When navigating through a rough stretch of play, teams often turn to its ace on the mound to right the ship.
Joplin did just that on Thursday at the JHS Athletic Complex, as the Eagles (4-7, 1-0 COC) rode a strong start from their ace, Justin McReynolds, to snap a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Carl Junction (2-6, 0-1 COC) in both team’s Central Ozark Conference opener.
“Anytime you can roll a guy out there who has been as consistent and effective as he has all year, you feel like you are going to have a chance,” Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said. “He is going to give you a chance to be in the game and hopefully have a lead late to win it, and he did that for us again today. It was huge and we needed it. He gave us another great outing opening up conference play.”
McReynolds earned the complete-game win after allowing one run on three hits, four walks and eight strikeouts, while stranding five runners on base.
“He never panicked,” Wolf said of his ace. “He had a little traffic, and some of it was his own doing with a couple of walks, but he executed some pitches in big situations. I thought we played pretty well defensively behind him when we had opportunities to do so.”
On the other side, Carl Junction starter Lucas Vanlanduit was saddled with the tough-luck loss in the pitcher’s duel. Vanlanduit allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits, a walk and seven strikeouts in six innings.
“I was really pleased with how Lucas pitched,” Carl Junction coach Phil Cook said. “He was really filling the zone up. He threw 95 pitches in six innings, and that is a good outing for him. We just need to get some run production for him. … He kept the ball down and kept them off stride with his offspeed. This is his second really good outing in a row. He is pitching really well.”
Joplin got on the scoreboard early to give its starter a lead to work with. Brady Mails started things off with a leadoff single up the middle before stealing second to get into scoring position. Two batters later, Byler Reither doubled to the gap in right-center field with one out to score Mails for a 1-0 lead.
“Anytime you can get a lead early, it helps everyone relax a little bit,” Wolf said about the early lead. “Especially with Justin on the mound. It makes the game play a little easier.”
McReynolds helped his own cause on the mound with a clutch at-bat at the plate in the bottom of the third inning, lining a two-out single to right field with a runner on third base to push the lead to 2-0.
Carl Junction got on the scoreboard and cut the lead in half in the process during the top of the fourth inning. Logan Eck drew a one-out walk before ending up on third on a two-base throwing error by Joplin on a pickoff attempt. Wyatt McAfee brought home the Bulldogs’ run with a two-out double in a two-strike count to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
“Our approach at the plate is getting better every game,” Cook said. “We are right there. … Wyatt is one of those guys who is learning at the plate. He battled, didn’t give in and did a good job of hitting it hard.”
Joplin came back to add insurance in the bottom of the fifth, pushing the lead back to two runs when Reither brought the runner from third home with a groundout to make the score 3-1.
“We talked about it in the dugout,” Wolf said of the late insurance. “We scored first, and to answer their run after they scored was huge. You get that run back and get to keep the momentum.”
Mails had two hits and scored a run for Joplin. Reither doubled and drove in two, while McReynolds had a hit and an RBI.
McAfee doubled and drove in a run, while Bentley Rowden and Drew Massey each collected hits for the Bulldogs.
Joplin plays Hickman at US Ballpark in Ozark on Saturday.
Carl Junction hosts Carthage on Tuesday.
