Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

Day: October 14, 2021

DISTRICT SOFTBALL: Lamar blasts two home runs to fuel Webb City’s 14-1 win over Hillcrest

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Webb City’s Emalee Lamar belted two home runs as the third-seeded Cardinals rolled with the bats on the way to a 14-1 win over sixth-seeded Hillcrest in five innings in the opening round of the Class 4 District 6 tournament on Wednesday at the Neosho Athletic Complex.

After a scoreless first inning, Webb City (15-12) broke the seal by plating seven runs on five hits and four walks in the second inning before pouring on seven more runs in the third inning on six hits, one walk and a hit-by-pitch to build an insurmountable lead over Hillcrest (5-24) after three innings. The Hornets avoided the shutout with a run in the top of the fifth before the Cardinals ended the game.

“Overall, I was pleased with our offense,” Webb City coach Shauna Friend said. “It took us an inning to get going, but once we found our timing and put the bat on the ball, we were able to score some runs. … The good thing about this team is during any given game or any given at-bat, any one of them is capable of putting the ball in play and making something happen.”

IN THE CIRCLE

Laney Taylor earned the win in the circle after allowing one unearned run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts in five complete innings.

“I thought Laney had a really good outing tonight,” Friend said. “It is always a little more relaxing to be able to pitch with run support, and her team provided her with that tonight. She was able to settle in and have a good outing.”

Sarah Wilkinson took the loss after allowing 14 runs on 13 hits, five walks and four strikeouts in four innings.

GAME ACTION

Webb City took the game’s first lead when Morgan Brannon walked to lead off the second inning before Lamar launched a two-run home run to right-center to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. 

Webb City added two more runs later in the inning when Payton Hawkins singled through the right side, with a pair of runners in scoring position touching home on the base hit for a 4-0 lead.

The Cardinals pushed the lead to 6-0 two batters later when Kaylyn Gilbert roped a one-hop double off the wall with the bases loaded to score two more runs. Lamar picked up another RBI with a sac fly in her second at-bat of the inning to make the score 7-0.

“About midseason, we were in a little bit of a funk offensively,” Friend said of her team’s offensive output. “These last couple of games, we have been able to string some together. Really, the girls are getting the confidence back in their offense because they do hit the ball and just need the confidence to keep them in each game.”

The Cardinals added insurance in the third, with Shelby Gardner singling home a run before touching the plate on the same play following a three-base error by the Hornets to make the score 9-0. Hannah Wells added an RBI double to right field later in the inning to push the lead to 10-0. Gilbert reached on an infield hit and brought home another run. Lamar highlighted the inning two batters later when she belted her second home run over the wall in right-center, this time a three-run shot, to make the score 14-0.

“Emalee Lamar really stepped up and got herself a couple of home runs, which produced a lot of runs for us tonight,” Friend said. “It’s great to see her bat get hot again.”

Hillcrest added an unearned run on an error in the top of the fifth.

AT THE PLATE

Lamar finished with two home runs, six RBI and two runs scored, while Gilbert added two hits, three RBI and a run scored. Hawkins had two hits, two RBI and scored a run.

UP NEXT

Webb City matches up against second-seeded Willard at 5 p.m. on Thursday in the district semifinals.

PREP SOFTBALL: Neosho rallies past Branson in district opener

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — Trailing by three runs with two and a half innings in the books, fourth-seeded Neosho rallied and outscored fifth-seeded Branson 5-1 on the way to a 6-5 win on Wednesday in the Class 4 District 6 opening round at the NHS Athletic Complex.

The Pirates (12-15) scored two runs each in the top of the second and third innings to gain a 4-1 advantage before the Wildcats (12-10) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 4-4. Neosho manufactured the go-ahead run in the fourth inning and did the same in the fifth for insurance. Branson made a push at the tie in the top of the seventh before the final out was made.

