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BOYS GOLF: Monett’s Bailey repeats as Big 8 champ

NEOSHO, Mo. — For the second straight season, Monett’s Jaxon Bailey captured medalist honors at the Big 8 Conference Boys Golf Tournament.

Monett’s Jaxon Bailey

On Monday, Bailey and Marshfield’s Michael Alves both turned in identical scores of 74 after 18 holes at the Neosho Municipal Golf Course. 

Bailey won a playoff hole to capture the individual conference championship for the second straight year. A sophomore, Bailey has now won five tournaments this season.

Monett finished second in the team standings with a four-person score of 317, just one stroke back of Rogersville’s 316.

The top 20 individuals were recognized as all-conference performers.

After Bailey and Alves, Rogersville’s Cole Goff (75) and Bryce Marshall (76) were third and fourth.

Seneca’s Eli Olson finished fifth with a 77, while Hollister’s Garrett Snyder placed sixth with a 78.

Monett’s Jake Hoyt (80) and David Southard (81) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, followed by Aurora’s Ross Baker (82), Rogersville’s Ben Roche (82) and Monett’s Clay Butterworth (82).

Tying for 12th place with scores of 83 were Rogersville’s Stewart McDonald, Seneca’s Jeremy Haase and Catholic’s Jack Griesemer.

Finishing 15th through 20th were Rogersville’s Tyler Davis (85), Catholic’s Jake Beykirch (85), Monett’s Cal Butterworth (86), Reeds Spring’s C.J. Merritt (86)and Tucker Blevins (87) and Catholic’s Gage Vehr (87). 

 

2023 Big 8 Conference Boys Golf Tournament

Team standings: Rogersville 316, Monett 317, Springfield Catholic 343, Marshfield 343, Seneca 348, Hollister 362, Reeds Spring 364, Mount Vernon 375, Lamar 378, Aurora 381, Nevada 393, Cassville 416.

BASEBALL: Neosho drops third straight home game, again hampered by slow start

NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats have been plagued by slow starts and large early deficits in their last three games — all played at their home Roy B. Shaver Field — all three losses.

On April 25, Neosho surrendered four runs in the second inning on the way to a 6-1 loss against Nixa, one of the best teams in Class 6 and the Central Ozark Conference.

Two days after that five-run loss, Neosho fell behind 4-0 to Branson after the Pirates plated four in the second and then the Wildcats trailed 7-2 before scoring three in the sixth and one in the seventh during a 7-6 conference loss for Neosho.

On Monday, taking on Hollister from the Big 8 Conference, Neosho fell behind 7-0 after the visiting Tigers pushed across two in the first, four in the third, and one in the fourth on their way to a 8-4 win for the guests.

Neosho coach Bo Helsel did not look very far to find responsibility for the loss Monday, exactly a week before Harry Truman’s birthday — the Lamar native who was famous for the sign ‘The Buck Stops Here’ on his desk in his White House office.

“We did not play our best today,” Helsel said. “Pretty disappointed … this is a reflection of me and so I’ve got to be better. We didn’t have a very good practice yesterday, and it came out and showed today in the game. I don’t know if we thought we were going to roll over these kids (Hollister) or what, but it didn’t happen. They were a much better team today, better coached, and they played better.”

The Wildcats, now 13-12 on the season, look to avoid their fourth straight loss when they travel to historic Joe Becker Stadium on Tuesday for a conference and Class 6 District 6 game against traditional rival Carthage.

“Big game against Carthage,” Helsel said. “We’re going to throw our ace. They’re going to throw their ace. We’ve got to put the ball in play, we’ve got to play better defensively, and we’ve got to have more focus, then we have a shot. I know Carthage’s record isn’t great (3-23 overall after Monday’s 9-0 loss against McDonald County), but they’ll come out and beat you. They’re a Class 6 team, so we’ve got to come out and play well tomorrow.”

In the Hollister first, Blake Russell worked a walk, stole second, and eventually scored the game’s first run, then Isaac Bebee singled home Sam Teaster after Teaster doubled.

Luke Calovich singled for the first Hollister runner aboard in the four-run third and Bebee delivered a RBI ground-rule double, Ethan Wright a RBI single, and Ryland Franks a RBI single before he would thrown out at second by Neosho freshman catcher Brody Crane.

The Tigers achieved their 7-0 lead after Ayden Kimmel singled leading off the fourth, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on a Calovich single.
Down seven, Neosho cut the deficit to three after two runs in the fourth and two in the fifth.

Austin Rodriguez led off the fourth with a single to left, Quenton Hughes doubled to right-center, and Noah Lawson was hit with a pitch to load the bases with Wildcats.

Rodriguez’s courtesy runner Finn Versluis scored on a Crane fielder’s choice and Hughes crossed home plate on Drake Swift’s 5-3 groundout.

Wyatt Shadwick worked a two-out walk in the fifth, followed by a Rodriguez ground-rule double and a Hughes two-run single.

