Joplin scored eight runs in the first two innings to build a sizable cushion on the way to an 11-8 win over McDonald County on a windy Tuesday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
“We talked yesterday about how we are three or four hits from flipping that record a little bit and thinking about things a lot differently,” Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said. “It was awesome to see the kids come out and execute some at-bats early. I thought our approach at the plate was great. There were two-strike hits, two-out hits and we took the ball back-side when we needed to. It was great to get out to that lead because it gives Brady (Mails), as the starting pitcher, a little bit of confidence to give us what we needed from him. It just felt good to break out a little bit and see some balls land in the green.”
The Eagles (3-5) scored five runs in the first inning and three more in the second to build an 8-1 lead. The Mustangs (6-2) rallied back with three runs in the third and two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings. However, with each crooked number McDonald County hung up in the middle innings, Joplin answered back with an insurance run in the bottom half of the frame to stave off the comeback.
“You have to credit Joplin because they swung the bat really well,” McDonald County coach Kevin Burgi said. “We talk about how baseball is a boxing match. We knew we were going to get hit a little bit with the way the conditions were, but our kids battled. They found ways to put pressure on Joplin, but Joplin did a great job of doing that to us as well.”
ON THE MOUND
Mails earned the win for Joplin after allowing six runs, four earned, on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. Joe Jasper allowed two unearned runs on one hit, two walks and a strikeout in 1 2/3 relief innings. Ethan Guilford earned the save after pitched two scoreless relief innings, surrendering three hits and walking one.
“Every one of those guys did exactly what we asked them to do in the innings they were out there,” Wolf said. “I am very proud of their effort on the mound today against a really-well coached and good offensive baseball team.”
Cross Dowd started and took the loss after allowing eight runs on eight hits, three walks and a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Colton Ruddick allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits, three walks and three strikeouts in three relief innings. Destyn Dowd allowed one hit and walked one in 1 2/3 scoreless relief innings.
GAME ACTION
McDonald County held the first lead on the scoreboard after Cole Martin led the game off with a single before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly from Levi Helm.
Joplin responded quickly, scoring five runs on six hits in the bottom half of the first to take a 5-1 lead.
“We talk a lot about the approach to the game within the game—extending the lead of answering when they score,” Wolf said about responding to the Mustangs’ run right away. “I thought we did a good job of that tonight. We scored in every inning but the sixth, and after you get a big crooked number in the first inning, that puts all the pressure on them to play from behind.”
Bodee Carlson started the bottom of the first with a double to center field. Two batters later, Kyler Stokes singled to left to put runners at the corners. Stokes stole second to get into scoring position with Guilford following with a two-run single to center to give Joplin a 2-1 lead.
Joplin closed out the inning by proving the adage of ‘hitting is contagious’ to be true, as the Eagles followed with three more base hits—highlighted by back to back RBI singles from Layten Copher and Tyler Schumann—to make it five straight singles for Joplin while pushing the lead to 5-1.
“We have been working towards that all year,” Wolf said about the first-inning hit parade. “I hope our guys can see that when they take that kind of approach, we can string some things together and be a pretty good offensive team. … It was a light of line drives around the field after good at-bats with good swings in rhythm and on time.”
Joplin played add-on in the second inning, with Copher tripling to right field, plating Stokes and Justin McReynolds to push the lead to 7-1. Jackson Queen doubled to center with two outs later in the inning to score Copher and extend the lead to 8-1.
McDonald County began its rally in the top of the third, scoring three runs on four hits, highlighted by an RBI single from Helm and an RBI double from Isaac Behm.
Stokes gave the Eagles an insurance run in the bottom of the third with a solo home run to left field.
McDonald County added two unearned runs in the fourth inning on a throwing error by Joplin, with the Eagles adding an unearned run on the bottom half on a fielding error by McDonald County to make the score 10-6.
Fischer Sanny brought the Mustangs within two of the lead with a sac fly in the fifth inning after a run came home on an Eagle throwing error to trim the deficit to 10-8.
“Our guys did a little bit better job of waiting back in the box our second time through,” Burgi said of his team’s offensive approach when rallying. “I thought that was really big because we were able to find more barrel.”
Joplin added its final insurance run in the bottom of the inning when Schumann drove in a run after reaching on an infield hit with the bases loaded.
IN THE BOX
Stokes led Joplin at the plate with three hits, including a home run, to go along with three runs scored and an RBI. Copher finished with two hits, including a triple, and had a team-high three RBI and three runs scored. Guilford doubled, had two hits, two RBI and scored a run. McReynolds had two hits and scored twice. Schumann had a hit and drove in two.
Martin led McDonald County with three hits and two runs scored. Behm doubled on the way to two hits and an RBI. Tucker Walkers had a hit and scored twice.
ON DECK
Joplin hosts Neosho on Thursday.
McDonald County is at Branson on Friday.
