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Day: August 31, 2022

VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Seneca beats Neosho in five sets; CJ and Joplin fall in openers

Posted on by Lucas Davis

SENECA DEFEATS NEOSHO IN FIVE SETS

NEOSHO, Mo. — Seneca opened the season with a thrilling five-set road win over Neosho on Tuesday.

The Indians were in a hole early but responded quickly and held off the Wildcats for a 24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 17-25 and 15-11 opening victory. 

Seneca’s Brylee Sage had 41 assists to go along with two aces and a block assist, while Parker Long finished with a team-high 18 kills. Jera Jameson had 13 kills and a block kill, while Braxton Raulston had 11 kills and 18 digs. Ella Graham added 20 digs.

Neosho’s stats were not made available by time of publication.

Seneca hosts Reeds Spring on Thursday.

Neosho is at East Newton on Thursday.

 

CARL JUNCTION FALLS TO KICKAPOO

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — A few close sets went the other way for the Carl Junction Bulldogs.

In the opener of the 2022 season, Kickapoo defeated Carl Junction 3-1 on Tuesday night in prep volleyball action. 

In a back and forth affair, the Chiefs edged the Bulldogs 25-21, 25-15, 23-25, 25-21. 

Senior setter Logan Jones handed out 45 assists for the Bulldogs.

Carl Junction senior Destiny Buerge compiled 18 kills, 13 digs and two aces, while sophomore Karissa Chase added 11 kills and two blocks.

Junior Sara Buchele contributed eight digs and two aces. 

Carl Junction (0-1) travels to Rogersville on Sept. 6.

 

JOPLIN FALLS TO NEVADA, PEMBROKE HILL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joplin hit the road to open the season and suffered a 2-0 loss to Nevada and a 2-0 loss to Pembroke Hill on Tuesday.

The Eagles (0-2) fell 25-8, 25-21 against the Raiders and lost 25-19, 25-19 to the Tigers.

Paisley Parker had five kills and three digs, while Bailey Owens and Raelin Calderon each added four kills against Pembroke Hill to lead Joplin. Kaya Cooper had nine assists and three digs, while Jayla Hunter had 12 digs and two aces. 

The Eagles were led by Bailey Owens’ six kills against Nevada, while Hunter added 14 digs. Abby Hembree had eight assists, while Cooper finished with five. Calderon had two blocks.

Joplin hosts Cassville at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

 

GIRLS TENNIS ROUNDUP: Joplin tops Carthage; Neosho falls to Nixa

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

JOPLIN 6, CARTHAGE 3

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Joplin’s girls tennis team opened up Central Ozark Conference play on a high note, as the Eagles earned a 6-3 win at Carthage on Tuesday. 

Joplin won two of the three doubles matches.

At No. 1 doubles, Carthage’s Kianna Yates and Daniela Marquez edged Emma Watts and Brynn Driver 8-6.

Joplin’s No. 2 doubles team of Jensen Vowels and Mya Ndedi Ntepe beat Katie Barton and Abigail Samuel 8-3.

At No. 3 doubles, Joplin’s duo of Alex Carson and Bonnie Smith defeated Beverly Garcia-Hernandez and Mireya Mendez-Lopez 8-3.

The Eagles won four of the six singles matches.

At No. 1 singles, Watts defeated Yates 8-5. Carthage’s Marquez topped Ndedi Ntepe 8-5 at No. 2 singles.

Joplin’s Vowels beat Barton 8-2, while Driver defeated Garcia-Hernandez 8-3 and Carson topped Samuel 8-3.

Carthage’s Mendez-Lopez edged Jaydn Elder 8-6. 

Both teams have home matches on Thursday, as Carthage hosts Ozark and Joplin entertains Branson.

 

NIXA 9, NEOSHO 0

NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho dropped its season opener to the visiting Eagles. 

In doubles, Nixa’s Arabella Cosgrove and Abigail Fulnecky defeated Neosho’s Claudia Martensen and Lyndsey Doke 8-0, while Samantha Fulneckey and Ellie Sorgenfrei topped Keely Keeton-Sydnee Minton 8-2 and Jocelyn Cosgrove-Emily Peterson beat Lauren Nageotte-Claire Burghart 8-0.

The Eagles won all six singles matches over the Wildcats by identical scores of 8-0. 

Neosho takes on Republic on Thursday. 

 

BOYS SOCCER ROUNDUP: Webb City tops Carl Junction; Carthage beats Republic; Neosho defeats Branson

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY 2, CARL JUNCTION 0

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Webb City’s boys soccer team opened the 2022 season on a positive note, as the Cardinals defeated Carl Junction 2-0 on Tuesday night at Bulldog Stadium. 

