LIBERAL, Mo. — College Heights (with McAuley Catholic) provided run support early and Maddy Colin took care of the rest for the Cougars in a 12-1 win over Liberal (with Bronaugh) on Thursday.
The Cougars (12-1) scored twice in the first inning, with Jayli Johnson picking up an RBI on a groundout, and added three more runs in the second inning fueled by an RBI single from Avery Shumaker for a 5-1 lead.
That was all the run support Colin needed. She earned the complete-game win after allowing one run on two hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts in six innings.
Kyla Porter took the loss after allowing 13 runs, 10 earned, on 12 hits, four walks and five strikeouts in six innings.
Kloee Williamson doubled on the way to two hits and three runs scored, while Johnson had two hits, two RBI and two runs. Lauren Ukena had two hits, three runs scored and an RBI, while Colin had two hits and drove in a run. Aaliyah Perez had a double, three RBI and scored twice, while Shumaker totaled one hit, one RBI and one run scored.
College Heights takes part in the Jasper Invitational softball tournament over the weekend with games against East Newton, Jasper and Golden City on Friday.
DIAMOND 4, MARIONVILLE 0
DIAMOND, Mo. — Caitlin Suhrie stifled Marionville to lead Diamond to victory on Thursday.
Suhrie led the Wildcats to their 21st win of the season after earning the win in a complete-game shutout. She scattered two hits, walked two and struck out 13.
Bailey Hosbach took the loss after allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits and nine strikeouts in six innings.
After the Wildcats (21-6) scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead, Marissa DeJager iced the win with a two-run home run following a Sara Roszell single to push the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth.
Roszell had two hits and scored twice, while DeJager homered and had two RBI and scored twice.
Diamond takes part in the Adrian Softball Tournament over the weekend.
The Thomas Jefferson boys tennis team improved to 8-0 on the season by beating Greenwood 9-0 on Thursday at the TJ courts.
In singles, Thomas Jefferson’s Prithvi Nagarajan beat Sanjeev Maganti 8-0, Devan Murali topped Andrew Scott 8-4, Chengle Qian defeated Enzo Cricchio 8-0, Jack Goodhue beat Marcus Ryan 8-0, Sam Li handled Griffin Litherland 8-4 and Nathaniel Curtis beat Braden Nicholson 8-3.
Thomas Jefferson’s No. 1 doubles team of Nagarajan-Murali defeated Maganti-Ryan 8-0.
At No. 2 doubles, TJ’s Qian-Goodhue beat Scott-Litherland 8-2.
Thomas Jefferson’s Li and Curtis defeated Cricchio-Nicholson 8-4 at No. 3 doubles.
The Cavaliers host Springfield Central on Tuesday.
Joplin High School boys tennis coach Aaron Stump focused on the positives after his Eagles suffered an 8-1 loss to Willard on Thursday in Central Ozark Conference action.
“This is the best we’ve played against Willard since our state team in 2019,” Stump said. “Last year, we won six games total and did not win a match. This year, we won 27 games and a match. I see the talent forming in our group, and having closer matches against a team as strong as Willard is promising.”
Joplin’s No. 3 doubles team of Leif Garrity and Roman Venturella defeated Gabriel Hernandez-Christian Ryan 9-8 (7-5).
“Leif and Roman hit their stride early in the match,” Stump said. “They placed the ball well and were up all the way up to the tie-break set. Their consistency won it for them.”
At No. 1 doubles, Willard’s Caden Lingenfelser-Brigham Thedell edged Joplin’s Adam Badr-Josiah Hazlewood 9-7.
“Adam and Josiah had a great match,” Stump said. “Caden won conference last year as a junior and has a monster serve. Adam and Josiah were able to get some good returns and kept the match close.”
At No. 2 doubles, Willard’s Dawson Amstutz-Seth Miller defeated Michael Mancipe-Hunter Merkley 8-0.
In singles, Willard’s Lingenfelser beat Badr 8-1, Amstutz topped Hazlewood 8-0, Miller beat Garrity 8-2, Thedell defeated Merkley 8-2, Hernandez handled Venturella 8-0 and Ryan edged Chapel Braman 8-6.
“Chapel played one of his best varsity matches today,” Stump said. “He positioned the ball well and kept the points going.”
The Eagles host the Joplin Invitational on Friday at the JHS courts, with the action slated to begin at 9 a.m.
The College Heights Christian, Thomas Jefferson, and McAuley Catholic boys and girls track and field squads each finished in the top three teams in the high school divisions Wednesday of the Ozark 7 Conference at Thomas Jefferson’s J.P. Humphreys Track and Field Complex.
College Heights finished with 232 points on the girls side, while Thomas Jefferson took second at 157.5 points and McAuley Catholic finished third with 62 points.
College Heights posted 199 points to win the Ozark 7 on the boys side, while Thomas Jefferson finished second with 145 points and McAuley Catholic third with 97 points.
Athletes from College Heights Christian, McAuley Catholic and Thomas Jefferson compete in the 4×200 relay at the conference meet on Wednesday. Photo by Jason Peake.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS
Behind a pair of outstanding individual performers, as well as points in every facet Wednesday, both the College Heights boys and girls defended their conference titles.
“I was very pleased with the kids and their performances today,” College Heights coach Daniel Lewis said. “We’ve been battling a lot of injuries and we had a couple kids who this was their first day back, and they weren’t able to perform to the level they’re used to, but they helped us get the points that we needed. We had another kid get hurt during the meet and wasn’t able to finish the events. We relied on our sprinters a lot today.
“The highlights would be Jayli Johnson on the girls side. She won the 100, 200, and 400. On the boys side, Caleb Quade won the long jump, triple jump, and high jump, and ran on the winning 4×2. Obviously, they contributed a lot.
“We’ve got a bunch of good kids. Our three fastest boys sprinters have been injured and on the girls side, our fastest girl (Addie Lawrence) has been injured. She hasn’t run all year, either. For the position we’re in and how many injuries we’ve had, I’ve been very pleased with what we’ve done.”
