached on an error, took third on Luke Anderson's tightrope rocket double down the left field line. Chapman bunted Holt home for that insurance run.

"Holt hit the ball real well and Luke hit that big double and hit well," Yarbrough said. "Chapman's bunt was below his knees and he did a great job getting down to get it."

Jones scattered seven hits and walked just two.

Kirk was 1-4 with an RBI, Chappell was 1-4, Reeder was 1-4 with an RBI, Anderson was 2-4 with an RBI.

McKenzie plays Huntingdon 6 tonight for the Region 7A championship. The winner of that game will host either Jackson Christian School or Middleton; the loser hits the road to one of those two places. JCS beat Fayette Academy 10-0 whie Middleton edged Adamsville 3-2, ending the Cardinals' substate run. Huntingdon slipped by Trenton 7-6 in its 7A game on Monday. Substate is Friday.