Month: July 2021

Joplin rallied multiple times en route to a 9-7 win over Jefferson City to climb back on top of the MINK League South Division standings on Tuesday at Joe Becker Stadium.

After the Renegades scored a run in the top of the first, the Outlaws rallied with a two-run bottom half of the inning thanks to a home run ball to get out in front. Jeff City added a single tally in the top of the fourth to tie the game, but a two-run fifth gave Joplin a 4-2 advantage. An error with two outs by Joplin in the top of the sixth allowed Jeff City to score five unanswered runs, but the Outlaws rallied again with a three-run sixth to tie the game at 7-7 before scoring twice more with two outs in the seventh to go ahead 9-7.

“After the way things went down the last couple of nights, this win was huge,” Joplin manager Chris Dawson said. “I am going to get asked who the standout player was and I don’t know who to answer. This was a total team effort tonight. … Games like this can really turn a season around. So, hopefully, that is the case.”

SOUTH DIVISION UPDATE

With the win, the Outlaws moved back into the top spot in the division race with an 11-10 record. Jeff City is in second at 12-13. Sedalia is in third at 11-13 and Nevada is in fourth at 10-15

SUMMER CLASSIC

Joplin will be well represented at the MINK League All-Star Game, with five Outlaws earning recognition—pitchers Jack O’Brien, Justin Schrader, Christian DeJesus as well as infielder Logan Cline and outfielder Drake Angeron. The all-star game will be held in Jeff City on July 8.

“Hats off to those guys,” Dawson said about the all-star nominations. “We got to see Schrader last night and what he brings. You got to see Jack O’Brien and Christian DeJesus tonight and what they bring to this team. Logan Cline has been the rock of this lineup since Day 1. … Jake had a good start. He slowed down a little but he is getting back into it. Those five guys are all deserving and I am proud of all of them.”

ON THE MOUND

Masayuki Maruhashi earned the start and took a no-decision for the Outlaws after allowing two runs on two hits, five walks and five strikeouts in three innings. Austin Gottula gave up five unearned runs in 2.2 relief innings, allowing one hit, walking four and striking out one. DeJesus earned the win in relief after blanking the Renegades over 1 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out two. O’Brien pitched a scoreless inning and struck out one, while Reese Weaks earned the save after allowing one hit and striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Braydon Boyer started and took a no-decision for the Renegades after allowing four runs on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Shane Fontenot took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts in two relief innings.

GAME ACTION

Jeff City took the initial lead in the top of the first inning when David Dell crossed home on a groundout by Carter Mize, but the Outlaws wasted little time answering back in the bottom half of the frame. After Logan Cline singled to lead off the bottom of the first, Caleb Feuerstake ripped a one-out, two-run homer two batters later to put Joplin on top 2-1.

The Renegades tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth after a run scored on a 5-3 double play.

Joplin rallied in the last of the fifth when Feuerstake singled home a run to give the Outlaws a 3-2 lead. Ethan Ellis followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to plate the second run of the inning, increasing the lead to 4-2.

Jeff City seemingly turned the tide after taking advantage of a crucial error by the Outlaws, who had two in the frame, in the sixth inning. On what looked to be an inning-ending 4-3 groundout with runners on second and third, the putout toss was dropped at first to allow an unearned run to score and cut the lead to 4-3. Two batters later with the bases loaded, Mize deposited the ball over the wall for a grand slam to put the Renegades in front 7-4.

Joplin refused to go away, as Brett Wiemers walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth before coming around to score on a Jeff City throwing error following a single from Brandon Ulmer to make the score 7-5. The Outlaws loaded the bases later in the inning with no outs and Logan Cline flew out to deep right for a sac fly to trim the margin to 7-6. Two batters later with the bases loaded again, Ellis reached on an infield hit to plate the tying run.

“That was probably the biggest inning of baseball we’ve had all summer,” Dawson said. “As soon as the top half of that inning ended, I pulled the offense over and told them we have been in scoring position all game long. They haven’t kept us off the bases, we’ve had our chances, we just have to keep it going and break through. They decided to respond right away. Top to bottom, the offense did amazing tonight.”

Joplin took the lead in the last of the seventh when Ethan Lopez, who fell in an 0-2 hole, worked the count full before singling to left field with two outs to plate Wiemers, who singled to lead off the inning, to make the score 8-7. Lopez came around to score on a wild pitch later in the inning to push the lead to 9-7.