College Heights senior Jayli Johnson runs to a first-place finish in the 100-meter dash at Wednesday’s Ozark 7 Conference Meet at Thomas Jefferson. Photo by Jason Peake.
On the girls side, Johnson won the 100-meter dash in 13.87 seconds, the 200 in 27.90, the 400 in 1:07.06, and the javelin with a toss of 69 feet, 5 inches, earning the Cougars 40 of their points alone from her four individual event victories.
Lauren Ukena placed second and Amelia Hagale fourth in the 100, Ukena finished second and Jesalin Bever third in the 200, Marla Anderegg finished second and Lilly Lackey fifth in the 800, Anderegg finished second in the 1600 and third in the 3200, and Bever won the 100 and 300 hurdles and Ukena placed second in both events.
College Heights finished second in the 4×100, won the 4×200, took second in the 4×400, and won the 4×800.
In the field events, Maddy Colin won gold and Bailey Peoples tied for third in the high jump, Allie Stout and Peoples finished second and third in the long jump, Peoples won the triple jump while Isabelle Clevenger and Lindsay Griesemer finished third and fourth, Peoples placed fourth in the shot put, Colin finished second and Lackey fifth in the discus, and Colin took second in the javelin.
On the boys side, jumpin’ junior Quade swept the long, triple, and high jump for 30 points and contributed to another 10 points by running the second leg on the winning 4×200 relay.
Steven Calandro, Ian Edwards and Jace Edwards finished third through fifth in the 110 hurdles, Logan Decker, Colsen Dickens and Derek Bowman finished second, fourth and fifth in the 100, Colton McMillan and Josiah Thomas placed fifth and sixth in the 1600, Ethan Ukena won the 400 and Levi Durling and Dickens finished third and fourth, Calandro took second, Ian Edwards fourth and Jace Edwards fifth in the 300 hurdles, Derrick McMillan and Quade finished third and fourth in the 800, Decker placed second in the 200, and Thomas finished second and Jace Edwards sixth in the 3200.
Out in the field, Decker finished second in the high jump and the long jump, Ukena placed second in the triple jump, Bowman took fourth in the long jump and the triple jump, Gavin Doll finished fifth in the shot put and discus, and Dickens took fifth in the javelin.
The 4×100 won first and both the 4×400 and the 4×800 finished second.
The Cougars have district and sectional competition ahead in the next month.
“We’re putting together some relays that I think can get us to state,” Lewis said. “We have a good opportunity there. Caleb Quade can probably make it in the jumps. Of course, the girls are up to Class 3 because we won Class 1 two years ago. Both the 4×200 and the 4×400 are probably going to go and then Jayli in the 4 has a good chance to go to state.”
Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry and McAuley Catholic’s Michael Parrigon were the top two finishers in both the 1600 and the 3200 at Wednesday’s Ozark 7 Conference Meet at TJ. Photo by Jason Peake.
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGHLIGHTS
Thomas Jefferson had a series of solid individual and team performances to finish second on both the boys and girls side of the Ozark 7.
“I’m just proud of our team overall,” Thomas Jefferson coach Clayton Carnahan said. “Every one of our athletes gave 100 percent today and did their absolute best for themselves and their team. We saw a lot of personal records, we had at least one school record, and so I couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of the kids.
“I think all of our relay teams worked very well together and we’ve got a lot of good long-distance kids in eighth grade and coming up the line. I’m proud of their work.”
Pictured is Thomas Jefferson’s Tyler Brouhard.
On the boys side, Thomas Jefferson senior Jay Ball won the discus with a school record of 111-7, finished third in the discus, and placed fourth in the javelin.
Kip Atteberry won the 800, the 1600 and the 3200, Tyler Brouhard won the 100 and the 200, Benji Carroll took second in the discus and fourth in the shot, Sheraz Anis finished second in the 110 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles, and the Cavaliers’ 4×100 placed fourth, 4×200 second, 4×400 third, and 4×800 third.
On the girls side, meanwhile, the 4×100 and 4×400 relays won conference titles.
In the field events, Gabriella Hiebert and Nico Carlson finished second and third in the high jump, Hiebert won the long jump and Avery Hocker finished third in the long jump, Hocker placed second in the triple jump, Lannah Grigg finished second and Macie Shifferd fifth in the shot, and Grigg won the discus and finished third in the javelin.
Hocker placed fourth in the 100 hurdles, Carlson third in the 100, Sarah Mueller, Shifferd and Samantha Seto third through fifth in the 1600, Leah Studer third and Jenna Joseph fifth in the 400, Hiebert and Seto third and fourth in the 300 hurdles, Mueller and Joseph third and fourth in the 800, Haley Orr fifth and Studer sixth in the 200, and Shifferd second, Seto fourth and Mueller fifth in the 3200.
Postseason competition looms ahead for the Cavaliers and the rest of the state.
“We’ve done everything that we can at this point in the season,” Carnahan said. “There’s a little bit more grit before we get to districts and state, but we’re looking at taking the most amount of people to state that we ever have. I’m very happy with that.”
MCAULEY CATHOLIC HIGHLIGHTS
The Warriors’ day Wednesday included three conference titles on the boys side and a three-event conference champion on the girls side, as both teams finished third behind fellow Joplin schools College Heights and Thomas Jefferson.
“I am really proud of our effort and performances on such a windy day,” McAuley Catholic coach Andy Youngworth said. “We still have a long way to go to close the gap on College Heights and Thomas Jefferson, but I feel we took a step forward despite the point differential. We only had 11 (boys) athletes compete today and it is hard to cover all 19 events.
“(Our girls) finished fourth last year and our goal was to move up one place. Again, we lack the depth to compete against College Heights and Thomas Jefferson, but I am proud of their efforts as well.”
Individual winner Tripp Miller set a new school record in the javelin with a toss of 107-6, while the 4×400 and the 4×800 both won conference titles.
