CARTHAGE, Mo. — Carthage built a six-run lead in the first two innings before plating 10 runs in the fifth inning en route to a 16-2 win over Seneca to close the first day of action in the Bill O’Dell Tournament.
The Tigers (3-4) jumped out in front of the Indians (4-6) with a tone-setting four-run first inning and added a pair of runs in the second frame before using a 10-run fifth inning to put the contest out of reach to close the first day of the Bill O’Dell Tournament.
“It’s always important to win the first one,” Carthage coach Luke Bordewick said. “Seneca is a pretty good team. We set the tone in the first inning as the visitors and that gave (starting pitcher) Kaden Arr some confidence to fill up the zone. He was efficient for the most part. We just kept attacking and attacking.”
ON THE MOUND
Arr earned the complete-game win after allowing two unearned runs on two hits, three walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.
“He threw really well,” Bordewick said. “I think he had a couple of innings that were under 15 pitches. That is huge. That efficiency, with pitch counts nowadays, allows him to pitch sooner, maybe even later in the week for us. He attacked the zone and commanded his pitches really well.”
Kade Johnson took the loss after allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits, five walks and three strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Colton Curtis allowed seven unearned runs on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 relief innings. Connor Ackerson allowed three runs on three hits and a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning.
GAME ACTION
Carthage didn’t waste time taking the momentum, plating four runners on two hits in the top of the first inning.
The Tigers started the inning with a hit-by-pitch and a walk from Caden Kabance and Nate Norbury. Both runners came home to score two batters later when Kanen Vogt laced a ball to left for a two-run single.
“They did a great job of setting the table for us in that first inning,” Bordewick said of Kabance and Norbury’s ability to put pressure on Seneca early. “It gives us a lot of confidence with the three and four hole up to free them up a little bit and just try to hit the ball hard.”
Clay Kinder added an RBI single to shallow left and Drew Musche wrapped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field to push the lead to 4-0.
Carthage added two more runs in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead, with Logan Carmickle and Sylas Browning each producing RBI singles to fuel the scoring.
“That is something we have been struggling with this year,” Bordewick said about adding on runs in the second inning. “We have a good first inning and then our energy and intensity drops. It was really good to see us stay with our approach and tack on runs and add to the lead.”
The Tigers touched home 10 times on seven hits in the fifth inning to build an insurmountable lead. Carmickle had a two-run single before Vogt followed with an RBI single to left. Browning followed with a run-scoring single to center before scoring on a double to right by Parker Copeland. Kabance wrapped the inning with a three-run triple to right field before scoring on a throwing error on the play to make the score 16-0.
Seneca scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning on errors by Carthage.
AT THE PLATE
Carmickle had three hits, including a double, and finished with three RBI and two runs scored. Vogt had three hits, three RBI and two runs scored, while Browning had three hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Kabance tripled, had three RBI and scored three times.
Johnson had two hits to lead Seneca at the plate.
ON DECK
Seneca takes on Monett at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, while Carthage battles Monett at 3:30 on Wednesday.
