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BASEBALL: Five-run fifth leads CJ past Carthage in the Bill O’Dell title game

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carl Junction used a big fifth inning to defeat Carthage in the Bill O’Dell Tournament championship game on Friday at Carl Lewton Stadium.

The Tigers (5-5) and Bulldogs (5-7)—which met in last year’s tournament championship game, with the Tigers winning—went into the fifth inning tied at one before Carl Junction erupted for five runs on six hits to take control of the contest and added insurance in the seventh. Carthage stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth and left two runners on base in the sixth and two more in the seventh. 

ON THE MOUND

Logan Eck earned the win after allowing one unearned run on two hits and a walk in five innings of work for the Bulldogs. Lucas Vanlanduit worked two scoreless relief innings, surrendering one hit, walking two and striking out three. 

Kanen Vogt took the complete-game loss after allowing seven runs, five earned, on 11 hits, two walks and three strikeouts in seven innings.

GAME ACTION

Carl Junction took the initial lead when Cole Wilson singled to right field to score Dalton Mills, who singled to center earlier in the inning.

Carthage answered back in the bottom of the third inning when Drew Musche delivered with an RBI single to left field to plate Clay Kinder, who reached on an error.

The first four batters reached base for the Bulldogs to start the big fifth inning, with Wilson starting things with a base hit to left before getting into scoring position by stealing second base. Eck followed with a single through the right side to score Wilson for a 2-1 lead. Arlen Wakefield followed with a double to right field to put two runners in scoring position, with Vanlanduit making it four straight hits with a two-run single to right.

Two batters later, Jordan Woodruff drove home a run with a double to left, with Mills adding a two-out RBI single later in the frame to wrap the scoring.

AT THE PLATE

Woodruff had three hits, including a double, an RBI and a run scored to lead the 

Bulldogs offensively. Mills, Wilson and Eck each had two hits, drove in one and scored a run. Wakefield doubled and scored a run. 

Nate Norbury, Logan Carmickle and Musche all had hits for Carthage. Musche added an RBI.

ON DECK

Carthage and Carl Junction won’t have to wait long for a rematch, as the Tigers and Bulldogs battle in a Central Ozark Conference clash at Carl Lewton Stadium on Tuesday. Carthage is at Webb City on Monday.

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD: CJ’s Montez sets meet records at PSU invite; Webb City’s Hawkins, Joplin’s Dunn also shine

 

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Competing at the stadium she’ll eventually call home, Carl Junction senior Ally Montez won two events in record-setting fashion at the 33rd annual Jock’s Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays on Friday at Prentice Gudgen Track on the campus of Pittsburg State University.

Carl Junction senior Ally Montez won two events in record-setting fashion at the 33rd annual Jock’s Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler. 

A Pittsburg State signee, Montez won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.7 seconds and also crossed the line first in the 300 hurdles in 44.76 seconds. Both times are meet records. 

Montez’s performance led the Carl Junction girls to a fifth place finish in the team standings. 

Fayetteville (Ark.) was the team champion with 149 points, while Owasso (Okla.) took second with 110 points and Nixa was third with 96.

Raymore-Peculiar (75), Carl Junction (60.5) and Webb City (50) rounded out the top six teams. 

There were 25 full teams competing. 

Also for Carl Junction, freshman Sydney Ward took second in two events, the 100-meter dash (12.5) and the 200-meter dash (26.42), while senior Olivia Vediz was the runner-up in the long jump (16-9).

The Bulldogs finished fourth in the 4×100 relay, with Ward, Montez, Vediz and Hannah Cantrell competing. Montez placed fourth in the 200, while Emerson Lundien was seventh in the pole vault. 

Webb City’s Riley Hawkins won two events at Pittsburg State University on Friday. Photos by Shawn Fowler.

Like Montez, Webb City senior Riley Hawkins crossed the line first in two events.

A Missouri Southern recruit, Hawkins won the 2000-meter steeplechase in 7:48 and also took first in the 800-meter run in 2:25.

Taking third in their respective events for the Cardinals were Dawsyn Decker (javelin) and Alanna Bundy (steeplechase). Webb City’s Ripley Shanks took fifth in the pole vault, while Abi Street placed sixth in the 3200 and seventh in the 1600 and Sami Mancini finished sixth in the shot put.

The Cardinals were seventh in the 4×800 relay, with  Bundy, Izzy Lopez, Sophia Crane and Elliett Capron competing. Webb City’s 4×400 relay team of Hally Philpot, Lopez, Hawkins and Bundy finished eighth.