Michael Parrigon finished second in the 800, 1600, and 3200 behind Thomas Jefferson standout Kip Atteberry.
On the girls side, Kendall Ramsey won titles in the 800, 1600, and 3200, with times close to her PR or a little better, according to Youngworth, on a very windy day.
Ozark 7 Conference Track Meet
(At J.P. Humphreys Track and Field Complex)
Boys team scores: College Heights 199, Thomas Jefferson 145, McAuley Catholic 97, Wheaton 52, Verona 30, Exeter 16.
Girls team scores: College Heights 232, Thomas Jefferson 157.5, McAuley Catholic 62, Exeter 25, Wheaton 21, Verona 17, Golden City 0.5.
McAuley’s Kendall Ramsey, College Heights’ Marla Anderegg and Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller were the top three finishers in the girls 1600 at Wednesday’s Ozark 7 Conference Meet. Photo by Jason Peake.Athletes from College Heights Christian and Thomas Jefferson compete in the 4×200 relay on Wednesday at the Ozark 7 Conference Track Meet at Thomas Jefferson.
The Thomas Jefferson high school boys golf team hosted College Heights Christian, Sarcoxie and Purdy in a nine-hole match at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.
Thomas Jefferson posted the low team score of 195, followed closely by Sarcoxie with a 199 and College Heights with a 207. Purdy did not field a complete team.
Individually, College Heights Christian’s Gavin Doll and Sarcoxie’s Matt Swayne both fired 43 to tie for first place.
Thomas Jefferson’s Beck McKinney, who shot 45, claimed second place honors and teammate Jack Tyrrell carded a 47 for third place.
Also competing for the Cavaliers were Tony Touma (48), Thomas Harrold (55) and Ethan Renger (58).
Also competing for CHC were Logan Decker (54), Corbin Cronenwett (55), Hudson Clevenger (55) and Anderson Smith (63).
Sarcoxie’s Eli Ellis carded 48 and Grant Caddick shot a 51. Purdy’s top performer was Weston Roden with a 61.
The Webb City Cardinals set a tone very early on during their Central Ozark Conference game Tuesday against the host Carthage Tigers at historic Joe Becker Stadium.
Webb City leadoff man Sam Weller hit a single to right to open the game and then on his first offering from Carthage starter Nolan Brown, Cy Darnell connected on a two-run home run to left to open the scoring.
The Cardinals plated one run in the sixth, two in the first, second and fifth, three in the third, and four in the seventh on their way to a commanding 14-1 win over their historical rival.
“That’s going to jump-start your offense any time you get a hit from your first guy and then second guy first pitch boom home run,” Webb City coach Andrew Doennig said. “That’s great to see out of Cy. He’s swinging it well.”
Darnell finished 3-for-4 at the plate with his opening two-run homer, a RBI single in the fifth, and a bunt single in the seventh extending his hitting streak to nine games. He worked a walk in the second and was denied a potential extra-base hit and surefire RBI on a diving catch from Carthage junior right fielder Mason Adams in the third.
Joe Becker’s right field area has long been a source of nightmares for right fielders at every level from prep school to professional, but definitely not for Adams on Tuesday.
Adams’ two great catches in right, the first against Darnell and the second against Shaun Hunt in the fifth that denied the Cardinals more scoreboard damage, proved to be the highlights for the Tigers during a game when they committed six errors, including three alone in the second.
Adams’ play in right inspired the utmost respect from their opponents Tuesday.
“Oh man, that kid, that was tremendous,” Doennig said. “This is a very, very difficult place to right field. Number one, because of the sun. Number two, because of that hill. He made two diving catches. Very good outfield plays by that kid.”
Webb City starter Kaylor Darnell earned the win with five shutout innings, then Cy Darnell and Gage Chapman pitched the sixth and seventh, respectively.
“Kaylor wasn’t as sharp as last time but he battled through it and did a good job,” Doennig said. “Cy, that’s the first time he’s been on the mound ever in a game like this, so that’s just something that we’ve wanted to do for a while, and we had an opportunity to do it. Gage, he’s another senior that we’ve had limited opportunities to come in with him being our center fielder and whatnot. It’s all about getting these guys on the mound, getting them prepared, and getting them some innings to help us later on down the road.”
Kaylor Darnell allowed no runs on one hit and had three strikeouts and three walks over five innings, Cy Darnell allowed one run (earned) on two hits with no strikeouts and one walk in his one inning, and Chapman allowed one hit and struck out two and walked one in his one inning. Cy Darnell and Chapman each finished with 19 pitches during their mound time.
The Cardinals scored their 14 runs on 15 hits and six Carthage errors, with Chapman and Weller RBI singles in the third, a Drew Vonder Haar double in the fourth, a Kenley Hood RBI triple in the sixth, and a Weller RBI double and a Hunt RBI single in the seventh among their other offensive highlights.
Weller and Cy Darnell each finished with three RBI, while Weller, Cy Darnell, Hood, William Hayes, and Chapman each scored two runs.
Webb City improved to 11-6 overall and 4-0 COC, and the Cardinals are back on the road Thursday against COC foe Nixa, one of the elite high school baseball programs in Missouri.
“If it’s Carthage or Joplin or whoever it is, all wins are good wins,” Doennig said. “They’re not easy and you can’t take any of them for granted. We got another game Thursday with Nixa, arguably they’re the best team in our conference and maybe the best team in this area. They’re very well-coached, a good team, and just looking forward to the opportunity to play those guys on Thursday.”
The Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association released the latest rankings Tuesday and Webb City’s next three opponents make up half of the top six teams in Class 6 — fourth-ranked Rock Bridge (17-2), fifth-ranked Francis Howell (15-5), and sixth-ranked Nixa (14-2).
Webb City, receiving votes in Class 5, hosts both Rock Bridge and Francis Howell on Saturday.
