At first, Kade Franks didn't have any doubt the ball would clear the left-center fence in the third inning. As he rounded first base, some doubt crept in.
"I was like, 'Oh God, please go out ball, please go out,'" Franks said.
It did go out, just over the 340-foot sign. Kickapoo's left fielder checked his glove, but no ball. It was a three-run home run, the first of two homers for the Jefferson City Jays in an 8-2 win Thursday night against Kickapoo in the Class 5 quarterfinals at Vivion Field.
"He threw a couple balls kind of all over the place so I knew he was going to come at me," Franks said of the at-bat. "I saw fastball and my eyes got really big. I dropped my bat because I thought it was long gone but it was pretty close. The guy made a great try for it. It went over and that's all that matters."
Grant Wood added his own three-run home run in the sixth to extend the Jays' lead to 8-2. His was a no-doubter, clearing the 340-foot sign in right-center field with ease.
"That kind of settled everybody's nerves a little bit and let Jacob (Weirich) go out there and just go to work," Jays coach Brian Ash said.
Kickapoo's Chandler Jones reached on an error to lead off the seventh and went to second after Mason Auer was hit by a pitch with two outs.
Weirich ended it with a strikeout, his seventh of the game, to send Jefferson City (29-2) to the Final Four for the second straight season after not reaching that point in 24 years.
"We're the best team in the state and we're out there to prove that still," Franks said.
The Jays proved they can play defense Thursday. Gaven Strobel caught a runner stealing second in the first inning, second baseman Michael Skinner made a diving catch to his left in the fourth and right fielder Brandon Williams made a sliding catch in the fifth. Williams also doubled up the runner at first base to end the inning.
Those plays supported the offense provided by Wood, Franks and Strobel.
Strobel got the Jays on the board first with an RBI single up the middle in the third inning to score Payton Bodenstab, who was hit by a pitch. Franks had two of the Jays' six hits.
Bodenstab added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Hayden Hirschvogel.
Auer started on the mound for Kickapoo, retiring the Jays in order in the first and got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second. He got a strikeout and flyout to start the third before allowing four runs on two hit by pitches and two hits.
"Their kid on the mound did a good job," Ash said. "We were able to wait him out and boom, big hit by Kade."
Auer lasted 41/3 innings, striking out three, walking one and hitting three batters.
Weirich allowed both of the Chiefs' runs in the fourth on Andrew Kaufmann's single up the middle. Three of the four hits Weirich gave up came in that inning. He also walked one and hit another in the game.
Thursday's win was the Jays' 19th straight and 29th of the season, breaking last year's school-record of 28.
"Hopefully we have 30 and 31 coming as well," Ash said.
Jefferson City will play Lee's Summit (23-9) at 6:30 p.m. next Friday at Car Shield Field in O'Fallon. The Jays beat Lee's Summit 11-1 on April 1.
"Work's not done," Franks said. "Our coach said in the huddle we've got two more games and we're our here to prove that we started as No. 1 and we're going to end as No. 1."