Joplin fell in an early hole only to answer back quickly with a crooked number on the way to a 6-2 win over Branson in Central Ozark Conference action on Thursday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
The Pirates (11-5, 1-2 COC) plated two runs in the top of the first inning only to see the Eagles rally with four runs coming home on two outs in the bottom half of the inning to take control. Joplin added a pair of insurance runs in the third inning to build a four-run lead on the way to the conference win.
“It was a grinder kind of a win,” Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said. “You know when you play those guys, they are going to play hard and do things the right way. So, you have to grind one out and that is how I would describe this one. When we needed a big hit or to make a big pitch, we found a way to get it done. … To come out and put up four runs to answer in that situation was huge after we fell behind.”
With the win, Joplin improves to 8-7, 3-0 in Central Ozark Conference play. Joplin hits the road for a matchup against Pittsburg, Kansas, on Saturday at Jaycee Ballpark.
“We have a tough one on Saturday against Pittsburg and then we roll back in COC action next week with Carthage on Tuesday,” Wolf said. “It is just a matter of showing up at the yard everyday ready to compete. We just have to continue to learn from things throughout the course of the game and learn from them as the season goes.”
PITCHING
Ethan Guilford earned the complete-game win. He allowed two runs on five hits, a walk and four strikeouts in seven innings of work.
“That seems to be the word of this game, but Ethan grinded,” Wolf said of his starting pitcher’s effort coupled with the team’s play of defense. “He really grinded out some at-bats when maybe he didn’t have his best stuff today, but he found ways to collect outs.
“If we can get them to hit it to center field, it’s probably going to get caught. (Center fielder) Kyler (Stokes) had a great day out there. There were some balls hit pretty well that he went and got. Ethan being gritty on the bump and Kyler going and getting it were game changers today.”
Collin Ross took the loss for Branson after allowing six runs, five earned, on seven hits, a walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Blake Green allowed one hit and struck out one in one relief inning, while Andrew Bristow allowed one hit and struck out one in two relief innings.
GAME ACTION
Branson took the momentum in the top of the first inning, plating two runs on three hits in its first at-bat. Ross led off the game with a single to right field before moving to third on a two-base throwing error from Guilford on a pick-off attempt. Two batters later, Carter Jenkins ripped a ball off the wall in left field for an RBI. Andrew Bristow followed with a double to right field to bring home Jenkins for a 2-0 lead.
Like they have so many times this season after giving up a run in the top half of the inning, Joplin answered right back in the bottom half of the first with four runs, all coming with two outs, to lead 4-2.
“They didn’t panic,” Wolf said about his team falling in an early hole and answering back immediately. “Like I told them down the line after the game, whether it’s two strikes or two outs, you’re never out of an inning. Never give up an at-bat or an opportunity because things can snowball pretty quickly and give you a chance. That is kind of what happened there. I am proud of them for piecing some at-bats together and scoring some runs in the first, let alone getting four of them.”
Kyler Stokes started the rally with a two-out double off the wall in left before coming around to score on an RBI single through the left side of the infield from Guilford to cut the lead in half, 2-1. Three batters later with the bases loaded, Tyler Schumann popped a ball up into the sun that fell into no-man’s land behind second base before a high bounce into right field that allowed three runs to touch home to give the Eagles a 4-2 advantage.
Joplin added to the lead in the bottom of the third after Stokes led off with a double to the gap in left-center field before touching home two batters later on a one-out double to left by Justin McReynolds to push the advantage to 5-2. Schumann hit a popup into the sun in right field with two outs that found turf and scored McReynolds with two outs to give Joplin a 6-2 lead.
“That was huge,” Wolf said about adding insurance in the third frame. “A four-run lead feels a lot better than a two-run lead. Those two runs there, where we were able to put some at-bats together before Tyler was able to get the big hit down the line. To be able to score two runs in that inning in the middle of the game may have been just as important as the four in the first.”
AT THE PLATE
McReynolds doubled, had three hits, drove in one and scored twice to lead Joplin in the box. Stokes doubled twice on the way to two hits and two runs scored. Schumann had two hits and drove in a team-high three runs.
