It's not true that revenge is a dish best served cold, because North Kansas City is just starting to heat up. After falling to Oak Park earlier in the month for their mileston 800th win as a program, the sequel proved to be sweet revenge. North Kansas City beat the Northmen 7-3 at Creekside on Wednesday in front of their largest crowd of the year. That crowd saw Andrew Krueger shine in a complete game, 8 strikeout effort against an Oak Park team near the top of the conference standings.

The Hornets offense started early thanks to a Diamonds Cooper double and a Kevin Pelico RBI single. But Oak Park would return the favor in the top of the second with their biggest inning of the contest, scoring two unearned runs after an error in right field. The defense tightened up and that would prove to the be only Hornets error of the game, and Krueger would take it from there. He only allowed four hits in the complete game effort walking only four as well.

Northtown's offense would light up in fifth inning, bringing ten men to the plate, scoring four runs. A leadoff single by Israel Ramirez, followed by a triple by Pelico. (Question: Is Pelico the fastest man on the team? Discuss.) Joshua Mathew was hit by a pitch and Eli Lewis got an RBI safety squeeze bunt. The Hornets also wore it like champs in that inning as four batters were hit by pitches.

The victory improved NKC's record to 9-11 on the year, and dropped the Northmen to 16-9 with a split in the series.

GAME NOTES:

• The Hornets were joined on the field prior to the game by three Hornet fans who have overcome some health adversities over the past year. Kevin Dotson, father of head coach Bubba Dotson; and Kara Kamler, former Diamond Club president, as well as Ed Kamler, grandfather of 2021 Hornet baseball alum Brett Kamler. All three have had major surgeries recently, and were honored by throwing out the first pitches to the rivalry game.
• Andrew Krueger now leads the team in innings pitched with 39.2. He also leads the team in strikeouts with 47.
• Kevin Pelico now has an inside the park home run and a triple in his last two games. He is also leading the team in batting average at a whopping .500 with 31 hits and 17 RBI, all team leaders.
• The bottom of the Hornets order has been effective recently with Eli Lewis picking up a huge RBI sac bunt, Robert Morrow reaching twice on hit by pitch scoring two runs Wednesday, and Dayton Horn reaching base all three times, two walks and a single, scoring one run.
• The JV game prior to the varsity game was WILD. Oak Park defeated NKC 15-14, but the score says nothing about how crazy a game it was. Both teams put up 6+ runs in multiple innings and the bats were RED HOT all night. A sign that this rivalry won't be cooling off any time soon.