Thunder rolls, and so does Jason Rackers.
The Jefferson City American Legion Post 5 Seniors right-hander surrendered just one earned run in six innings in Thursday night's 9-3 victory against Columbia Post 202, leaving Post 5 a win away from a district 8 championship.
"He's been throwing great all summer," Post 5 coach Curt Vaughn said. "He came into the summer with a limit on his pitches. We finally got him up to about 85, 90 this year. He's been throwing good. His last three or four outings he pretty much been unhitable."
All of Rackers' nine strikeouts came in the first five innings. By then, Post 5 led 6-0 and "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC played on the PA system at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.
Thunder rolled in the fifth inning, and so did the baseball as Rackers got three groundouts for a quick half-inning.
A steady rain arrived in the sixth when Post 202 scored two of its three runs.
Jared Baker got the inning started by reaching on an error and scoring on Wyatt Branson's triple to the right-field wall. Branson scored on Brayden Smith's flyout to center field to cut it to 6-2, but the deficit would grow in the bottom half.
The first four Jefferson City batters reached, including Brandon Williams' walk to score Kade Franks, who led off with a walk.
After a double play on a lineout, Jonathon Backes singled in Thomas Verslues and Williams for a 9-2 lead.
The rain was on its way out at that time, but lightning delayed the game for nearly 25 minutes. Then a strikeout ended the sixth and Columbia got an RBI single from Baker in the seventh for the final run of the game.
Ryan Paschal, who moved from shortstop to pitcher to start the
seventh, stranded two runners with a groundout and the game was called for lightning.
"It's fine with me, saves some pitching for tomorrow," Vaughn said.
Skyler Dickneite is scheduled to start Game 2, which is at 5 p.m. today. Drew Boessen will take the mound for Game 3 if Columbia wins Game 2 of the best-of-3 series.
Vaughn said Post 5 has been fortunate to have depth on the mound this summer.
"That's kept us in every tournament," he said. "We've lost two semifinals and we won Blue Springs last weekend. We've been in those spots because of our pitching. Our pitching has carried us all summer and I expect the same here on out with it."
Jefferson City provided more than enough offensive support Thursday, collecting seven hits and scoring in all but the fifth inning.
"Our hitting has been probably been our low point on the whole summer, but we've been winning games so we can't really complain," Vaughn said. "We know if we want go where we want to go this year, we're going to have to swing the bats a little better. I have confidence we'll have enough offense."
Williams and Backes each drove in a pair of runs Thursday. Zach Stiles went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Stiles scored the first run of the game when Gaven Strobel hit a slow roller to third base and beat out the throw to first. Stiles' second run came in the fourth after a leadoff single and two wild pitches.
"We like getting him on base," Vaughn said. "That's why he's been up at the top of the order with us. When he gets on base, we seem to score runs. We have good hitters behind him and he runs the bases well."