Carthage sophomore Bradyn Tate reached on a walk to start the sixth and sophomore Langston Morgan and senior Clay Kinder loaded the bases with Tigers on consecutive singles. Tate then scored Carthage’s lone run on a 6-3 double play turned against Ty Perry, avoiding the run-rule and extending the game to the full seven.
Tate, Morgan, Kinder, and Ethan Stark each had one of the Tigers’ four hits.
Brown took the loss with seven runs (two earned) allowed on six hits with one strikeout and two walks over three innings, while Brodie Cole allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks during his four innings of relief.
Carthage fell to 3-14 overall and 0-4 COC, and the Tigers will attempt to end their six-game losing streak when they travel to Republic on Wednesday.
RIVERTON, Kan. — College Heights (with McAuley Catholic) scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back in a win over Riverton (Kansas) on Tuesday.
The Cougars (11-1) added a single tally in the second, two more runs in the fourth and a pair of runs in the sixth en route to the win.
Maddy Colin earned the complete-game win after allowing one unearned run on one hit, a walk and 11 strikeouts in seven innings.
Jayli Johnson had three hits, including a home run, three RBI and three runs scored to lead CHC at the plate. Kloee Williamson had three hits, including a triple, and scored three runs. Lauren Ukena had four hits, drove in two and scored once.
College Heights is at Liberal (with Bronaugh) on Thursday.
DIAMOND 11, LOCKWOOD 3
LOCKWOOD, Mo. — Diamond used a five-run fourth inning to build a 7-1 lead on the way to a win over Lockwood on Tuesday.
The Wildcats (20-6) led 2-0 before Caitlin Suhrie connected for a three-run home run in the fourth inning to push the lead to 5-0. Aubrey Ball added an RBI double with Talyn Daniels adding an RBI on a sac fly.
Emilee Shallenburger added an RBI double in the sixth inning.
Sara Roszell earned the complete-game win after allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits, a walk and four strikeouts in seven innings.
Gatlyn Lawson took the loss after allowing 11 runs, nine earned, on 13 hits, four walks and six strikeouts in seven innings.
Suhrie had two hits, including a homer, two RBI and scored a run at the plate. Lauren Turner had two hits and scored twice. Roszell had two hits and scored twice.
McAuley scored early and often in a win over Exeter on Tuesday. The Warriors are Ozark 7 Conference co-champions.
The Warriors rallied with a three-run first inning to take a 3-2 lead before being tied at 4-4 after two innings. McAuley scored three times in the third inning and twice in the fourth to take control on the way to the win.
Rocco Bazzano-Joseph earned the complete-game win after allowing six runs, two earned, on six hits, a walk and nine strikeouts in seven innings.
Cason Antle took the loss after allowing nine runs, five earned, on six hits, two walks and nine strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Joseph had two hits and scored twice at the plate, while Joe Staton had two hits and drove in one. Noah Black had a hit, scored twice and drove in a run, while Michael Parrigon had a hit and scored twice. Bradley Wagner had a hit and drove in one.
McAuley is at Greenfield on Friday.
MCDONALD COUNTY 15, MONETT 0
MONETT, Mo. — The McDonald County Mustangs erupted for nine runs in the opening frame en route to the run-rule victory over the Cubs on Tuesday.
McDonald County added five runs in the third inning and one more in the fourth to end the contest early.
Mac County’s Isaac Behm had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI.
Cross Dowd drove in two runs on two hits and scored four runs for the Mustangs, while Weston Gordon, Jacob Gordon and Devin Stone each had one RBI. Destyn Dowd scored three runs.
Weston Gordon was the winning pitcher. He went all four innings and limited the Cubs to two hits and two walks while striking out three.
Monett’s Carson Burtrum took the loss after surrendering nine runs, three earned, on five hits and two walks.
Aidan Clapper and Joshua Wallace had Monett’s lone hits.
McDonald County (11-6) hosts East Newton on Thursday.
REPUBLIC 9, JOPLIN 1
REPUBLIC, Mo. — Republic used a seven-run fourth inning as the catalyst to a Central Ozark Conference win over Joplin on Tuesday.
Republic (9-7, 2-1 COC) took the initial lead with a run scoring in the top of the second before pushing across seven runs, all with two outs, to take control in the win.
Gavyn Beckner had a two-run double, while Collin Myers had an RBI double for Republic. Wyatt Woods added a run-scoring single in the inning.
Beckner earned the complete-game win for the Tigers after allowing one unearned run on four hits and six strikeouts in seven innings.
Alex Isbell took the loss after allowing four runs, one earned, on a hit, eight walks and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
Landon Maples had two hits and scored a run for Joplin.
Woods had two hits, scored a run and drove in two for Republic.
Joplin (5-11, 1-4 COC) is at Ozark on Thursday.
NEVADA 10, SENECA 0
NEVADA, Mo. — A six-run second inning propelled the Nevada Tigers to a run-rule win over Seneca on Tuesday at Lyons Stadium.
Up 6-0, Nevada added a single tally in the third, two runs in the fourth and another run in the fifth.
Caden Klumpp, Riddick Shook and Barret Nadurata all had two hits for the Tigers, while Drake Ketterman, Cade Beshore, Shook and Nadurata all drove in two runs apiece. Case Sanderson scored twice and drew three walks.
Sanderson was the winning pitcher. He limited the Indians to two hits and a walk while striking out 10 in five innings.
Seneca’s Drew Sherwood took the loss after allowing seven earned runs on eight hits in three innings.
Recording Seneca’s hits were Kade Johnson and Sherwood.
Seneca (9-8) is at Mount Vernon on Thursday. Nevada (9-6) is at Cassville on Thursday.
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — It’s no secret, the key to winning baseball games is a combination of timely hitting, strong pitching and taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes.
Carl Junction did just that in a 5-0 win over Neosho in Central Ozark Conference action on a windy Tuesday.
“Early in the year, we were pitching pretty well and playing pretty good defense, but we weren’t hitting,” Carl Junction coach Phil Cook said. “We started hitting a couple of weeks ago, and I am really pleased with that, but haven’t been pitching as well and we had some messy play defensively. I told them when they can put a complete game together … you’ll win, and that’s what they did.”
