We can save you some time reading this and just sum it up here - this is a special Hornets baseball team. If you're still reading, then here's why. NKC defeated Truman 9-7 on Wednesday afternoon in blustery conditions to win their seventh game in a row and in comeback fashion. Northtown leveraged all facets of the game, timely hitting, shrewd baserunning, solid pitching, and minimized mistakes on defense to secure the win.
The game started with a leadoff home run into the jet stream in left field at Truman by
Diamonds Cooper and just like that, the Hornets were on top. Northtown would score three in the first. Starter
Andrew Kreiling danced out of a couple of jams but not before Truman scored five and heading into the fourth, thanks to two solo homers by Truman in the third, and 5it was 5-4 Truman. After a scoreless fourth, Kreiling gave way to reliever
Layne Campbell. Northtown tied the game in the top of the fifth on a
Noah Devero RBI single scoring
Anian Nicolas. But Truman answered in the bottom frame and it was 6-5 Patriots into the 6th.
One of the keys to the Hornets season so far has been the ability to take an extra base or grab an extra insurance run. Twice, they've needed it late in games, and that's exactly what the Hornets did, scoring two in the sixth and two in the seventh. The innings feature two hits by
Brett Kamler - one a 2 RBI double that danced down the third base line to make the score 9-6. Brett would finish 3-3 with three runs, two doubles, and an RBI sac fly. Cooper scored another run in the seventh to go with his first inning homer. Daytorn Horn worked a leadoff walk into a run in the sixth. Every Hornet contributed on offense in some way including a huge RBI single by
Kevin Pelico in the sixth after going 0-3 up to then in the game.
The two things NKC has struggled with so far this season has been limiting defensive mistakes and closing teams out late. The Hornets did not commit an error after the first inning, and
Brett Kamler came in to close the door in the seventh getting three outs to advance the hornets to 7-2 on the year.
As a team, Northtown is hitting .368 through nine games with five homers, and 25 doubles. On the mound, Hornet Hurlers have allowed only 25 walks and K'd 63 batters with a team ERA of 4.29.
But it doesn't get any easier from here. Tomorrow, Northtown starts the conference portion of their schedule and the conference they are in is TOUGH. Tomorrow's game is at Lee's Summit's Legacy Park, where the purple and gold will take on a 2-2 Lee's Summit team. Fans traveling to Legacy Park are limited to two adults per player.
Like I said above, this is a special Hornets baseball team, and don't be surprised if they raise more than a few eyebrows now that conference season is here.
North Kansas City
North Kansas City
