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PREP BASEBALL: Central Ozark Conference standings

CENTRAL OZARK CONFERENCE BASEBALL STANDINGS

                            COC          ALL

Joplin                 3-0            11-5

Republic            3-0            9-6

Nixa                   2-0            12-2

Webb City         2-1            13-2

Willard               2-1            13-6

Carl Junction     1-1            10-4

Ozark                 1-2            4-9

Carthage          0-3            5-9

Branson             0-3            3-10

Neosho              0-3            2-14

 

(Standings updated on April 17)

PREP SOFTBALL: College Heights takes third at Jasper Tournament

The College Heights Christian softball team went 2-1 and finished third at the Jasper Tournament on Saturday at the Joplin Athletic Complex. 

The Cougars defeated Liberal 16-8, fell to Lamar 2-0 in the semifinals and beat Archie 6-4 for third place. 

College Heights is now 10-2. 

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS 6, ARCHIE 4

Maddy Colin once again had a stellar outing in the circle. Colin struck out 16 batters, scattered five hits and allowed just two earned runs in eight innings. 

Colin also went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Jayli Johnson, Kloee Williamson and Layne Jackson all contributed two hits apiece. 

College Heights plated two runs in the fourth inning, as Jackson singled, went to second on Colin’s base hit, stole third and scored on an error. Pinch runner Kaitlyn Bates scored on Avery Good’s RBI groundout.

Archie pushed across two runs in the sixth to tie the game. Neither team scored in the seventh, forcing extra innings. 

The Cougars erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth. 

Johnson hit an RBI single, scoring Ari Calandro. After Williamson reached on a bunt single, Jackson hit a two-run triple to center. Colin followed with an RBI single to right, making it 6-2.

Archie scored twice in the bottom half of the eighth before Colin retired the side to secure the win. 

 

LAMAR 2, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 0

This one was a pitcher’s duel. The lone runs of the game crossed home in the top of the sixth inning.

Lamar’s Meghan Watson and Cora Pittsenbarger both doubled to make it 1-0. Pittsenbarger later scored on a groundout off the bat of Ashlyn Stettler.

Lamar’s Watson earned the win after allowing two hits in five innings. She struck out three. Wright struck out three and gave up one hit in one inning. 

College Heights’ Colin surrendered just five innings in six innings while striking out seven and walking none. 

Johnson had two of CHC’s three hits, while Jackson added one hit. Elly Haun had two hits for Lamar. 

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS 16, LIBERAL 8

In Saturday’s tourney opener, the Cougars scored eight runs in the first, five in the second and three in the third. The Bulldogs plated four runs in both of the first two innings.

Williamson and Johnson had two hits apiece, while Jackson, Colin and Bates drove in two runs apiece.

Johnson scored four runs, while Lauren Ukena crossed home three times and Williamson and Bates scored two runs apiece.

Johnson, Addie Lawrence and Colin pitched one inning apiece. Johnson was credited with the win. Colin fanned all three of the batters she faced.

Liberal’s Laney Simpson had two hits, while Grace Bott, Elaina LaNear and Simpson all scored two runs apiece.

Kyla Porter took the loss after allowing eight runs, two earned.

 

NOTES: Lamar defeated East Newton 2-1 in the tourney’s championship game.

College Heights is at Lockwood on Monday. 

 

COLLEGE BASEBALL: No. 9 Lions split twinbill with NSU

The ninth-ranked Missouri Southern baseball team split a doubleheader with visiting Northeastern State today, winning game one 5-0, but losing game two 3-2.

The Lions (23-7, 16-7 MIAA) got an outstanding start in game one from Zach Parish as the lefty went seven innings, striking out 13 and allowing just two hits and combining with Scott Duensing to shutout the RiverHawks (20-9, 17-6 MIAA). Parish moved to 8-1 on the season.

Troy Gagan went 3-for-4 in the opener with two RBIs, a double and a run scored. Henry Kusiak had a pair of hits, while Ryan Hunter was 2-for-4 with a run. Matt Miller had a home run, two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Clay Milas scored a run and Tommy Stevenson added a double.

Miller started the scoring in the fifth inning, laying down a perfect bunt single to score Hunter. Gagan then drove home Miller and Milas with an RBI double, before Stevenson drove home Gagan with a double of his own.

Miller added a solo homer in the sixth for the game’s final tally.

Game two saw another stellar pitching performance by both teams as Will Bausinger and Nic Swanson went toe-to-toe for a good portion of the game. Bausinger held the RiverHawks hitless through four and two thirds before CD White got the first hit of the game.

The RiverHawks got on the board in the sixth when Blaze Brothers hit a home run to left field. NSU added two more unearned runs in the seventh before Bausinger exited. The Lions got two runs in the ninth on an two-run shot from Milas but the comeback was just short.

Bausinger went seven innings and struck out four, while allowing four hits and one earned run. Jacob Davis pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Milas went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Kusiak and Joe Kinder had a pair of hits each, while Jordan Fitzpatrick and Hunter had a hit each.

The Lions will finish the series tomorrow afternoon with a single, nine-inning game at 1 p.m.