CLAREMORE, Okla. — Joplin played .500 baseball on the second day of the Tiger/Zebra Classic, opening up with a win against McAlester (Oklahoma) before seeing a furious late rally come up short to host Claremore in the nightcap on Friday.
JOPLIN 4, MCALESTER 1
Justin McReynolds struck out a career-high 14 and Bodee Carlson blasted a two-run home run in the second inning to break a scoreless tie, giving Joplin a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the win in the opener on Friday afternoon.
McReynolds allowed one run on one hit, a walk and struck out 14 in seven innings to earn the complete-game win.
The Eagles (2-3) added a run in the fifth inning to push the lead to 3-0 when Layten Copher singled to right field with two outs to plate Ethan Guilford. Guilford singled up the middle earlier in the inning before moving to second on a McReynolds walk.
Copher picked up another RBI in the top of the seventh frame with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Kyler Stokes.
The Buffs scored their only run of the game on a passed ball with two outs in the last of the seventh.
Carlson homered and had two RBI to go along with a run scored to lead Joplin at the plate. Copher had a hit and two RBI, while Stokes and Guilford each had a hit and scored a run.
CLAREMORE 6, JOPLIN 5
Claremore scored five runs in the first four innings and built a 6-1 lead before Joplin scored four runs with two outs in the seventh inning and had the go-ahead run in scoring position before the final out was made to give the Zebras the win in the nightcap on Friday.
The host Zebras touched home twice in the second, once in the third and twice in the fifth to build a 5-1 lead over the Eagles (2-4). Claremore went on to add one more run in the sixth en route to victory before Joplin rallied with two outs in the seventh inning.
Easton Phillips earned the win after allowing one run on seven hits, one walk and three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings for Claremore. Hunter Walters entered the seventh and allowed four runs on three hits and two walks in 2/3 of an inning, with Phillips reentering at pitcher to get the final out.
Alex Isbell started and took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits and three walks in two innings. Tyler Duley allowed three runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks in four relief innings.
Claremore took the lead with two runs in the first, which was highlighted by a Carson Young RBI single through the left side of the infield.
Joplin got on the scoreboard in the top of the third when Byler Reither singled home to score courtesy runner Duley to cut the lead 3-1.
Claremore added a run on an error in the bottom of the third inning and two more in the fourth, with Young adding another RBI single. Young drove in his third run of the game with an RBI groundout to make the score 6-1.
Joplin scored four runs with two outs in the seventh inning, starting the late rally off with an RBI single to center from Brady Mails and a two-run double down the third-base line by Stokes in the next at-bat.
Joplin cut the lead to one after Stokes stole third and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
The Eagles had the tying run on third and go-ahead run on second when the game ended after a strikeout following an eight-pitch at-bat by Copher.
Jackson Queen had three hits and scored a run, while Guilford had two hits to lead Joplin at the plate. Stokes doubled and added two RBI and a run scored to lead Joplin at the plate. Mails had a hit, an RBI and scored a run.