Leading the way for the Joplin girls was senior distance runner Jennalee Dunn.

A Cornell recruit, Dunn won the 1600-meter run in 5:13.

Other top finishers for the Eagles were Brynn Driver, who took fifth in the 400, and Claire Jasper, who placed eighth in the shot put. 

Joplin’s Phia Vogel, Tatiana Potter, Bailey Owens and Abigayle Lowery finished seventh in the 4×400 relay.

Neosho’s 4×800 relay team of Riley Kemna, Heaven Kivett, Lakyn Prough and Chloe Wood finished fourth in 10:49.

Kemna placed fourth in the 3200 and Wood finished eighth in the 1600.

Carthage’s Joey Hettinger finished sixth in the high jump by clearing 5-1.

The Tigers were eighth in the 4×800 relay, with Morelia Reyes, Jenna Calhoon, Grace Brown and Maggie Boyd competing.

Thomas Jefferson’s Nico Carlson and Samantha Seto finished 10th and 11th in the steeplechase.

 

FULL RESULTS: 33rd Annual Jock’s Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays 2022 – Complete (Raw) (milesplit.com)

 

Carl Junction’s Olivia Vediz was the runner-up in the long jump (16-9) at Friday’s meet at Pittsburg State University. All photos by Shawn Fowler/SoMo Sports.

 

Joplin High School was one of nearly 30 teams from four states competing at Pittsburg State University on Friday.

BOYS TRACK & FIELD: Joplin’s Fowler, Webb City’s Smith set meet records at Gorilla Relays

 

PITTSBURG, Kan. — By winning a pair of individual events, one in record-setting fashion, Donovyn Fowler led Joplin to a fifth-place finish at the 33rd annual Jock’s Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays at Prentice Gudgen Track on a chilly Friday at Pittsburg State University. 

The top five teams were Fayetteville (97.6), Owasso (83), Lee’s Summit West (81.6), Lee’s Summit North (65.5) and Joplin (56). There were nearly 30 full squads from four states competing.

Joplin senior Donovyn Fowler captured gold in his two signature events, the triple jump and the long jump, at Friday’s PSU/Gorilla Relays at Pittsburg State University. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

A senior standout, Fowler captured gold in his two signature events, the triple jump and the long jump.

Fowler won the triple jump with a meet record mark of 48 feet, 3 inches. The old record of 46-3 was set in 2010 by Pittsburg’s Keenan Soles. 

An Oklahoma recruit, Fowler recorded the record-setting jump on his fifth attempt.

Fowler also won the long jump with a leap of 23-7.5.

Joplin won three total events at the invite.

The JHS team of Hobbs Campbell, Zaben Barnes, Nicholas Horton and Evan Matlock won the 4×800 relay in 8:10.

Joplin’s Grey Edwards was the runner-up in the 2000-meter steeplechase in 6:45, while Donovahn Watkins placed third in the shot put (54-6.5)

The Eagles placed eighth in the 4×100, with Tayshaun Palmer, Davin Thomas, Luke Vieselmeyer and Fowler competing.

Fowler wasn’t the only local athlete to set a meet record. 

Webb City’s Grayson Smith won the pole vault by clearing 15 feet even, a meet record. The previous mark of 14-11.5 was set in 1991.

Athletes from Webb City and Joplin were among the nearly 30 teams competing at Pittsburg State on Friday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Also for the Cardinals, Lucas Ott placed third in the javelin (156-5) and Roman Borboa took fifth in the 1600 (4:29). Finishing seventh for the Cardinals were Billy Wolfe (high jump), Smith (long jump), Nate Miller (discus) and Trey Roets (javelin), while Dupree Jackson (LJ) and Evan Stevens (3200) both finished eighth. 

The Cardinals were sixth in the 4×800, with Borboa, Daunte Smiles, Mason Hedger and Jose Antillon running.

Neosho senior Kaden Cole was the runner-up in the 1600 in 4:22. El Dorado Springs standout Daelen Ackley won the event in a meet record time of 4:19. A Missouri Southern recruit, Cole finished fourth in the 3200 with a time of 9:27. 

Also for the Wildcats, Isaiah Green placed fifth in the triple jump and Jared Siler tied for seventh in the high jump. 

Carthage’s Zach Lansford placed fifth in the javelin (149-11) and teammate Luke Gall finished sixth in the 100-meter dash in 11.21 seconds. 

The Tigers were seventh in the 4×400 relay, with Miquel Solano, Tyler Burt, Daryl Martin and Landen Schrader competing.