Webb City’s goals were scored by Luis Gallardo and Alex Flores. 

Both teams return to action on Thursday. Webb City hosts Monett and Carl Junction is at Parkview. 

 

CARTHAGE 3, REPUBLIC 0

REPUBLIC, Mo. — Carthage defeated Republic 3-0 in boys soccer action on Tuesday night.

Carthage’s Welle Welle scored in the 33rd minute for the lone goal of the first half.

The visitors added two unanswered goals in the second half. Eric Garcia scored in the 43rd minute, with Silas Laytham assisting. 

Henry Hernandez added the final goal in the 75th minute, with the assist going to Welle. 

Carthage hosts College Heights on Thursday night.

 

NEOSHO 3, BRANSON 1

NEOSHO, Mo. — Neosho opened the season with a 3-1 win over Branson in front of the home crowd on Tuesday.

The Wildcats were led by Chris Ornelas, who had a pair of goals in the win. Andy Lopez also found the back of the net for Neosho, with Byron Gomez picking up an assist in the win.

In goal, Jonathan Tribby finished with four saves, while Bailey Motley added three.

Neosho is at Webb City on Saturday.

 

SOFTBALL: Carthage rallies past Seneca in Tigers’ home opener

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CARTHAGE, Mo. — It was a tale of two games for the Carthage Tigers during their 14-6 home-opening blowout victory Tuesday against Seneca within the Fair Acres Sports Complex.

Seneca plated three runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth to build a 5-1 lead, then Carthage scored four in the fourth, seven in the fifth, and two in the sixth.

Carthage improved to 4-1 already early in the season, while Seneca dropped its opener.

“We came out a little bit complacent,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said. “We had a big weekend, and I think once we got our feet under us again and played our softball, picked our speed up, started making plays, and we got better looks once we got through our second and third time at the plate. Things started falling into place once we got runners on.

“It took us a little bit of time to adjust. Typically, if we can make it through our lineup in the first two innings and get ourselves right in the third inning, back to the top, we can do what we do.”

Senior center fielder Landry Cochran’s RBI single started the Tigers’ scoring in the third after a slow start against Seneca freshman pitcher Abby Jamros.

Carthage sent 22 batters to the plate in the fourth and fifth against Jamros.

Ashlyn Brust, Cochran, and Alexis Smith each led the way with three hits, Ashlynn Jackson and Shelby Hegwer each had a pair, and Brooklyn Dolon-Main and Aven Willis rounded out the 15-hit attack with one each. Brust, Cochran, and Smith each doubled.

Brust scored four runs and Smith, Willis, and courtesy runner Marley Bartosh each scored twice, while Brust and Jackson each drove in two.

Addison Wallace earned the victory in relief with one run (unearned) on four hits over three innings with one strikeout and no walks.

Jamros and Kenzie French led Seneca with two hits each, Jamros collected three RBI, French scored twice, and Kahli Fields also contributed a double to Seneca’s seven hits.

Jamros took the loss, and she allowed 12 runs (six earned) on 13 hits over five innings with four strikeouts and four walks.

Carthage returns to action Friday and Saturday in the 18th annual Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Invitational Tournament hosted by Joplin.

The Tigers open Friday with pool games against Monett, Blue Springs, and Neosho.

Carthage finished second at the Morrisville Tournament during the season’s first weekend with victories against Lebanon (8-6), tournament host Marion C. Early (4-3), and Nevada (13-1) before a 7-6 loss in nine innings against Sherwood.

Carthage plays a third tournament early in the season with the Ozark Fall Festival (Sept. 9-10) coming after Central Ozark Conference games against Joplin (Sept. 6) and Ozark (Sept. 8). At that point, the Tigers will have already completed half their season.

“The last couple years, we’ve packed three tournaments right at the very beginning of our season,” Ray said. “It’s good and it’s bad, you know. Once you start playing that many games, it’s hard to throw a practice, but we do have two practices this week. We’ll continue to work on the things we need to, from the weekend and (Tuesday).

“We’ll play five games this week, then we’ll have Labor Day weekend. We come back next week, we play Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I think with a young team, it gives us plenty of opportunities to get out there and see what we’re made of, move some things around, make some adjustments in our lineup, defense, and pitching, so when we get into the heart of conference, we’ll be ready to go.”

SOFTBALL: Joplin opens at home with walk-off win over McDonald County

Posted on by Lucas Davis

It might be one of the most improbable walk-off wins you’ll ever see on a softball diamond, but it was certainly a memorable way to end Joplin softball’s home opener.

