MCDONALD COUNTY 2, EAST NEWTON 1
ANDERSON, Mo. — McDonald County senior Cross Dowd tossed a no-hitter against the East Newton Patriots on Thursday.
Dowd struck out 11 and walked two in the complete-game victory.
The Mustangs, who improved to 12-6 overall and 4-0 in the Big 8, scored once in the second and once in the fourth. Weston Gordon and Devin Stone had the RBI for the Mustangs.
East Newton’s lone run scored in the top of the seventh after Ty Bowman reached on an error. He went to second and third after back-to-back sacrifice bunts. Bowman scored on a wild pitch before Dowd retired the side to secure the no-hitter.
East Newton’s Christian Cook took the loss, but only allowed two runs on eight hits.
McDonald County is at Cassville on Tuesday.
East Newton (6-9) hosts Monett on Tuesday.
NIXA 8, WEBB CITY 7 (8 INNINGS)
OZARK, Mo. — Webb City was unable to hold on to a seven-run lead in a hard to swallow 8-7 Central Ozark Conference setback to Nixa on Thursday at Sky Bacon Stadium.
Webb City led 7-0 after the top of the third inning, but the visitors were unable to score the rest of the way.
Nixa plated two runs in the third, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh to force extra innings before pushing across the game-winning run in the eighth.
The Cardinals fell to 11-7 and 4-1 in the COC, while Class 6 No. 6 Nixa improved to 15-3 and 4-1 in the COC. Nixa is ranked sixth in Class 6, while Webb City is receiving votes in Class 5.
The Cardinals pushed across three runs in the first inning against Nixa starting pitcher Colin Kelley.
Leadoff batter Sam Weller tripled to right and scored on Cy Darnell’s RBI single up the middle. Later in the inning, Drew Vonder Haar delivered a run-scoring triple to the wall in center before Kenley Hood followed with an RBI single to give Webb City a three-run cushion.
Webb City added four runs in the third, as William Hayes drew a bases-loaded walk, Gage Chapman smacked a two-run single into left and Weller contributed an RBI single into right for a 7-0 lead.
Nixa got on the board in the bottom of the third on Rylan Michel’s two-run home run to left.
The Eagles plated two runs in the fifth on Michel’s sac fly and Caeden Cloud’s RBI single. Nixa tacked on a run in the sixth after a double, a ground out and an error.
The Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh on a hit by pitch, two singles, a passed ball and a wild pitch, forcing extra innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, an error in the field, a wild pitch, a ground out and a walk put runners on the corners. Wyatt Vincent lifted the game-ending sac fly to right field to give Nixa a walk-off win.
Nixa’s Rylan Evans was the winning pitcher. He tossed five scoreless innings in relief, striking out six and allowing just one hit. Kelley gave up seven runs on 10 hits in three innings.
Weller had three hits for the Cardinals, while Darnell, Hood and Chapman had two hits apiece.
Payton Marshall took the loss. Landon Fletcher started and went 5 ⅓ innings.
Webb City hosts a pair of state-ranked Class 6 squads on Saturday at Barnes Field — Rock Bridge at 11 a.m. and Francis Howell at 3 p.m. Rock Bridge is ranked fourth and Francis Howell is ranked fifth.
LIBERAL 18, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 8 (5 INNINGS)
Liberal scored 11 runs in the fourth inning on the way to a five-inning win over College Heights on Thursday.
Chase Ray earned the win after allowing eight runs, five earned, on six hits, four walks and five strikeouts in five innings.
Smoke Ezell took the loss after allowing 14 runs, eight earned, on 11 hits, one walk and two strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
Jayce Walker had two hits and scored two runs at the plate, while Ezell had two hits and drove in two.
College Heights is at Billings on Saturday.
MOUNT VERNON 6, SENECA 3
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Mount Vernon trailed 3-2 heading into the last of the fifth inning when the Mountaineers scored four times to take the momentum en route to the win.
Mount Vernon (8-6) took the lead on a two-run double from Gavin Johnston before Sean Raucher added an RBI single. A walk to Grayson Gann with the bases loaded forced in the final run of the frame.
Braden Dodson earned the win after allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Grant Houchin took the loss after allowing six runs, three earned, on five hits, five walks and six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Raucher had two hits, scored twice and drove in one.
Hagan Ginder had a hit and drove in two for Seneca (9-9), while Kade Johnson had a hit, RBI and a run scored.
Seneca hosts Purdy on Saturday.
WILLARD 9, NEOSHO 0
WILLARD, Mo. — Willard (14-8, 4-1 COC) defeated Neosho (12-6, 1-4 COC) in Central Ozark Conference play on Thursday.
No other information was available at the time of publication.
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
BRANSON 3, CARL JUNCTION 2
BRANSON, Mo. — Carl Junction suffered a COC setback to Branson on Wednesday.
The game was deadlocked at two when the Pirates scored a go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Neither team managed much offense, as the Bulldogs and Pirates recorded six hits apiece.
Carl Junction’s Gaige Carson took the loss, but he allowed just three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four.
Arlen Wakefield had two of Carl Junction’s six hits. Logan Eck had the lone RBI, while Bentley Rowden and Wakefield scored runs.
Branson’s Collin Ross was the winning pitcher. He scattered six hits and struck out three.
Mark Bristow drove in two runs for the Pirates (10-12).
Carl Junction (7-11) hosts Pittsburg, Kansas, on Friday.
REPUBLIC 4, CARTHAGE 2
REPUBLIC, Mo. — Four early runs held up for Republic in Wednesday’s COC contest against Carthage.
Down 4-0 after the third inning, Carthage pushed across single tallies in both the fourth and sixth innings for their lone runs of the game.
Carthage was limited to three hits by Republic pitchers Myles Lozano and Preston McCracken.
Lozano earned the win after going four innings. He gave up one run on two hits and struck out five. McCracken tossed three innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out two for the host Tigers.
Ty Perry had two of Carthage’s three hits, while Langston Morgan had the other. Perry and Brady Carlton drove in runs.
Clay Kinder scored both of Carthage’s runs.
Kinder took the loss on the mound, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out four in four innings. Carlton tossed two scoreless innings in relief.
Carthage (3-15) will play two non-conference games on Saturday in Springfield, as the Tigers take on Rogersville and Parkview.