 

FULL RESULTS: 33rd Annual Jock’s Nitch/PSU Gorilla Relays 2022 – Complete (Raw) (milesplit.com)

 

Local athletes competed at the PSU Gorilla Relays on Friday. All photos by Shawn Fowler/SoMo Sports.

 

 

 

 

ROUNDUP: McDonald County baseball earns win; Carl Junction golf knocks off Webb City; Joplin soccer beats Rogersville

MCDONALD COUNTY BASEBALL 10, PROVIDENCE 0

ANDERSON, Mo. — No. 8 McDonald County scored in every inning but the second on the way to a run-rule win in six innings over Providence Academy on Friday.

The Mustangs (9-3) built a 4-0 lead after four innings before a four spot crossed home in the fifth to push the lead to 8-0. McDonald County scored twice more in the sixth to end the game via run rule.

Cross Dowd earned the complete-game shutout win after blanking Providence in six innings. He surrendered just one hit, walked four and struck out eight.

Sam McAlister took the loss after allowing eight runs, four earned, on nine hits, three walks and six strikeouts in five innings.

The Mustangs took the initial lead on an RBI single from Isaac Behm in the first inning. Levi Helm singled in the third and came around to score on an error before Behm touched home on an RBI single from Dowd to push the lead to 3-0. McDonald County scored on a Providence error in the fourth inning. Jack Parnell highlighted the four-run fifth inning with an RBI single for McDonald County. Helm led off the sixth inning with a single before Behm homered to left-center to wrap the scoring.

Behm had three hits, including a homer, and three RBI. Dowd had three hits, including a double, while Helm finished with a pair of base hits.

 

PIERCE CITY BASEBALL 12, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 6

Pierce City scored five runs in the fifth inning to pull away from College Heights on Friday.

College Heights (2-5) trailed 7-6 heading into the seventh inning when Pierce City’s Mekhi Kleiboeker drew a walk with the bases loaded to force in a run. Noah Crews followed with an inside-the-park grand slam to put the game out of reach.

Crews earned the win in relief after allowing one run on four walks and eight strikeouts in three innings.

Nicholas Brueggeman took the loss after allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits, a walk and two strikeouts in five innings. Ben Thomas allowed six runs, one earned, on three hits, five walks and a strikeout in two relief innings.

Clayton Raley had four hits, including a double, two RBI and two runs scored to lead Pierce City. Robert Leavitt had three hits, two RBI and scored a run. Crews homered, had two hits, four RBI and scored twice.

Kelton Welch had a hit, three walks, drove in one and scored a run to lead College Heights. Thomas doubled and scored a run. Smoke Ezell had a hit, walked and drove in two.

 

DIAMOND SOFTBALL 6, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 3

DIAMOND, Mo. — Diamond broke a 2-2 tie with four runs crossing home in the third inning on the way to a win over College Heights (with McAuley) on Friday.

The Cougars (6-2) took the initial lead with an RBI groundout by Aaliyah Perez in the top of the first inning. Diamond answered back with two unearned runs touching home in the bottom of the first on a CHC error before College Heights tied it up with a single tally in the top of the third inning.

The Wildcats (11-2) took the momentum for good in the bottom half of the third when Madi Bentley tripled to left to score two runs. Lexy Bridges followed with an RBI in the next at-bat, and Diamond added a run on a CHC error later in the inning to cap the scoring.

Bentley earned the complete-game win after allowing three runs on seven hits, three walks and 13 strikeouts in seven innings.

Maddy Colin took the loss after allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven hits, three walks and eight strikeouts in six innings.

Caitlyn Suhrie and Lauren Turner each had two hits and scored a run to lead Diamond at the plate. Bentley had a hit, two RBI and two runs scored.

Jayli Johnson had three hits and scored three times to lead College Heights.

 

CARL JUNCTION GOLF DEFEATS WEBB CITY

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction boys golf earned a 9-6 team win over Webb City in the Papa John’s Match Play Championships on Friday at Briarbrook Golf Course.

In alternate shot foursome play, Webb City’s Evan Garrison and Daniel Roy defeated Riley Roper and Carson Beckfield 4 and 2, while Webb City’s Brett Swearengen and Jack Good finished all squared with Carl Junction’s Quinn Vogel and Jayden Wingo.

In four ball best ball, Carl Junction’s Jacob Teeter and Tommy Walker earned a 3 and 2 win over Webb City’s Cooper Forth and Caden Ray. Jack Spencer and Zach Merwin led the Bulldogs past Josh Howard and Levi Lassiter 4 and 3, while Zach Wrensch and Noah Williams earned a 2 up win over Keegon Dill and Braxten Cahoon.