ON THE MOUND
Lucas Vanlanduit, who also doubled at the plate, was nails on the mound for the Bulldogs, earning the win after pitching a complete-game shutout on just two hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts in seven innings.
“He was awesome,” Cook said. “He has had some really good outings this year and not won. … He has been really sharp all year long. Until that last inning, he was in the zone and doing everything we asked. If you can throw a complete-game, seven-inning shutout at this level with only 105 pitches to work with, you’re doing something right. I told him it was a gem.”
Vanlanduit’s only real trouble in the game came in the top of the seventh inning when the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out. However, Vanlanduit escaped the jam after inducing a grounder to third, where Gabe Sitton fielded the ball cleanly moving towards the bag, stepped on third and fired to first for a game-ending 5-3 double play.
“I called a timeout there in the last inning (and went to the mound) to tell everybody two things,” Cook said. “First, I wanted to make sure everybody took a deep breath and made sure we were focusing on just getting the out. Second, I asked them if they knew what happened if [Neosho] hit a grand slam right here? We still have a one-run lead. We just needed to throw strikes and make them hit it. Lucas got the ground ball. Gabe made a great play at third base and made a great throw across the infield.”
Kael Smith took the complete-game loss for Neosho after allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts in six innings of work.
BETWEEN THE LINES
After two scoreless innings, Carl Junction took the momentum with a three-run third inning. The Bulldogs opened the scoring with an RBI double from Wyatt McAfee before he ultimately came around to score on a first-and-third pickoff-rundown play for a 2-0 advantage. The final run came home to score on a Neosho error.
“What I am most happy about is we contributed all throughout the lineup,” Cook said of his offense’s day at the plate. “It seemed like every inning—no matter who was coming up—we were putting pressure on them with everybody contributing. That’s what we want.”
Carl Junction added insurance in the fourth with a run coming home on a dropped third strike before scoring a single tally in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Bentley Rowden to extend the lead to 5-0.
“We didn’t come to play today,” Neosho coach Bo Helsel said after the loss. “Wind blowing in … we got beat in all three aspects today[—pitching, fielding and defense]. You can’t win in this conference playing like that.”
AT THE PLATE
McAfee had a double on the way to two hits, an RBI and a run scored, while Brody Pant and Cody Hollingsworth each had a pair of hits for Carl Junction. Pant scored twice and Hollingsworth drove in one. Arlen Wakefield had a hit and scored a run.
Wyatt Shadwick and Austin Rodriguez each had hits for Neosho.
UP NEXT
Carl Junction (7-10, 2-2 COC) is at Branson on Wednesday.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Nixa defeated Neosho 8-1 in a Central Ozark Conference boys tennis dual on Tuesday.
Neosho’s lone win came at No. 2 doubles, as Reid Snyder and Peyton Williams defeated James Harris-Liam Dalton 8-5.
At No. 1 doubles, Nixa’s Carson Palmer-Mason Murray defeated Christian Williams-Willis Jarvis 8-3 and Tyler Upton-Rowley and Tyler Neal beat Breckin McAffrey-Noah Schade 8-2 at No. 3 doubles.
In singles, Christian Williams suffered an 8-4 loss to Palmer, Jarvis dropped an 8-6 decision to Murray and Snyder fell short in another close match, 8-6, to Dalton.
Upton-Rowley defeated Peyton Williams 8-3, while Neal edged McAffrey 9-7 in yet another close one and Nicholas Vinson defeated Schade 8-5.
The Carthage Tigers defeated the Joplin Eagles 7-2 in a Central Ozark Conference boys tennis dual on Tuesday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
“The team has improved since last year’s match against Carthage, a team with a depth of four seniors on their varsity squad,” Joplin coach Aaron Stump said. “We won two matches, compared to none in last season’s dual. We also had some longer, more competitive matches with more games won.”
At No. 1 doubles, Joplin’s Adam Badr and Josiah Hazlewood defeated Charles Snow and Joshua Rivera 8-4.
“Adam and Josiah played well and communicated effectively,” Stump said. “They set up points with good serves and had a strong showing.”
Carthage’s Silas Laytham and Danilo Lopez-Gramajo beat Michael Mancipe-Roman Venturella 8-1 at No. 2 doubles, while William Wallace and Eli Scott defeated Joplin’s Leif Garrity-Hunter Merkley 8-1 at No. 3 doubles.
At No. 1 singles, Carthage’s Snow defeated Badr 8-5, while Laytham topped Hazlewood 8-2 at No. 2 singles.
Joplin’s Garrity defeated Rivera 8-3 at No. 3 singles.
“Leif did a great job placing the ball when he needed to close out points, and he had consistent play throughout the match,” Stump said.
Carthage won the final three singles matches, as Lopez-Gramajo defeated Merkley 8-4, Wallace beat Venturella 8-2 and Scott topped Chapel Braman 8-3.
Joplin hosts Willard on Thursday. Carthage hosts Neosho next Tuesday.
For years, Brad Shorter has preached a simple, yet meaningful philosophy to his prep basketball players — family comes first.
Now, after a successful run on the sidelines, Shorter is practicing what he preaches.
After guiding the Carl Junction girls basketball program to new heights, Shorter told SoMo Sports that he has relinquished his coaching duties in order to spend more time with his family.
“I think the time is right,” Shorter said on Tuesday morning. “My daughter Hali is a senior and she’s finishing high school. My son Maddox is getting ready to go into high school. I haven’t been able to spend the time with Maddox like I was able to do with Hali. That plays a big part in this.
“I preach every day to the kids that faith and family come first and then school and basketball,” Shorter added. “I want to be able to spend more time with my little guy. I want to watch him grow up.”
Shorter added the decision to step down was not an easy one. He informed his players of his decision this past Friday.
“I hate to leave the kids because you make great connections with them,” Shorter said. “It was a very tough decision…I went back and forth on it.”
