NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats have been plagued by slow starts and large early deficits in their last three games — all played at their home Roy B. Shaver Field — all three losses.
On April 25, Neosho surrendered four runs in the second inning on the way to a 6-1 loss against Nixa, one of the best teams in Class 6 and the Central Ozark Conference.
Two days after that five-run loss, Neosho fell behind 4-0 to Branson after the Pirates plated four in the second and then the Wildcats trailed 7-2 before scoring three in the sixth and one in the seventh during a 7-6 conference loss for Neosho.
On Monday, taking on Hollister from the Big 8 Conference, Neosho fell behind 7-0 after the visiting Tigers pushed across two in the first, four in the third, and one in the fourth on their way to a 8-4 win for the guests.
Neosho coach Bo Helsel did not look very far to find responsibility for the loss Monday, exactly a week before Harry Truman’s birthday — the Lamar native who was famous for the sign ‘The Buck Stops Here’ on his desk in his White House office.
“We did not play our best today,” Helsel said. “Pretty disappointed … this is a reflection of me and so I’ve got to be better. We didn’t have a very good practice yesterday, and it came out and showed today in the game. I don’t know if we thought we were going to roll over these kids (Hollister) or what, but it didn’t happen. They were a much better team today, better coached, and they played better.”
The Wildcats, now 13-12 on the season, look to avoid their fourth straight loss when they travel to historic Joe Becker Stadium on Tuesday for a conference and Class 6 District 6 game against traditional rival Carthage.
“Big game against Carthage,” Helsel said. “We’re going to throw our ace. They’re going to throw their ace. We’ve got to put the ball in play, we’ve got to play better defensively, and we’ve got to have more focus, then we have a shot. I know Carthage’s record isn’t great (3-23 overall after Monday’s 9-0 loss against McDonald County), but they’ll come out and beat you. They’re a Class 6 team, so we’ve got to come out and play well tomorrow.”
In the Hollister first, Blake Russell worked a walk, stole second, and eventually scored the game’s first run, then Isaac Bebee singled home Sam Teaster after Teaster doubled.
Luke Calovich singled for the first Hollister runner aboard in the four-run third and Bebee delivered a RBI ground-rule double, Ethan Wright a RBI single, and Ryland Franks a RBI single before he would thrown out at second by Neosho freshman catcher Brody Crane.
The Tigers achieved their 7-0 lead after Ayden Kimmel singled leading off the fourth, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on a Calovich single.
Down seven, Neosho cut the deficit to three after two runs in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Austin Rodriguez led off the fourth with a single to left, Quenton Hughes doubled to right-center, and Noah Lawson was hit with a pitch to load the bases with Wildcats.
Rodriguez’s courtesy runner Finn Versluis scored on a Crane fielder’s choice and Hughes crossed home plate on Drake Swift’s 5-3 groundout.
Wyatt Shadwick worked a two-out walk in the fifth, followed by a Rodriguez ground-rule double and a Hughes two-run single.
Franks led off the sixth with a triple to deep center and Hollister closed out the scoring when Malachi Henry’s single brought home Franks.
Eli Zar led Neosho with three hits, all three of them leading off innings, highlighted by a double in the first, but the former catcher turned right fielder had a rough time on the bases.
Hughes, Rodriguez, and Swift each had two hits for the Wildcats.
