The Jefferson City Renegades struck out 16 times in Friday's season opener at Ozark.
Things were a lot different Saturday night. They only struck out twice through five innings in their home opener at Vivion Field.
"Last night we weren't very good," Renegades coach Mike DeMilia said after the game was suspended for lightning and heavy rain. "They threw a pretty good guy against us, but we chased out of the zone and tonight we were a lot more patient and it paid off."
With a runner on first base and one out in the top of the sixth inning, the game was halted for lightning in the area. The Renegades led 11-8.
Since the A's already had a game scheduled for 2 p.m. today against the Renegades, the teams will resume the suspended game at that time today prior to playing the scheduled contest.
Jefferson City matched its run total from Friday by the second inning Saturday.
Already down 3-2 entering the bottom of the second, Peyton Leeper and Lincoln Orellana got things rolling with a single to center field and a double to the left-field corner to tie it at 3.
Orellana scored the go-ahead run two batters later when Ryan Missal's flyball to left field was dropped.
A Jordan Smith sacrifice fly and a Trent Pobst RBI single on a line drive to center field made it 6-3.
Ethan Rackers, Missal and Smith each added an RBI single in the third for a 9-4 advantage and two more Renegades crossed the plate in the fourth thanks to a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch.
It was plenty of run support for Connor McKenna, who allowed four runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts in four innings.
McKenna didn't walk anyone after five Renegades pitchers combined for nine walks Friday.
"Connor handled himself fine," DeMilia said. "He just got hit around a little bit but he didn't walk people, threw strikes. He had a little problem getting his fastball hit so he went a little more off-speed. It worked for a little bit and then they started making adjustments."
McKenna was throwing to former Helias Crusader teammate Austin Fennewald, who got his first start behind the plate.
"I think there was some continuity there for sure," DeMilia said. " I think they were on the same page the whole night."
Clarinda made a dent in the lead in the fifth after Noah Menchaca led off with a walk and later scored on a passed ball. No. 9 batter Jacob Flores followed with a three-run homer over the scoreboard in center field to make it 11-8.
Luke Gray relieved Colton Hoelscher in the sixth, getting the first batter he faced to fly out and walking Kendrick Delima before the game was stopped.
Orellana recorded two of Jefferson City's nine hits from the No. 7 spot in the lineup. Leeper singled, walked twice and scored three times.