Shorter said he’s confident he’s leaving the CJ girls basketball program in a good spot for whoever takes over as the next head coach.
“I think the program is in a great position,” Shorter said. “The program has a returning all-stater in Kylie Scott and also has Dezi Williams, who I think will be an all-stater soon. The team has a lot of other kids with experience like Jadyn Howard, Anna Burch and Shay Buerge. That’s a solid five returning. I feel good about that. I didn’t want to leave it to someone in a rough spot. I think the program is in a great spot.”
Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter talks to his team during a timeout this past season during a game at McDonald County. File photo.
It’s the end of an era for one of the Joplin area’s top prep basketball coaches.
Shorter owns a coaching record of 485-134 on the hardwood, with an impressive 275-72 record at Carl Junction.
Shorter coached at his alma mater, Lockwood, before his first stint at Carl Junction, which lasted from 2005-08. A successful run at Webb City followed from 2008-14.
He returned to Carl Junction in ’14.
During Shorter’s second stint at Carl Junction, the Bulldogs ascended to new heights by becoming arguably one of the state’s top girls basketball programs.
“A lot of good memories for sure,” Shorter said. “Even the three years I was here before I went to Webb were great. I felt like we turned things around pretty quick then. We won a district championship that first year. And the second stint here has been outstanding…eight district championships in-a-row. I’m really proud of the three conference titles, especially as the smallest school in the conference. We also won the Big 8 twice before we went to the COC. I feel like we did some good things as a coaching staff. I had a number of assistants over the years and all of them did an outstanding job. I was very fortunate to have great assistants.”
Under Shorter, Webb City’s girls basketball program went 149-33 and made four trips to the final four, with a state championship (2010), two runners-up (’09, ’13) and one third-place finish (’11).
Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter and the Bulldogs’ bench celebrate a hoop during Wednesday’s Lady Mustang Classic title game. SoMo Sports file photo.
Shorter noted there are still misconceptions about why he resigned at Webb City.
“I was going to go work with Lane Lord at Pittsburg State as his assistant,” Shorter said. “I resigned at Webb and thought it was all good to go at Pitt State. I thought I had an opportunity there, but that fell through. I was miserable for a few weeks. I still wanted to coach obviously.”
That led Shorter to his second stint at Carl Junction.
Under Shorter’s direction, the Carl Junction girls captured eight straight district championships (beginning in ’16), three conference titles and advanced to the state semifinals four times.
Carl Junction was fourth in the state in 2017 and second in 2018 before the program put together an undefeated 2020 season (28-0). Of course, that year the Bulldogs didn’t get to compete at the Final Four because the state tourney was canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2022-23 season was another memorable and historic one for the CJ girls program.
Carl Junction went 30-2, a school record for wins, and advanced to the Class 5 state championship game, falling to Lutheran St. Charles 44-39.
During Shorter’s second stint at CJ, he coached a number of standout players, including Brenlee McPherson, Alex Vogt, Megan, Katie and Kylie Scott, and Destiny Buerge.
Katie Scott was the Gatorade Missouri Girls Basketball Player of the Year in ’20 and Buerge was the Class 5 Co-Player of the Year this past season.
“I’m proud of the success obviously,” Shorter said. “But more than that, I’m proud of how so many kids progressed from their freshman year to their senior year. And our kids always have had one of the top GPAs of all the sports at CJ. It was always nice to see the kids grow up and to see them come back.”
One former player who is obviously very special to Coach Shorter is his daughter, Hali.
When he returned to Carl Junction, Hali was in the fourth grade. Hali was the team’s ‘water girl’ for several years before her four-year prep career in a Bulldogs uniform.
“Coaching Hali was unbelievable,” Coach Shorter said. “Most parents would love the opportunity to spend a couple of extra hours each day with their kid and just be a fly on the wall. Coaching her was fun. She worked hard and was super coachable. She was like a coach on the floor. But just being in the same room with her was great. I’m very proud of her and the person she has become. I’d like to think Alicia and I have something to do with that.”
Shorter isn’t entirely finished with coaching. Shorter noted he plans on becoming an assistant coach with Carl Junction’s baseball program next spring, just in time for Maddox’s freshman year.
“I’m going to coach baseball next year with Dr. (Phil) Cook (as his assistant),” said Shorter, who was an all-American baseball player at Pittsburg State. “It will be an opportunity for me to coach my son. I’m excited to coach baseball. It’s a sport I really enjoy.”
Shorter added he wouldn’t rule out coaching basketball in the future if the right opportunity presented itself.
But for now, coaching high school basketball is in the past.
Shorter couldn’t help but reflect a bit on the years and years of developing players.
And as you’d expect, all of those players became like family.
“The success of the program says a lot about the kids and the culture we built,” Shorter said. “I think they know I care about them. We get into education and coaching because we love kids and we want to give them opportunities. To see the growth makes you feel good as a coach. You know you made a difference.
“The thing I’ll miss the most is all the time with the players in practice after school and all the road trips,” he continued. “There’s a lot of bonding. I’ll miss the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself. We always had great team chemistry…like a big family.”
Carl Junction head coach Brad Shorter gives instructions during the Class 5 Show-Me Showdown state championship game against Lutheran St. Charles, on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield. File photo by Michael Gulledge/SoMo Sports.
LOCKWOOD, Mo. — College Heights Christian (with McAuley Catholic) scored in each of the first five innings on the way to a win over Lockwood on Monday.
The Cougars (9-1)scored with single tallies in the first and second inning before trading a three-run third inning with the Tigers. College Heights added two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to pull out in front for good.
Maddy Colin earned the complete-game win in the circle after allowing five runs, one earned, on 11 hits and 15 strikeouts in seven innings.
Adrien Neill took the loss after allowing eight runs on 14 hits, two walks and four strikeouts in seven innings.