“We are missing a lot of pieces,” Neosho coach Catie Cummins said. “We are down several players … so we are just trying to piece together some wins to keep our season going. I was really pleased with our girls’ fight today. … We were hitting the ball hard and fortunately they had some misplays in the outfield, which led to us being able to score more runs—so I was pleased with that. I thought our defense looked really sharp. We made a couple of errors but we found a way to work out of it. It doesn’t say pretty or ugly, it just says win. So, I am pleased we are moving on to tomorrow.”

IN THE CIRCLE

Carleigh Kinnaird started for Neosho and took a no-decision after allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits, two walks and a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. Chloe Patterson earned the win in relief after allowing one unearned run on four hits, a walk and two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of relief.

“We had been starting Chloe and bringing Carleigh in relief,” Cummins said. “We felt good about our bats and wanted to change it up to see what we could do. We knew we would get quality work from both of them. … I was really pleased with them.”

Peyton Bonsey took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits, a walk and three strikeouts in six full innings.

GAME ACTION

Neosho took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Lili Graue led off with a double to left-center before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly to left by Beclynn Garrett.

Branson rallied in the top of the second inning after Langley Miller led off with a walk before moving to second after a fielder’s choice throwing error with one out. Jerzi Yacko followed with a single to right field to plate Miller and tie the game at 1-1. Bonsey followed with a sac fly to give the Pirates a 2-1 advantage. 

Branson added insurance in the top of the third when Ally Dicken walked to lead off the inning before coming around to touch home on a two-run home run to center field by Sierra Dailey two batters later to make the score 4-1.

Neosho found its rhythm at the plate in the bottom of the third inning when Graue led the inning off with a single before Garrett followed with an infield hit. After a sac fly from Kaitlyn Killion cut the lead to 4-2, McKaylie Forrest tripled to left field to drive home a run and make the score 4-3. The Wildcats came all the way back to tie it in the next at-bat when Abbie Carpenter doubled to left to score a run and tie the game at 4-4.

“Just passing the at-bat,” Cummins said of her team’s third inning. “We were hitting her hard, we just had to string some of them together. That is something we haven’t consistently done throughout the year. So, if we are doing it now that is the best time of the year to be clicking and putting those hits together.”

After racking up four hits in the third, Neosho went to manufacturing runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings. The Wildcats took the 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Maddie Carpenter led off the inning with a triple to left field before coming around to score on an RBI groundout by Graue. 

Killion led off the top of the fifth with a double and ultimately scored on an RBI groundout from Abbie Carpenter to push the lead to 6-4.

“I would have liked to score a couple more than just being up two in the last inning because as you can tell, it’s anybody’s game in the postseason,” Cummins said. “Fortunately, we had enough insurance that we were able to work out of it.”

Branson made it interesting in the top of the seventh after using a single and a walk with one out to put the tying runs on base, with Dailey reaching on a Neosho fielding error in the next at-bat to load the bases. Miller cut the lead to 6-5 with a sac fly to center. Sadie Lampe hit a ground ball to short and reached on a fielding miscue by Garrett, but Garrett recovered nicely and gunned the runner down at home trying to score for the final out, preserving the win and the Wildcats’ season.

AT THE PLATE

Graue had two hits, an RBI and scored two runs to lead Neosho in the batter’s box. Forrest had two hits, an RBI and scored a run, while Carpenter had a hit and drove in two.

Miller had two hits, drove in one and scored a run, while Dailey had a home run, two RBI and scored a run.

UP NEXT

Neosho will take on top-seeded McDonald County in the district semifinals at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

GIRLS TENNIS: Joplin doubles team overcomes injuries to earn second straight state berth

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Astrid Cardenas could barely eat, let alone work on her tennis skills in the weeks leading up to the start of her senior year at Joplin High School.

A returning state-qualifier, Cardenas was unable to train for eight weeks this past summer after an unfortunate accident led to a necessary surgery and a lengthy recovery. 

“I got hit in the face with a baseball and it broke my jaw in two places,” Cardenas explained. “The surgery was probably the toughest part. I barely ate because my mouth was wired shut. I wasn’t able to play tennis for two months. It was terrible. I wanted to play so bad. It was really rough. 

“I knew my peers were out there playing tennis and I couldn’t be out there,” Cardenas continued. “I was stuck at home. Two months is a long time to not play or train. It’s my senior year and I wanted to do really well this year.”

Pictured are Joplin’s Emma Watts and Astrid Cardenas.

Cardenas wasn’t the only member of the JHS tennis team hampered by an early-season injury.

Emma Watts was plagued by back problems at the beginning of her junior season.

“It was a problem with my joints,” Watts said. “I had a whole bunch of pinched nerves in my lumbar area. It took me a lot of work to get back to where I could play again. It was very frustrating because I just wanted to start off the season healthy. I did physical therapy and I still do a lot of stretches and exercises. 

“I’m close to 100 percent now,” Watts added. “I’ve been focused on getting healthy before districts and state. That’s what was driving me.”

With the team’s top two performers limited by those early-season difficulties, a successful fall campaign wasn’t exactly a given. 

But with hard work and dedication, Cardenas and Watts have overcome their respective injuries and put together a stellar season. 

The Joplin duo are set to make their second straight appearance at the MSHSAA Girls Tennis Championships. 

Ahead of Thursday’s opening round of the state tennis tournament, Cardenas and Watts hold a record of 26-1 in doubles matches. 

In a season to remember, the JHS pair captured the No. 1 doubles crown at the Central Ozark Conference tournament for a second straight season and placed second at the district tournament, suffering their lone loss of the fall to a Lee’s Summit West squad that is one of the favorites to win a state title.

Now, Cardenas and Watts are set to begin competition at the Class 3 state tournament on Thursday morning at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield. 

“It’s my senior year and I really want to medal this year,” said Cardenas, who also qualified for state in singles as a sophomore. “Communication and teamwork are the keys to success for us. We have a really good dynamic. And it’s my last tournament ever, so I just want to have fun.”

The Eagles were the Joplin area’s top doubles team for the second straight season.

In 2020, Cardenas and Watts captured a COC championship at No. 1 doubles, took second place at the district tournament and then advanced to the consolation quarterfinals of the state tournament.

After last year’s trip to state, the Eagles are well aware of what to expect this time around.

“It was very exciting for us,” Watts said of competing at last year’s event. “I was just so excited to play doubles with my best friend and I was just excited to get that experience. It opened our eyes. This year, we really want to medal. We know what to expect this year. That’s going to be key for us.” 

Last year’s experience left the Eagles wanting more, too. 

“If they could finish the season on the medal stand that would be something the coaching staff and the girls would be really proud of,” Joplin coach Jeff Williams said. “It’s a possibility for them.” 

In Thursday’s opening round, the Eagles will take on St. Joseph Academy’s Elizabeth Choate and Isabella Hong. 

“The goal is to do better than last time,” JHS assistant coach Richard Perry said. “They want to be medalists, and with how they’ve been playing, I think that’s very achievable. They need to be ready for really tough competition. Class 3 is getting tougher every single year.”

Regardless of what happens on the court in Springfield, the Eagles will end the season alongside the state’s best.

That’s something the pair can feel good about, especially considering the early-season injuries both players were forced to overcome.  

“Astrid and I have both worked really hard for this,” Watts said. “Now we want to make it as far as we can.”

 

Joplin senior Astrid Cardenas will be making her third straight trip to the state tennis tournament. After advancing in singles as a sophomore, Cardenas has teamed up with Emma Watts as a doubles teams the past two seasons. Photos by Israel Perez.

 

Emma Watts prepares to serve in a recent match at JHS. Watts, a junior, will be making a second straight state appearance in doubles with Astrid Cardenas.

Experienced sports journalists providing great local sports coverage in Southwest Missouri.

Schools

SOMO Sports

SOMO Sports

Learn more about how you can advertise on SOMO Sports!

LEARN MORE

Web design: BigPxl