Kevin Lucas coached his first varsity baseball game for Hillsboro Friday.
Tony Perkins has guided Francis Howell to four state championships, including the Class 5 crown last season.
The two are old friends who’ve played on softball teams together.
Friendships aside, Lucas was more than happy to get his first win as the Hawks’ coach against Perkins’ Vikings in St. Charles.
Hillsboro scratched out a run in the second inning when senior Nick Schmidt doubled, reached third base on a wild pitch by Viking starter Ben Holsclaw, and scored on a passed ball by catcher Garrett Payne.
Hillsboro pitchers Brandon Whitehead (the starter) and Nick Warren (reliever) slammed the door shut on the Vikings who had four runners picked off the bases and Hillsboro won 1-0 in the opening game for both teams in the Troy Tournament.
“It was nice to have a good friend of mine get his first coaching win,” Perkins said. “I knew he’d make them better when he got the job because he’s great at fundamentals.”
Surprisingly for the Vikings, it was fundamentals on the bases that kept them off the scoreboard.
“We didn’t do a very good job of running the bases, plus we didn’t hit,” Perkins said. “We could have scored at least three runs.”
Whitehead pitched the first four innings, allowed two hits, struck out three batters and walked four.
“He was a little wild but he doesn’t get rattled,” Lucas said.
Warren relieved Whitehead in the fifth inning and worked out of a one-out walk. All-state center fielder Kyle Grantham, who set the Howell record for hits in a season (60) last year, walked with one out in the sixth and reached third base on a ground out by Zack Hunsicker. But Chase Goulet swung on Warren’s first pitch to him and flied out to center field.
There wasn’t any drama in the Vikings’ seventh as Warren struck out the side.
“It’s always the plan, but it never really works like that but I’m happy it did today,” Warren said.
Hillsboro catcher Nick Carter played a strong defensive game. Carter picked off a Howell runner at first base in the second inning and then gunned down Anthony Parrish trying to steal third base in the third.
“That changes the game because now our defense can relax, and if there’s runners on people tend to tense up a little bit,” Lucas said. “We need to be able to do that type of stuff to be successful.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Hillsboro 7, Festus 2
Jillian Schlote got the Hillsboro girls soccer season started on the right foot.
The junior forward scored the Hawks' first four goals en route to a 7-2 victory over host Festus on Friday.
Schlote scored a natural hat trick in the match's opening 22 minutes with goals at the three minutes, 17 minutes and 22 minutes.
Claire Werner briefly interrupted Schlote's scoring spree, scoring for Festus on a rebound at 32 minutes, but Scholte struck again six minutes before halftime for a 4-1 lead.
Hillsboro popped in two more goals before the end of the first half with Amanda Evans scoring in the 36th minute and Payton Kuehn netting a goal in the 38th minute for a 6-1 halftime lead.
Festus senior Jordan Oetting scored in the game's 49th minute when Hillsboro keeper Carlie Sanders couldn't clear the ball, leading to an empty-net goal. Sanders replaced starter Shea Luby in goal. Oetting needs two goals to become the Tigers' all-time goal leader.
Hillsboro's Abby Schacht capped the scoring at 55 minutes when her shot from about 18 yards beat Festus keeper Mackenzie Warfel.
Warfel, who normally plays on the junior varsity squad, was in net because starting keeper Morgan Wendel is out with concussion-like symptoms.
Festus head coach Drew Clinton said Wendel was diagnosed Wednesday and could return after next week.
The season-opening victory was a measure of revenge for the Hawks, who fell to the Tigers 6-1 in the Class 3 District 2 championship last season.