JEFFERSON CITY - Coming off a week in which it collected only four hits and two runs in two frustrating losses, the top-seeded Hickman baseball team entered the Class 4 District 10 Tournament at the American Legion Sports Complex yesterday with one objective.

Nick King photo

Hickman’s Colin Kemble, left, and Thad McVeigh celebrate after scoring on Taylor Steuber’s double in the first inning of the Kewpies’ 9-5 victory over Smith-Cotton yesterday in a Class 4 District 10 semifinal in Jefferson City. Hickman will play Helias for the district title tomorrow.

"It was time to get back to being aggressive," Hickman Coach Dave Wilson said.

For Hickman left fielder Taylor Steuber, that meant business as usual. After collecting half of his team’s hits last week - both coming off future first-round draft pick Tim Melville of Holt - Steuber remained the hottest Hickman bat in the lineup by going 3 for 4 with three doubles and two RBI in a 9-5 victory over fourth-seeded Smith-Cotton.

Hickman (19-6) matched its scoring output of the previous week in the first inning when Steuber drove a two-out double to the fence in right-center field to score Colin Kemble and Thad McVeigh. The right-handed senior added doubles in the third and sixth innings to boost his team-leading batting average to .430.

After opening the season in a 4-for-20 hole, Steuber has 30 hits in his last 59 at-bats.

"He got off to a slow start at the beginning of the year, but since then he’s been on fire," Wilson said. "He’s just dialed in. He’s squaring up with the baseball, and he’s got that good, level swing that’s kind of conducive to hitting line drives."

Steuber attributed his hitting surge to two things. Physically, he adjusted his stance at the plate. Mentally, he changed his approach when entering the batter’s box.

"I widened my stance and took more of a two-strike approach to hitting the ball all the time by hitting the ball up the middle or the other way," Steuber said. "I’ve been hitting the ball hard lately.

"I just go out there and try to do my best all the time. Hit the ball hard and good things will happen."

Steuber’s teammates followed his lead yesterday. The Kewpies banged out 14 hits off two Smith-Cotton pitchers to advance into the championship game against Helias at 5 p.m. tomorrow. All but one Hickman starter collected a hit in the win.

Kemble went 3 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and two runs scored. Brandt Frye and Chris Pfau both had two hits and also added one RBI each.

"Their hitting approach was very good," Smith-Cotton Coach Ross Dey said. "They keep putting pressure on you, and after a while it’s going to catch up to you."

Hickman put runners in scoring position every inning and added two runs in both the third and fourth innings to extend its lead to 6-0.

Smith-Cotton (8-16) battled back with three runs in the top of the fourth off Hickman starter Drew Mitrisin, but the Kewpies answered with three more runs on three hits in the bottom of the frame to push the margin back to six.

Pfau drove home the first run of the inning with a single, and Frye added a run-scoring double over the center fielder’s head to make the score 8-3. With two outs, Kemble chopped a ball in the hole that caromed off the nose of Smith-Cotton shortstop Adam Archibeque. While Archibeque lay motionless on the ground, the ball bounced into the outfield, allowing Frye to score from second.

Smith-Cotton added two more runs in the fifth off Hickman reliever Stephen Peel, but the Sedalia squad couldn’t get any closer.

"We knew we’d have to play our ‘A’ game and hopefully they wouldn’t," Dey said. "They’re good."

Mitrisin, a left-handed junior, allowed five hits, one walk and struck out six to improve to 7-0. Senior right-hander James Hudelson (3-3) is expected to start for the Kewpies in the title game as Wilson attempts to claim his third district championship in his fourth and final season as Hickman’s head coach.

"We just want to win that plaque," said Wilson, who will coach at Staley High School next season.

● Helias 10, Jefferson City 0 (5 inn.): The second-seeded Crusaders (14-6) scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to end their semifinal against the sixth-seeded Jays (9-19) via the mercy rule.

Helias ace Charlie Thrash went the distance on the mound, silencing a Jefferson City lineup that scored 19 runs on 17 hits in a first-round upset of Rock Bridge on Monday.

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