Lafayette beats Summit Christian to reach Class 4 semifinal

May 29—RAYTOWN, Mo. — Matt Jansen didn't lack confidence in his Lafayette baseball team entering Friday's Class 4 Quarterfinal.

With the game moved back one day due to weather and Jansen wanting to continue his first season in charge of the Irish, he instilled belief into his group before a matchup with Summit Christian Academy.

"We wanted to make school history,' Jansen said. "I texted them last night and said, 'Guys, you're gonna make school history. It's gonna happen. Believe it.'"

The energy and composure showed from the jump behind a shutout start from Zach Langley and small ball offense early, powering Lafayette to a 6-4 win at Raytown South High School.

"As a young boy, this is what you dream about in high school, being able to go to state and be able to win it all," Jansen added. "A lot of emotions. Very proud of the boys."

Jansen, whose first year at the helm was halted by COVID-19, leads the Irish (19-7) to the program's first state semifinal. Lafayette is the first St. Joseph school to return to state since Benton won it all in 2007.

Langley got the wheels in motion, striking out the first two batters he faced in a perfect first inning. Dayne Koch and Samuel Ryan walked to start the bottom of the frame, and Brayden Luikart drove in Koch on a single to right.

Jayden Little took a pitch to the helmet to load the bases, and Xavien Page's sac fly to deep center scored Luikart for a 2-0 lead after one.

Langley followed a leadoff walk with a double play on a comeback grounder in the second. Lafayette added three more runs in the bottom of the frame off two dropped third strikes, two walks, a single and a sacrifice bunt, leading to an early 5-0 lead.

"We're a scrappy team," Luikart said. "Any way we can scratch off a few runs early, late whatever, we've got a bunch of selfless guys that will do whatever it takes, no matter if it's bunt, a passed ball, whatever. We just wanna win."

Langley's pitching shined in the third inning with three-straight strikeouts looking, leading to an impassioned walk back to the dugout in a moment he called "surreal."

"At the start, I just wanted to bring a lot of energy, a lot of tempo," Langley said. "I really wanted to work my pitches, make sure I was hitting spots. Once I knew all my pitches were working, I knew it was just my time to go."

Lafayette added its final run on a two-out bases-loaded walk by Luikart in the bottom of the third, bringing in Cade King for a 6-0 lead.

With two on and two outs, the Irish applauded Langley and brought on the left-handed Luikart to pull Lafayette to the finish line.

"That was a special performance by him today. We're very proud of him," Jansen said. "We really just wanted him to give us six outs, and he got us more than that."

But a two-strike double to right by Nate Bartlett, Summit Christian's starting pitcher, got the Eagles (20-8) on the board and cut the deficit to 6-2.

The Eagles added two more on a home run to right off a hanging curveball by Xavier Zumwalt to pull within two runs in the fifth.

"Brayden at first I don't think was fully warm, even though he had been throwing," Jansen said. "Even though he's the first guy to the ballpark, sometimes it just takes a while to get comfy on that mound.

Luikart did so after allowing a single to follow the home run, sending down the final eight batters he faced, including a game-ending three-pitch strikeout to send Lafayette into celebration.

Koch and King led the Irish with two runs scored with Luikart tallied two of the team's four hits and two RBIs. Langley (6) and Luikart (4) combined for 10 strikeouts and just four hits, each allowing two runs.

Lafayette will face Kennett at 4 p.m. Wednesday at US Baseball Park in Ozark, Mo., for a spot in the Class 4 Championship.

"We wanna play for that championship," Langley said. "We've talked about this and are gonna give it everything we've got. ... We're gonna leave it all on the field."

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Brandon Zenner can be reached at brandon.zenner@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowZenner.