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Day: March 25, 2021

PREP BASEBALL: Joplin continues perfect start to 2021 with win over Glenpool in Tiger/Zebra Classic

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CLAREMORE, Okla. — Joplin continued its strong start to the season with a 12-2 win in five innings over Glenpool in the Tiger/Zebra Classic on Thursday.

The Eagles wasted little time taking the momentum, scoring eight runs in the first inning. Joplin added a run in the second and traded two runs with Glenpool in the third before scoring another run in the fourth.

The win improves Joplin’s record to 3-0 on the season.

Ethan Guilford earned the win for Joplin after allowing two runs on three hits, three strikeouts and one walk in 2 1/3 innings. Josh Harryman pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk. Justin McReynolds pitched one scoreless inning, striking out two and walking two.

Bodee Carlson got the scoring started for the Eagles after hitting a triple to center to score Fielding Campbell, who led the inning off with a double to left. Two batters later, Guilford helped his own cause with an RBI single to right to push the lead to 2-0. After a run scored on a wild pitch, David Fiscus followed with an RBI double to left, with Alex Curry following with a run-scoring single to short. Campbell picked up an RBI on a groundout later in the inning with Carlson wrapping the first-inning scoring with a two-run single to center field. 

In total, the Eagles scored eight runs on seven hits and three walks in the opening frame.

Campbell added an RBI single in the second, with Curry picked up an RBI in the third inning on a single to center. Kyler Stokes drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning to push the lead to 11-2. Curry brought home Joplin’s final run in the fourth with a sac fly.

Carlson finished with two hits and three RBI, while Curry had two this, three RBI and two runs scored. Campbell added two hits and a run scored, while Guilford went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Kirk Chandler also had two hits and scored a run.

Joplin takes on Claremore at 10 a.m. and Fort Gibson at 3 p.m. on Friday to continue the Tiger/Zebra Classic.

PREP HOOPS: Area athletes named all-state by MBCA

Posted on by Jason Peake

The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association released its all-state teams for the 2020-21 season.

BOYS

College Heights Christian’s Miller Long was selected to the Class 2 squad. 

Thomas Jefferson’s Dhruv Gheewala was named all-state in Class 1, along with Golden City’s Lane Dunlap and Lockwood’s Max Schnelle.

East Newton’s Kyson Lahman was named to the Class 4 team, while Nevada’s Logan Applegate was selected in Class 5. 

GIRLS

Carl Junction sophomore Destiny Buerge was an all-state pick in Class 5. 

Mount Vernon’s Lacy Stokes and Ellie Johnston were both selected all-state in Class 4. 

Miller’s Claudia Hadlock and Kaylee Helton were picked on the Class 3 team. 

 

FULL ALL-STATE TEAMS: 

MBCA All State (nhsbca.org)

PREP BASEBALL: Webb City stays perfect with come-from-behind win at Branson

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

BRANSON, Mo. — Webb City was kept off the scoreboard for the first three innings of Wednesday’s LAEL Leadoff Classic clash at Branson’s Pirate Park.

But the Cardinals erupted for multiple runs in three straight innings en route to an 8-5 come-from-behind win over the Pirates. 

Webb City improved to 3-0 on the season.

The Pirates plated a single tally in the first inning without recording a hit against Webb City starting pitcher Gavin Stowell, as Lance Strahan was hit by a pitch and later scored on an error. 

Kaleb Vejraska’s RBI double and Javen Finkbone’s run-scoring single gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead in the second inning. 

The Cardinals tied the game by scoring three runs in the fourth. With one out, Shane Noel singled before Cole Gayman blasted a two-run home run to left.

Later in the inning, Jeremiah Leaming’s RBI single scored Cooper Crouch and made it 3-3. 

Branson re-took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Finkbone’s RBI single.

Webb City went ahead for good with two runs in the fifth.

Devrin Weathers reached on an error and Treghan Parker sacrificed before Matt Woodmansee delivered a game-tying single into right field. 

Noel doubled and later charged home on Eli Goddard’s RBI single to center. That pushed Webb City in front 5-4.

The Cardinals added three insurance runs in the sixth. 

Weathers hit an RBI single and took second on the throw home. Weathers stole third and came home on a wild pitch. 

Parker walked and later scored on Noel’s sacrifice fly, giving the visitors an 8-4 advantage.

Branson got a run back in the bottom half on a bases loaded walk for the final margin. 

Leaming went 3-for-4 for the Cardinals, while Noel had two hits. Seven different Cardinals had hits, while Weathers and Noel scored two runs apiece.

Stowell allowed three earned runs on three hits and six walks while striking out four in 3 2/3 innings. 

Eric Fitch earned the win after going 1 1/3 innings in relief. Goddard pitched the final two frames. He did not allow a run and struck out three.

Branson’s Ty Jenkins took the loss after giving up three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Kale Lankton started and allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. 

Finkbone went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Pirates. 

Webb City is at Hillcrest at 3 on Friday.

 

PREP TENNIS: Joplin Eagles preparing for 2021 season, seniors will lead the way

Posted on by Jason Peake

The season opener arrives for the Joplin High School boys tennis team in just over a week. And at the moment, every spot in the team’s starting lineup is still up for grabs.

The Eagles, who host Kickapoo on April 1, will soon finalize their varsity lineup after upcoming challenge matches, new head coach Aaron Stump told SoMo Sports.

“Once we get back after spring break we’ll solidify our team rankings from our head-to-head matchups,” Stump said. “Right now in our challenge matches, there is not one standout. We have about five guys who are in the mix. So that competition is good to have. And it’s been fun to watch.” 

A former assistant coach in the program, Stump is now the man in charge of the Eagles. Stump, who previously assisted Ed Ingle, has prior head coaching experience, as he led both the boys and girls tennis programs for two years at Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, Kansas. 

Stump has been teaching in the Joplin school district since 2013. He joined the tennis coaching staff during the 2014-15 school year. 

As far as this year’s JHS squad, seniors Logan Merkley, Jeffery Evenson, Josh Yarnall, Colin Vermillion and Ben Wardlow all should be key performers for the Eagles this season, in both singles and doubles. 

“We are strong in the area of having seniors on our team,” Stump said. “We have guys that have played a few years with us. We have five guys who could be our No. 1 at some point of the season. I think we’ll get some wins on the lower end of our lineup because the talent level is consistent with our top group.”

Stump said he’s been encouraged by his team’s effort during preseason practices. And as expected, the team’s seniors are leading the way. 

“Most of those guys are in their fourth year with us,” Stump said. “The mentality is there. They enjoy playing. They work hard. It’s been interesting watching the matchups because there are some very different playing styles within that group. It’s going to be fun to see which guys really step up.”

Other seniors on the Joplin roster are Caleb Cantero, Reese Macios and Jayden Felix. Juniors are Xavier Allen, Trevor Blanken and Parker Reynolds. Sophomores on the team are Michael Mancipe and Hunter Merkley, while freshmen Chapel Braman and Aiden Kester round out the roster.

Richard Perry will assist Stump with the Eagles this spring. Stump noted Perry, who was an assistant with the JHS girls team back in the fall, brings a wealth of tennis knowledge to the program.

Of course, there was no spring season in 2020. Led by standout Garret Lewis, Joplin’s 2019 squad finished fourth in Class 2. 

Again, the Eagles are scheduled to begin the season at 4:30 next Thursday at home against Kickapoo. 

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