Allie Stout had four hits and drove in one, while Jayli Johnson had two hits, including a double, scored three runs and drove in one for College Heights. Colin had two hits and drove in one, while Ukena had two hits and scored three times. Emma Angel went 2-for-4.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS 9, EL DORADO SPRINGS 0
College Heights broke a scoreless tie with a three-run fifth inning before scoring six times in the sixth to pull away from El Dorado Springs on Monday.
Colin earned the complete-game shutout win in the circle after scattering two hits, walking two and striking out seven in seven innings.
Lilyan Taylor took the loss after allowing nine runs, seven earned, on 11 hits, six walks and seven strikeouts in six innings.
Colin put herself in the position for the win in the top of the fifth with a two-run single up the middle for a 2-0 CHC lead. Stout added an RBI single later in the inning. Colin added a two-run single in the sixth. Kallie Spencer singled home a run in the sixth.
Avery Shumaker had three hits and scored twice at the plate for CHC. Spencer had two hits, an RBI and scored a run, while Stout had two hits and drove in a run.
College Heights is at Riverton (Kansas) on Tuesday.
The Neosho High School boys tennis team defeated Aurora 9-0 on Monday.
The Wildcats earned their third dual win of the season.
In singles action, Neosho’s Christian Williams defeated Landon Boatwright 9-7, Willis Jarvis beat Braxton Jackson 8-2, Reid Snyder topped Greysen Boettler 8-2, Peyton Williams defeated Adam Bland 8-4, Breckin McAffrey beat Mario Jimenez 8-2 and Noah Schade topped Wyatt Lawson 8-2.
In doubles, Christian Williams-Snyder defeated Boatwright-Jackson 8-4, while Jarvis-Peyton Wililams beat Boettler-Bland 8-3 and McAffrey-Schade handled Jimenez-Lawson 8-1.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Led by two golfers who finished in the top six, Carl Junction took runner-up in the team sweepstakes on Monday during the Abbiatti’s BBQ Invitational at the Carthage Municipal Golf Course.
Finishing ahead of four larger schools, Class 3 Logan-Rogersville earned the team title with a composite score of 306 (+22), besting Class 4 Carl Junction by three strokes at 309 (+25).
“It’s a day where we continue to finish second and third,” Carl Junction coach Ryan Jones said. “We’re just not making the right plays at the right time. I know we had a couple kids who didn’t finish like they wanted to in their rounds. We’ll keep working at it and hopefully by the time that it really comes time and you’re playing for hanging banners in the gym that we’ll make plays at the end of the day and see if we can get right.
“When you’re scoring four, you just need to find one extra number. Right now, we’re close. We have five kids right now that are capable of shooting a number. We just need four of them to do it on the same day.”
Carthage placed third at 321 (+37), Joplin fourth at 322 (+38), and Webb City fifth at 324 (+40) with the area rival schools contributing five more golfers to the individual top 10.
“Three of them did great,” Carthage coach James Newman said. “The fourth one kinda had a tough day today. It’s tough to say, challenging to talk about, but the course is playing difficult right now. I would say the greens are rolling really well. There wasn’t a lot of breeze though, but the greens aren’t holding a whole lot whenever you’re chipping. Everything is so quick.”
“Like I always tell the kids, hey, this is preseason stuff,” Joplin coach Jack Pace said. “The big three are coming up: Conference, districts, and state. Just keep practicing to get better. Other than that, we’re just looking for the big three.”
Satterlee’s outstanding round highlights Joplin’s day
For the third consecutive year, the individual champion was decided in a playoff.
Joplin junior Harry Satterlee and Republic sophomore Cason Bekemeier each finished their respective 18 holes with a 1-under par 70.
On their second playoff hole, Satterlee claimed the individual championship when he shot par on the par-4, 456-yard Hole 11, while Bekemeier encountered some trouble behind the green and bogeyed.
Satterlee and Bekemeier each parred the par-5, 509-yard Hole 10 to start their playoff.
“Harry is so consistent,” Pace said. “It looks like he’s throwing darts in there at the green. He’s going to Cincinnati to play for the Bearcats. This is his only junior year. He’s already looking forward to it.
“What’s crazy about him is his short game. He can get up and down all over the course. His short game is phenomenal. Even if he’s not driving well, like at Schifferdecker in the Horton Smith, he shot a 3-over 74 and hit one fairway. It’s his short game that does it for him. He’s just a good athlete, a good player.”
Joplin senior Hobbs Campbell finished in a tie for 14th at 78 (+7), then senior Ian Surbrugg tied for 26th at 86 (+15) and senior Dylan Bozarth tied for 31st at 88 (+17).
“Hobbs signed with KU for track and cross country,” Pace said. “I told him at the beginning of the year that I know you’re going to KU, I said I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t play golf. He said, ‘I want to play golf, I want to finish what I started.’ I said ‘That’s good. YES!”
The Eagles have the Bird Dog Invitational next Monday before the big three of conference, district, and (possibly) state.
“We could always be better team wise,” Pace said. “We’ve got some teams in our conference and our district that are loaded. Nixa, Ozark, I mean Ozark shot a 300 the other day at Ozark. Realistically, between Harry and Hobbs, just play the best you can and hopefully the other three can get better. We’ll play it by ear.”
Spencer, Walker finish top 6 for CJ
Carl Junction sophomore Jack Spencer and junior Tommy Walker finished third and sixth overall Monday, shooting 73 (+2) and 75 (+4) to lead the way for the Bulldogs.
“Jack Spencer and Tommy Walker both played really good rounds,” Jones said. “Jack Spencer has been our anchor and our rock all year. Tommy Walker is really coming on. His last couple rounds, I think he’s gone 80, 77, and 75, so he’s starting to become a good anchor for the golf team.”
Rounding out the Bulldogs’ four scores in the team total Monday were senior Jacob Teeter tied for 18th at 80 (+9) and freshman Austin Baker 20th at 81 (+10).
“We don’t have a whole lot of time,” Jones said. “Golf season is short. We viewed this week as a week where we’re just going to see where we’re at and use the data and the information to figure out how we’re going to practice.