“That was the biggest at-bat of the night,” Dawson said of Lopez’s plate appearance in the seventh. “Not in a negative way or anything, but he was a pest. Just a gnat at a barbeque that you can’t get rid of in that at-bat. It was awesome to see. I think it was an 11-pitch at-bat and it was just fastball after fastball. Ethan kept doing what he does and finally was able to time up the pitch and put it where he needed to. That was the biggest at-bat of the game by far, probably the biggest at-bat of the summer so far.”

IN THE BOX

Feuerstake led Joplin with three hits, including a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Wiemers had two hits and scored twice, while Ellis picked up two RBI on one hit. Cline had a hit, scored twice and drove in one.

Mize had a grand slam for one of his two hits and finished with a game-high five RBI as well as a run scored to lead the Renegades.

UP NEXT

Joplin hosts Sedalia for a 7 p.m. matchup on Wednesday at Joe Becker Stadium. 

The Joplin Outlaws rallied late but ultimately fell short in a 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the Nevada Griffons on Monday in MINK League South Division action at Joe Becker Stadium.

The Outlaws got the scoring starting in the first inning with a solo home run before the Griffons scored three runs in the fourth inning to take their first lead of the contest. Joplin rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. In the top of the 10th, Nevada loaded the bases with one out after a walk and two close calls at first on infield hits before pushing across the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly from Matthew Leong.

“It was tough,” Joplin manager Chris Dawson said of the loss. “We did a good job of battling back. The kids made a couple of mental mistakes, but they battled back. To have those two calls in the 10th was tough. Can’t do anything about it, but it was tough.”

ON THE MOUND

Richard Kiel earned the no-decision for the Griffons after limiting Joplin to three runs over seven innings, scattering five hits, walking two and striking out five. Sebastian Kirchner struck out four over two scoreless relief innings to earn the win and Cameron Saso earned the save with two strikeouts in a scoreless 10th inning.

Webb City native Cale McCallister earned the start and took a no-decision for the Outlaws after allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits, two walks and four strikeouts in four innings of work. Gavin Heltemes pitched three scoreless innings of relief on one hit, two walks and a strikeout. Justin Schrader took the loss after allowing one run on two hits, a walk and six strikeouts in three innings of relief work.

DIVISION GLANCE

Jeff City now leads the MINK League South Division with a 13-10 record, with the Outlaws in second at 10-10. Nevada sits in third at 10-14, while Sedalia is in fourth at 10-13.

GAME ACTION

The Outlaws jumped out in front early when Logan Cline deposited an 0-1 pitch over the wall for a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to give Joplin a 1-0 advantage.

“Logan’s home run was huge,” Dawson said. “We have been trying to get a first-inning run for a while. For him to get into that ball, I thought it was going to energize our guys. It did, we just couldn’t get anything going in the middle innings.”

Nevada had on eyes on tying the game in the top of the third inning after loading the bases with no outs. McCallister had other plans, getting a ground ball back to himself for a force at home before inducing a 6-4-3 double play in the next at-bat to end the threat without allowing a run.

The Griffons again loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but this time Nevada cashed in on its opportunity. Chase Beiter brought the first run home after reaching on an error following a fly ball to center field to tie the game. Saso followed with an RBI single to give Nevada a 2-1 advantage and Jack Swisher added an RBI on a sacrifice fly to left to push the lead to 3-1.

The Outlaws cut the deficit to one in the last of the seventh when Jared Toler led off the inning with a solo home run. Cam Pfafman doubled in the next at-bat before moving to third on a groundout by Lott. Jeb Jenkins tied the game up shortly after with a shallow single to center to plate Pfafman and tie the game at 3-3.

“Toler was able to get the barrel on one and hit it out, and that is something we have been waiting to see,” Dawson said. “That was good to see. Cam had the double and we had the right guy up to tie it. It was a good inning.”

Nevada loaded the bases with one out in the top of the 10th following a walk and two infield hits, both of which were close calls at first. The Griffons took the lead on a sacrifice fly to deep right by Matthew Leong to break the tie at 4-3. 

IN THE BOX

Tyler Davis led Nevada with two hits and a run scored, while Swisher, Leong and Saso each had one hit and one RBI. Leong also scored a run.

Cline and Toler each homered, scored a run and drove in one, while Pfafman doubled and scored to lead the Outlaws at the plate.

UP NEXT

Joplin hosts the Jeff City Renegades at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Joe Becker Stadium.

“It’s just next-pitch mentality,” Dawson said about bouncing back. “It would have been nice to come away with a W, but we have another big one tomorrow against Jeff City.”

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.