Six weeks in and the Fulton Hornets baseball team will finally have a true home game.
After being patient with another mercurial Missouri spring, the Hornets' new digs - located east of the high school - will finally be ready for baseball when Fulton hosts the Fatima Comets on Monday.
First pitch - weather permitting - is scheduled for 5:08 p.m.
The Hornets (5-6) played their first seven home games at Hensley Field, but will now break in their new field at the high school sports complex.
Festivities - with Steve Mallinckrodt serving as master of ceremonies - start at 4:55 with the ceremonial first pitch being thrown out by former Fulton head coach Darrell Davis.
Davis - who retired in June 2010 - helped bring the school its only state baseball championship in 1990 and was inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January.
Seniors and starting lineups will be announced at 5, beginning with Fatima and then the host Hornets. Emily Whitmar will then sing the national anthem at 5:05 and the game balls donated by EPM of Fulton will be presented at 5:07.
EPM will provide the umpires with three dozen game balls, with every foul ball or home run collected by fans to be kept as souvenirs to commemorate the event.
North Callaway baseball (V)........15
South Callaway..............................1
AUXVASSE - The Thunderbirds continued their torrid start to the season with a sound five-inning win over the rival Bulldogs in the last game of pool play at the Montgomery County Tournament late Thursday night.
North Callaway senior starter Grant Cundiff ran his record to 3-0 with the complete-game effort. The one run Cundiff allowed -Â coming in the fourth innings - was unearned as he walked three and scattered three hits while striking out 10.
Cundiff also had two of the Thunderbirds' 12 hits, driving in three runs and scoring three times while going 2-for-3.
Senior catcher Zak Kee was also 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for North Callaway (11-0), while sophomore right fielder Vance Allen went 1-for-2 and delivered two of his three RBI on a two-run single during the Thunderbirds' eight-run rampage in the third.
Junior shortstop Zach Lavy was hit by a pitch and drew two walks, but was also 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run scored. As a team, North Callaway had six batters hit by pitches to set a school single-game record.
"Our goal was to win the tournament and now we have a shot at it," Thunderbirds head coach Kevin O'Neal said.
South Callaway sophomore starter Bradley Smart worked 3 1/3 innings, plunking three of those batters in taking the loss. Smart allowed six earned runs on just two hits, striking out three and walking two.
Junior center fielder Ben Seitz went 2-for-2 with a stolen base for the Bulldogs (6-4). Freshman right fielder Garner Rudroff finished 1-for-3 with an RBI double in the fourth to score junior first baseman Konrad Kemper with South Callaway's only run.
"We pitched a couple of our younger guys and they pitched well," Bulldogs head coach Tucker Bartley said. "North Callaway hit the ball very well and we didn't play great defense."
North Callaway - tied for 10th with Oak Grove in the most recent Class 3 rankings - was set to play Winfield for the tournament championship on Saturday at Montgomery City, but the game was postponed because of wet field conditions. South Callaway was also scheduled to face Mark Twain for third place.
A decision has not been made on when those games will be rescheduled.
The Thunderbirds travel to Ashland for a Mid-Missouri Conference game against Southern Boone on Monday, while the Bulldogs host Calvary Lutheran. Both contests start at 5 p.m.
Lady Owls basketball team
adds recruit from Kearney
William Woods University women's head basketball coach Dan Chapla has announced the signing of Kearney senior Michaela Brinkley to a letter of intent for the 2011-12 season.
Brinkley - a 5-foot-6 guard - earned four varsity letters at Kearney, where she was a three-time, first-team all-district and all-conference selection. She was also a three-time team most valuable player and twice was named captain.
Brinkley scored more than 1,000 points in her career at Kearney and led the team in points, assists, steals and free-throw percentage.
Fulton baseball (9th)...............6...11
Marshall.................................10....8
MARSHALL - The Hornets bounced back in the second game of Thursday night's doubleheader to pick up their first win of the season.
Cole Kettle went 2-for-5 with four runs batted in to pace Fulton, while John Kingsley was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Joe Schlemeier and Dalten Ford were both 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Kegan Lee finished 3-for-5 and scored three runs, while Kory Masek went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Tyler Echelmeier was also 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Lee earned the victory in the nightcap, while Kettle posted the save.
The Hornets were scheduled to play in the Marshall Tournament on Saturday, but it was rained out and will not be made up. Fulton's game at Moberly on Monday has also been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.
The Hornets play a doubleheader against North Callaway at Auxvasse at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 26.