You couldn’t have scripted a better Canada Day for Waterdown, Ontario, native Caleb Feuerstake, who drove in the game-tying run in the sixth inning and followed with a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the Joplin Outlaws past the Sedalia Bombers 4-2 on Thursday at Joe Becker Stadium.
“This is great,” Feuerstake, who was a late arrival to the Outlaws, said when asked about his time in Joplin. “The guys are really tight knit and everyone is getting along well. Our chemistry is great and that’s the thing because I don’t think I have ever been on a team with as good of chemistry. I have never played summer ball in America, so I don’t know if this is how it always is but the guys are loving each other in the clubhouse and the dugout. We are all just rooting for each other and it’s just really good bonding.”
In a matchup between two of the top teams in the MINK League South Division, Sedalia (10-10) took the lead with a run in the second inning before Joplin answered with a single tally in the third to tie the game at 1-1. After the Bombers scored a run in the fifth to take the lead back, Joplin, which scored all of its runs with two outs, answered in the sixth on Feuerstake’s first RBI double to tie the game at 2s. With a pair of runners on in the eighth and two outs, Feuerstake delivered the final blow with a ball to the alley to give the Outlaws the momentum permanently.
“He has a good approach at the late and knows what he wants to do,” Joplin manager Chris Dawson said about Feuerstake’s final two at-bats to tie the game before giving his team the lead. “He found some barrels early and just didn’t have any luck. Then he got the ball down the line and the ball in the gap. Those were huge at-bats by him.”
With the win, Joplin moves to 10-8 on the year and sits atop the South Division. The Outlaws have 20 games left on the schedule with 18 of those being South Division contests.
“We are finding ways to win,” Dawson said. “Sometimes it’s not the easiest because we make it hard on ourselves. But we find a way. As much as we would like to make things a little easier on us, we find ways to win. You have to tip your hat to those guys because they don’t give up. They make me want to pull out my hair, but they don’t give up. They string good at-bats together when we need them.
“With the stretch we have coming up, we’re up against all South opponents right now. … That is pretty much this whole month. So, that will be huge if we can get a good win streak going because we are going to cause some separation in the standings. (Getting a multi-game lead in the division standings) would be huge for us because we don’t have an off day in July. Any day we can kind of rest our guys will be huge for us. No matter how it happens, we just have to keep winning these games against South opponents.”
ON THE MOUND
Christian DeJesus earned the start and took a no-decision for the Outlaws after allowing two runs, one earned, in five innings. He allowed two hits, walked three and struck out 10. Austin Gottula earned the win in relief after tossing three scoreless innings on two walks, a hit and a one strikeout. Justin Schrader earned the save after pitching a scoreless ninth on one hit and a strikeout.
“Our pitching staff keeps doing what they do every single night,” Dawson said. “They come out and give us a shot. We pitch it well and we play good defense. Our defense has let us down here lately, but the pitching is still where it needs to be. Anytime you can get those types of performances, you are going to be in a good spot.”
Chase Carson started and took a no-decision for Sedalia after allowing two runs on five hits, three walks and six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Ben Haug took the loss after allowing two unearned runs on one hit, a walk and two strikeouts.
GAME ACTION
Sedalia took the initial lead in the second inning after a two-base throwing error by DeJesus on a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with no outs. With one out, Sedalia’s Duffin Makings hit a sac fly to left field to plate a run for the 1-0 lead. DeJesus ultimately got out of the jam with just the one run touching home.
The Bombers stranded the bases loaded in the top of the third, and the Outlaws capitalized on the momentum in the bottom half when Jeb Jenkins hit a two-out RBI double to left to plate Cam Pfafman to tie the game at 1-1.
Sedalia regained the advantage on the scoreboard in the fifth inning when Braden McGinnis singled home a run to make the score 2-1.
After the Bombers left the bases loaded in the sixth, Joplin again took advantage after Feuerstake doubled with two outs to plate Ethan Ellis, who walked to reach, to tie the game at 2-2.
The two-out magic continued for the Outlaws in the eighth inning when Feuerstake ripped a ball to the gap in left-center with two away and runners on the corners to score Logan Cline, who reached on an error, and Ellis to take the lead for the final time at 4-2.
“When I am in the dugout, I like to watch a pitcher’s tendencies,” Feuerstake said. “I knew his slider was working, but I also saw he was throwing a lot of fastballs early in the count. I knew if I got a fastball (early) that it was the pitch I was wanting to hit. I anticipated correctly and he threw me that fastball. I was happy with the win. The guys showed up today.”
IN THE BOX
Feuerstake, a student-athlete at Southeast Missouri State, led Joplin at the dish with two doubles and a team-high three RBI. Cline had a pair of hits, including a double, and scored a run, while Ellis walked in the sixth and eighth innings before coming around to score a team-high two runs.
“I don’t care what anyone says, those two at-bats by Ethan Ellis were the best at-bats of the night,” Dawson said about Ellis’ walks in his final two trips to the plate. “Working the count, fouling off baseballs, fouling off baseballs and getting walks to pass it to Caleb were the two best at-bats of the night. Hands down, bar none and hats off to him.”
UP NEXT
The Outlaws host Jeff City on Pink Night at 7 p.m. on Friday at Joe Becker Stadium.
