NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats began the 2022 prep baseball season on a positive note.
The Wildcats beat Monett 7-4 in the season opener on Saturday morning before knocking off Carl Junction 8-6 later in the day to start the spring at 2-0.
In the other game of the day, Monett defeated Carl Junction 6-5.
NEOSHO 7, MONETT 4
Bo Helsel earned win No. 1 as Neosho’s head coach.
The game was deadlocked at four after four innings when the Wildcats pushed across two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth.
Neosho’s Austin Rodriquez had two hits and one RBI, while Quenton Hughes, River Brill and Carter Baslee had one RBI apiece.
Neosho’s Kael Smith was the winning pitcher. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits and struck out six in the complete-game effort.
Daniel Geiss had two hits and an RBI for the Cubs.
Geiss took the loss on the mound after giving up two earned runs on five hits in five innings.
MONETT 6, CARL JUNCTION 5
The Cubs rode a five-run first inning to victory.
Monett’s Geiss went 2-for-4, while Josh Wallace drove in two runs and Marcus Young scored twice.
Young earned the win on the hill after allowing three runs and striking out seven in six innings. Jason Garner earned the save by tossing a scoreless seventh.
Carl Junction’s Kyler Perry took the loss after giving up five earned runs on four hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Perry struck out four.
Hunter Cantrell and Lucas Vanlanduit pitched in relief.
Dalton Mills had two hits, including a triple, and two RBI for the Bulldogs. Shane Diskin, Jordan Woodruff and Vanlanduit drove in one run apiece.
NEOSHO 8, CARL JUNCTION 6
The game was tied at four after the top of the fourth. The Wildcats scored twice in the bottom of the fourth and added single tallies in the fifth and sixth. The Bulldogs scored twice in the sixth, but failed to score in the seventh.
Hughes was the winning pitcher and Wyatt Shadwick picked up the save. Hughes went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on 11 hits while striking out four.
Shadwick tossed a scoreless seventh.
Shadwick also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Rodriquez and Eli Zar drove in two runs apiece. Hughes, Baslee and Smith had one RBI apiece. Smith homered.
Diskin was charged with the loss after he allowed six earned runs on eight hits in five innings. Logan Eck pitched a scoreless sixth.
Carl Junction lost despite recording 14 hits. Cole Wilson, Drew Massey and Diskin had three hits apiece for the Bulldogs. Diskin and Wilson drove in two runs apiece.
Jordan Woodruff went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Carl Junction (0-2) hosts Lebanon on Tuesday.
Neosho (2-0) hosts the Roy B. Shaver Classic on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