In individual play, Garrison defeated Roper 3 and 1, while Beckfield defeated Roy 3 and 2. Swearengen won 4 and 3 against Wingo, while Good and Merwin finished all squared. Vogel defeated Ray 2 up and Teeter earned a 1-up win over Forth. Walker won 2 and 1 against Lassiter. Cahoon and Howard earned 2 and 1 wins against Williams and Wrensch. Spencer defeated Dill 2 up.

 

GORDON LEADS JOPLIN SOCCER PAST ROGERSVLLE

BRANSON, Mo. — Grace Gordon scored both of her team’s goals to lead the Joplin High School girls soccer team to a 2-0 win over Rogersville on Friday at the Branson Tournament. 

A senior, Gordon scored in the fourth minute and again in the 65th minute. The goals were assisted by Morgan Ferro and Paisley Parker. 

Joplin plays Green Forest in the semifinals at 11 a.m. tomorrow. 

BOYS TENNIS: Hosts win all 4 brackets en route to Thomas Jefferson Invitational title

 

With the champion of all four brackets, the host Cavaliers claimed the team championship at the Thomas Jefferson Invitational boys tennis tournament on Friday.

The Cavaliers finished with 27 points to best the eight-team field. Monett was a distant second with 14 points, while Carthage finished third with 12 points. 

Thomas Jefferson’s entries won both singles brackets and both doubles brackets. 

Prithvi Nagarajan won the No. 1 singles bracket. Nagarajan defeated Joplin’s Michael Mancipe 8-1 in the opening round and then beat Carl Junction’s Blaine Wilkerson 8-2 in the semifinals.

In the title match, Nagarajan defeated Monett’s Ethan Kutz 8-4.

TJ’s Lele Qian won the No. 2 singles bracket. Qian defeated Mount Vernon’s Alvin Reed 8-2 in the first round and topped Carthage’s Silas Laytham 8-4 in the semifinals. In the title match, Qian earned an 8-3 win over Monett’s Jackson Young.

Thomas Jefferson’s duo of Ian Ding and Tyler Brouhard won three straight matches in dominant fashion, all 8-0, to claim the No. 1 doubles crown. 

In the title match, Ding-Brouhard defeated Carthage’s Danilo Lopez and Will Wallace.

Hari Nagarajan and Devan Murali were the champions of the No. 2 doubles bracket. 

The Cavs beat Carthage’s Tyler Howard-Eli Scott 8-4 in the opening round and then handled Aurora’s Landon Boatwright-Nathan Gearhart 8-0 in the semifinals. 

In the title match, Nagarajan-Murali earned an 8-1 win over Monett’s Elijah Ridenour-Caden Szdloski. 

Matches were played at the TJ courts and at Millennium Family Fitness. 

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

At No. 1 singles, Carthage’s Charlie Snow defeated CJ’s Wilkerson 8-6 for third place. Webb City’s Jake McDonald defeated Joplin’s Mancipe 8-1 for fifth place. 

At No. 2 singles, Carthage’s Laytham claimed third place by beating Webb City’s Christian Alberts 8-3. In the bracket’s fifth-place match, Reed edged Carl Junction’s Dan Hodson 8-6.

Joplin’s Joseph Graham and Adam Badr claimed third place at No. 1 doubles by beating Webb City’s Trevor Peterson-Felipe Perez 8-3.

Also at No. 1 doubles, Aurora’s Larson Briggs-Locke Shirley won the fifth-place match 9-8 (7-2) over Monett’s Heisman Welch-Logan Kutz.

Mount Vernon’s Tyler Moore-Ben McKay beat Boatwright-Gearhart 8-1 for third place at No. 2 doubles. 

Webb City’s duo of Tristan Lynch-Lucas Lowery claimed fifth at No. 2 doubles by beating Carthage’s Howard-Scott 8-5.

Joplin’s Hunter Merkley went 0-2 at No. 2 singles and the JHS duo of William Hazlewood-Aiden Kester went 0-2 at No. 2 doubles.

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON INVITATIONAL

Team scores: Thomas Jefferson 27, Monett 14, Carthage 12, Webb City 7.5, Mount Vernon 5, Aurora 4.5, Joplin 4.5, Carl Junction 2.5.  

 

FULL RESULTS: 

2022 TJ Boys Invitational # 1 Singles

 

2022 TJ Boys Invitational # 2 Singles

 

2022 TJ Boys Invitational # 1 Doubles

 

2022 TJ Boys Invitational # 2 Doubles