“We’ve got conference coming up soon and districts is very difficult with a lot of talented teams. We wanted to use (Monday) as a starting point for all the postseason events we have. We have some big goals and I think we have the talent to do a couple things, but again it eventually becomes the question ‘Can we get it done.’ We’ll see.”
Trio of golfers leads host Carthage
Carthage senior Max Templeman finished seventh at 76 (+5), senior Britt Coy ninth at 76 (+5), and junior Owen Derryberry tied for 11th at 77 (+6) on their home course.
Colson Brust, a junior, tied for 36th at 92 (+21).
“I’m OK with a little struggle like that at this time because it gives them a taste in their mouth,” Newman said. “Right now, they’re out there (Hole 10) working on it. We’ll be there at the end for conference and district I am confident.
“That’s why it’s tough to talk about it, because they’re going to tell you that they didn’t play very well. I don’t see it as they didn’t play very well, it’s just like growing pains. They’re young. My fourth (Brust) just started last year. He usually shoots 79, 82. He shot 92. My one just started last year, and he shot 76 but he shot even out here yesterday. It depends on the day.”
Monday’s tournament was complete, except for the cleanup, by the middle of the afternoon.
“It went really well on the management side because we didn’t have any rules committee questions, we didn’t have any stroke penalties, we didn’t have any DQ’s,” Newman said. “The field played quickly. They were done in 5 hours and 15 minutes. I felt good about that because there’s so many kids. There were 90 kids, and that shows coaches are working with them on pace of play.”
LOCKWOOD, Mo. — College Heights used crooked numbers in four different innings on the way to a win over Lockwood on Monday.
After scoring twice in the top of the first inning to take the initial lead, College Heights (5-5) rallied from a 3-2 hole with a six-run third inning highlighted by an RBI double from Ben Thomas, run-scoring singles from Phillip Thompson and Lincoln Smith before JYc Walker capped the frame with a two-run triple for a 7-3 lead. Josh Anderson also had an RBI single.
Lockwood cut the lead to 8-5 before the Cougars added three runs in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI single from Anderson and an RBI double from Kelton Welch for an 11-5 advantage.
Anderson added another RBI single in a two-run seventh for CHC.
Thomas earned the win on the mound after allowing five runs on five hits, three walks and nine strikeouts in six innings.
Rayder Boyd took the loss after allowing six runs, three earned, on seven hits, a walk and four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Anderson had three hits, three RBI and scored three times to lead CHC at the plate. Walker tripled on the way to two hits, three runs scored and two RBI. Welch had two hits, including a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
College Heights is at Liberal on Thursday.
CONWAY 12, MCAULEY 1
Conway scored four times in the top of the first inning and six times in the third to secure a five-inning win over McAuley Catholic on Monday.
Brixon Bilyes earned the complete-game win after allowing one unearned run on one hit, a walk and nine strikeouts in five innings.
Michael Parrigon took the loss after allowing seven runs on four hits, four walks and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.
Bilyes had two hits, two RBI and scored twice to lead Conway at the plate.
Maddy Colin limited Conway to four hits as College Heights (with McAuley) blanked Conway in the opener of the Cougars’ action in the Conway Tournament on Saturday.
Colin earned the complete-game shutout win after striking out 14 in six innings.
Offensively, College Heights got a run in the first inning when Lauren Ukena singled to center field to bring home Jayli Johnson.
Aaliyah Perez singled home Kloee Williamson in the third inning to push the lead to 2-0.
Colin helped herself out at the plate in the top of the fourth inning when she drove home two runs with a double to center field.
Avery Shumaker brought home the final run with an RBI single with two outs in the fifth inning.
HOUSTON 3, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 2
Houston scored in the bottom of the seventh inning for a walk-off win over College Heights in the Conway Tournament on Saturday.
Aaliyah Walker earned the win after allowing two runs on seven hits, a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings.
Colin took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits and 12 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Walker and Mackenzie Bryan had hits for Houston.
Johnson had three hits and drove in two runs for CHC, while Ukena had two hits.
The Joplin High School boys tennis team finished fifth at the Truman Tournament on Saturday in Independence.
“Joplin had a good showing overall,” Eagles coach Aaron Stump told SoMo Sports. “Barstow and Staley, the top two teams in the tournament, were our only losses aside from No. 1 doubles falling to William Chrisman in their final match.”
Barstow (33), Staley (23.5), Lee’s Summit North (20.5) and Grain Valley (20) were the top four teams. Joplin (13.5) took fifth, followed by Truman (9), William Chrisman (6) and Kearney (5.5).
Joplin’s Adam Badr finished fourth at No. 1 singles.
Badr defeated Grain Valley’s Carter Williams 8-0 in the first round and then suffered a 7-5 (7-5 tie-breaker) setback to Staley’s Liam Colebank in the semifinals.
Badr dropped the third-place match to Lee Summit North’s Nate Wright 8-2.
“Adam had a great first match and went to a tie-breaker in his second match against a seasoned player from Staley,” Stump said. “He expended a lot of energy there, and had a tougher time in his third-place match.”
Josiah Hazlewood was the runner-up at No. 2 singles.
“Josiah had a great day, finishing in second place,” Stump said. “He won a couple tight matches before eventually falling to Staley in the championship match.”
Hazlewood defeated Truman’s Isaac Ulberg 8-6 and knocked off Grain Valley’s Trace Compton 8-4 in the semifinals.
In the bracket’s championship match, Staley’s Peyton Burch defeated Hazlewood 8-1.
Joplin’s No. 1 doubles team of Michael Mancipe-Hunter Merkley finished eighth after going 0-3.
Joplin’s No. 2 doubles team of Roman Venturella and Chapel Braman finished sixth. They went 1-2, falling to Staley 6-2 in the fifth-place match.
“We didn’t have a good draw in doubles, facing the winning Barstow team in round one of both brackets,” Stump noted.