Joplin senior Jill McDaniel delivers to home plate during the Eagles’ win over McDonald County. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The Eagles came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning trailing McDonald County 3-2. Junior Bailey Ledford singled up the middle before senior Izzy Yust reached base with a bunt hit to put runners on first and second. Following a pair of flyouts, Ledford stole third base to put runners on the corners when sophomore Abby Lowery went opposite field with a two-out single to right-center to plate Ledford, tying the game at 3-3.

With the winning run on third base, senior Jill McDaniel—who earned the win in the circle for the Eagles—popped a ball straight up the shoot in front of home plate, with the ball ricocheting off the catcher’s mitt and falling to the turf as the winning run touched home plate for a 4-3 Joplin victory on Tuesday at the JHS Athletic Complex.

“I am just proud that this year this team has already demonstrated the ability to fight time and time again,” first-year Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “They just show up to the park and play, and you could see that from the beginning. They got down two runs early, but there was no give. Our shoulders were high and our heads were up. We were just going to play and let the chips fall where they may.”

With the win Joplin improves to 5-1 on the young season after a 4-1 showing at the Kickoff Classic tournament hosted by Aurora.

IN THE CIRCLE

McDaniel went the distance, earning the win after allowing three unearned runs on four hits, 11 strikeouts and four walks on 110 pitches.

“She is demonstrating more and more each game of what you want to see in the mentality of a varsity pitcher,” Schneider said about his starter’s ability to shake off the two-run first and finish the game out as the winning pitcher. “She is not letting little things get to her. … I think her belief in her teammates and their belief in her is the thing that helps us the most. … Jill, having pitched such a great game, it was a little poetic that she found a way to win the game at the plate as well.” 

Junior Nevaeh Dodson took the tough-luck loss for the Mustangs after allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

HOW WE GOT THERE

Joplin junior Bailey Ledford rounds third before scoring during the Eagles’ win over McDonald County on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

McDonald (1-1) took advantage of three walks and a miscue by Joplin to score a pair of runs on passed balls for an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning.  

Joplin cut the lead in half in its first at-bat, with sophomore Riley Kelly doubling to left-center field to plate Jaydn Pankow, who reached with a single to center, to make the score 2-1.

“You are kind of stopping their momentum a little bit by getting that run,” Schneider said. “That double was huge. Our girls do such a good job of just finding a way.”

The Eagles clawed their way back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Ledford drew a two-out walk to reach base. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and took an aggressive turn around second, forcing a throw from home to third, which got away and allowed Ledford to score for a 2-2 tie.

“Finding ways to scrape runs across is critical,” Schneider said. “For Bailey Ledford, to be smart enough and aggressive enough to get to third base and then just decide to take home, too. Then, she steals third at the end on her own. That is a varsity player doing varsity player things. That was a great job by her.”

McDonald County junior Nevaeh Dodson delivers to home during the Mustangs’ loss to Joplin. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The Mustangs rallied back in the top of the sixth inning when senior Amanda Pacheco came up with a pinch-hit RBI single to right field to score the runner from second for a 3-2 advantage.

IN THE BOX

Ledford, Kelly and Lowery each doubled and had two hits apiece for the Eagles. Ledford scored twice, while Kelly and Lowery each picked up an RBI.

Dodson and junior Katelynn Townsend each had hits and scored a run for the Mustangs.

ON DECK

Joplin is on the road against Cassville on Thursday.

McDonald County hosts Marshfield on Thursday.

GIRLS GOLF: Carl Junction wins Joplin Invitational team crown; Nevada’s Cameron is top individual

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Carl Junction claimed the team championship and Nevada’s Emree Cameron was the individual medalist at Tuesday’s Joplin Lady Eagle Invitational girls golf tournament at Schifferdecker Golf Course. 

Carl Junction topped the team standings with a four-person score of 424.

Joplin was second in the team standings with a 427, while Webb City was third with a 460 and Republic took fourth with a 483.

Rounding out the team standings were Joplin B (496), Seneca (523) and Webb City B (527).

Nevada’s Cameron easily captured individual medalist honors, as she shot a 5-under-par 66. She had seven birdies and made par on nine holes. 

Nevada coach Brian Leonard said Cameron’s 66 is a school record for the lowest 18-hole round. 

Emree Cameron

“Emree started out with a couple of bogies in her first four holes,” Leonard said. “I told her she might have a few bogies but she’ll also have several birdies to offset those bogies…and she did. She birdied three holes on the front nine for her 1-under-par 35.  