Franks led off the sixth with a triple to deep center and Hollister closed out the scoring when Malachi Henry’s single brought home Franks.
Eli Zar led Neosho with three hits, all three of them leading off innings, highlighted by a double in the first, but the former catcher turned right fielder had a rough time on the bases.

Hughes, Rodriguez, and Swift each had two hits for the Wildcats.

BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Mac County, Carl Junction, McAuley all earn wins; East Newton tops CHC

MCDONALD COUNTY 9, CARTHAGE 0

ANDERSON, Mo. — McDonald County improved to 15-7 on the season by earning a 9-0 non-conference victory over the Carthage Tigers on Monday.

McDonald County senior right-hander Weston Gordon earned the complete-game shutout victory. Gordon allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out six. Gordon retired 18 straight batters before giving up a hit in the seventh.

The Mustangs pushed across multiple runs in the first three innings before adding a single tally in the fourth. 

Tucker Walters and Jack Parnell both delivered run-scoring singles in the bottom of the first inning to give the Mustangs an early 2-0 lead.

McDonald County added two runs in the second, as Cross Dowd hit an RBI single before a run scored on a Carthage error for a four-run cushion.

Destyn Dowd’s grand slam to left field gave the Mustangs an 8-0 lead in the third.

In the fourth, Parnell hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Isaac Behm, for a 9-0 lead.

Carthage’s lone hits were recorded by Blayne Lilienkamp and Taylor Stevens-Diggs.

Clay Kinder was charged with the loss. He surrendered eight runs on six hits and six walks and struck out three in three innings. Eider Lyckman allowed one run on two hits in three innings.

Carthage (3-23) hosts Neosho at 4:30 on Tuesday at Joe Becker Stadium.

McDonald County hosts Bentonville West on Thursday.

 

CARL JUNCTION 14, MOUNT VERNON 1 (5 INNINGS)

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Carl Junction rode a seven-run second inning to a run-rule win over the Mountaineers on Monday.

Up 7-1 after two innings, the Bulldogs added a single tally in the third, four runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to end the game early. 

Carl Junction recorded 11 hits, with eight different players contributing at least one.

Bentley Rowden went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Deacon Endicott went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Cody Hollingsworth drove in two runs on two hits.

Drew Massey also had two RBI, while Wyatt McAfee, Lucas Vanlanduit, Aidan Streight, Endicott and Massey all scored two runs apiece.

Endicott and Massey both homered, while Rowden had two doubles.

Gaige Carson earned the pitching victory. He allowed one unearned run on two hits in four innings while striking out five. 

Logan Eck pitched a scoreless inning.

Mount Vernon’s lone hits were recorded by Braden Dodson and Brayden Jameson.

Payton Jones took the loss after allowing seven earned runs on six hits and two walks.

Carl Junction (9-14) hosts Ozark on Tuesday.

Mount Vernon (10-9) is at Springfield Catholic on Tuesday.

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC 13, BRONAUGH 2 (5 INNINGS)

McAuley Catholic scored crooked numbers in every innings on the way to a five-inning win over Bronaugh on Monday.

The Warriors (7-10) opened the game in a 2-0 deficit before scoring three times in the bottom of the first inning, five times in the second, three more runs in the third and twice in the fourth on the way to the win. 

Rocco Bazzano-Joseph earned the win after allowing two unearned runs on three hits and eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

Tucker Duncan took the loss after wallowing eight runs, seven earned, on four walks and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.

Joe Staton had a hit and scored three runs, while Noah Black had a hit, scored twice and drove in once. Bradley Wagner had a hit and two RBI. Bazzano-Joseph had a hit, drove in two and scored a run.

McAuley is at Northeast Vernon County on Wednesday.

 

EAST NEWTON 11, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 1

East Newton scored four times in the first inning and never looked back in a win over College Heights on Monday at Joe Becker Stadium.

The Patriots added two runs in the second frame, three in the fourth and two more insurance runs in the seventh.

Braiden Vanlue earned the win after pitching four scoreless innings on one hit, two walks and five strikeouts.

Jayce Walker took the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts in three innings.

Josh Anderson had a hit and scored a run for College Heights (6-10).

Vanlue had three hits and scored a run for East Newton.

College Heights hosts Jasper on Tuesday.

SOFTBALL: College Heights rallies late to beat Clever

A three-run sixth inning proved to be the difference as the College Heights Christian (with McAuley Catholic) softball team earned a 3-0 victory over Clever on Monday at the CHC Athletic Complex.

The Cougars improved to 16-5. 

The contest was scoreless when the Cougars pushed across three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the game-changing frame, Kloee Williamson singled before Jayli Johnson hit an inside the park home run to right field.

Later in the inning, Maddy Colin doubled to center and Lauren Ukena laid down a sac bunt before Addison Lawrence hit an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

Colin was the winning pitcher. In a stellar performance, Colin struck out 14 batters, gave up just two hits and walked none.

Johnson and Lawrence had two hits apiece for the Cougars.

Clever’s Sydnee Thrasher took the loss. She allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out four. 

College Heights hosts Greenfield on Tuesday and Diamond on Thursday to conclude the regular season.