“She then held it steady at par until she birdied No. 15,” Leonard added. “After this hole, she took advantage of her length off the tee. Her length off of the tee provided her several short wedge shots into the green for her approach shots. She dialed in her wedge shots into the green with four birdies on her last four holes for her 4- under-31 to finish with her 66.”

Just a sophomore, Cameron finished fourth at last year’s Class 2 state tournament. She also won this event a year ago. 

Republic’s Izzy Benson was the runner-up with a 90 and Joplin’s Drew Yockey finished third with a 94.

Nevada’s Riley Severance placed fourth with a 101, while Carl Junction’s Anna Burch finished fifth with a 102 and Carthage’s Shay Gaddis was sixth with a 103.

Rounding out the top 10 were Webb City’s Jacie Crouch (104), Joplin’s Kenna Haley (105), Nevada’s Paige Hertzberg (105) and Carl Junction’s Rylee Sprague (106). 

Carl Junction’s Alex Teeter was 11th (107), followed by Joplin’s Gwen Zamanzadeh (109) and Carl Junction’s Olivia Teeter (109), who tied for 12th. 

Webb City’s Farryn Holcomb (113) finished 14th, while Joplin’s duo of Taylor Colson and Chloe Friend tied for 15th with scores of 114. 

There were nearly 40 golfers competing at the event. 

 

FULL RESULTS: Lady Eagle Invitational 8/30/22 Event :: Tournament Results (golfgenius.com)

SOFTBALL: New-look Webb City drops home opener to Wyandotte

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Every game is a good learning experience when you have a lineup loaded with underclassmen.

That realization was a positive takeaway for the Webb City Cardinals following an 11-1 non-conference prep softball setback to Wyandotte (Okla.) on Tuesday. 

Webb City features a new-look lineup with plenty of youth this fall. The Cardinals had six freshmen, a sophomore and three juniors in Tuesday’s lineup. 

“Every time we step on the field the girls are improving and learning,” Cardinals coach Shauna Friend said. “They’re getting more experience, which will definitely help us down the road. Today was a good learning experience for the girls.”

The Cardinals couldn’t generate much offense in this one, as the hosts managed just two hits—one apiece by Dawsyn Decker and Alexandra Maturino. 

The Bears plated four runs in the top of the first inning on two hits, two hit batters, a walk, a fielder’s choice and an error. The biggest blast of the opening frame was Brylen Bartley’s two-run double to left.

Wyandotte added a single tally in the fourth on Kaydence Harjo’s RBI double to left.

The Cardinals, who dropped their season opener at Nevada one night earlier, had runners on second and third with two outs in the fifth, but they were stranded.

Wyandotte added two insurance runs in the sixth before pushing across four more runs in the seventh to blow the game open. 

Webb City’s lone run of the game came in the bottom of the seventh, as Maturino singled to center, went to second on Rylynn McFarland’s sacrifice bunt and then scored on an error when the Bears misplayed Sydney Strickland’s grounder.

“We made some mistakes early and gave them some free baserunners,” Friend said. “But overall, we didn’t hit the ball like we needed to. That’s something we’ll continue to work on throughout the season.” 

Freshman Karsyn Cahoon started in the circle for Webb City. A right-hander, Cahoon took the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits and three walks in five innings. 

Cahoon, who struck out six, settled in nicely after a difficult first inning.

“She’ll do fine for us,” Friend said. “That was her first varsity start, so we expected her to be a little nervous. After the first inning, she came back and did a good job for us.” 

Sophomore Laney Taylor pitched the final two frames for the Cardinals. She gave up six runs, none earned, on five hits.

Starting for the Cardinals on Tuesday were freshmen Cahoon (P), Liz Rhuems (C), Lily Hall (2B), Kylee Sargent (3B), Madeline Barchak (DP) and Makenzie Wynn (1B), sophomore Addison Brown (LF) and juniors Strickland (RF), Decker (CF) and Jensyn Pickett (SS).

Wyandotte, already playing its 17th game of the season, received a stellar pitching performance from Josilynn Wyrick. Wyrick allowed just one hit and struck out 10 in five innings to earn the win. 

Bartley tossed two innings in relief for the visitors, who improved to 13-4. Harjo drove in four runs on two hits for the Bears.

“Wyandotte is a good team and they have good pitching, so that was good for us to see,” Friend said.

Webb City (0-2) is at Monett on Thursday. 

The Cardinals will also compete at the Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Joplin Athletic Complex.

“That will be another good experience for us,” Friend noted.

 

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

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