CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats opened their 2023 season with a 4-1 win in eight innings on Monday against the Carl Junction Bulldogs.
In the top of the eighth, Neosho top-of-the-order hitters River Brill and Quenton Hughes worked consecutive walks to start the frame against Carl Junction’s Lucas Vanlanduit, who entered in the seventh in relief of starter Logan Eck.
Neosho senior catcher Eli Zar then delivered the go-ahead RBI single and fellow seniors Austin Rodriguez and Carter Fenske later came through with critical insurance RBI singles for a three-run lead entering the bottom half of the eighth.
“We had baserunners all game long, just couldn’t get that one big hit,” Neosho coach Bo Helsel said. “We got thrown out at home twice, which is okay because I want us to be aggressive on the bases. It’s first and second and nobody out and most coaches are going to bunt there to get second and third to have a chance, but it’s my best hitter—Eli Zar—and he was an all-conference player for me last year, so I’m going to let him swing the bat. He produced and we just kept it rolling from there, it usually just takes one and the floodgates open.”
Neosho pitchers Kael Smith, Hughes and Brill combined on a one-hitter on Monday, with Vanlanduit reaching on a single in the third.
“One hit and it was a little blooper,” Helsel said. “We had too many walks and that’s why the game was close, but our guys battled out there. Kael Smith, he’s been battling a back injury and threw five innings for me. Quenton Hughes came in with the bases loaded and two outs and got a strikeout (in the fifth). River Brill is our closer and that’s what I expect him to do. He scared me a little bit with that four-pitch walk and a couple balls after that, but he’s a grinder.
“We’ve got a lot of senior leaders and they’ve been through this. We lost a game to CJ last year at this place with Quenton on the mound and they walked us off. This year, with a little bit more experience, we came away with a 4-1 win.”
Neosho lost several close games last season, including a 5-4 loss in Central Ozark Conference play against Carl Junction, a team the Wildcats defeated 8-6 earlier that season.
Run production sometimes proved a big challenge for Neosho last season.
“We found a way all day,” Helsel said. “We hit the ball hard. We had eight hits as a team. Credit to them. Their pitchers threw a lot of strikes. We have good hitters. We’re strong one through nine this year, and I think we’re going to do great things offensively. We showed today that we can grind through a tough game and get a win.”
Neosho, 1-0 overall, returns to action Tuesday at home against traditional rival McDonald County, continuing a busy week of baseball for the Wildcats between games against CJ and McDonald County and hosting the second edition of the Roy B. Shaver Classic.
The Bulldogs also played their season opener and their first game under new head coach Phil Cook, the Carl Junction superintendent who returned to coach baseball this season after his previous reign at the school from 1997 to 2000.
Carl Junction scored first with a run in the fourth, after the Bulldogs started the inning with consecutive walks by catcher Bentley Rowden and starting pitcher Eck. Johnny Starks executed a sacrifice to move courtesy runners Mekhi McGarry and Alden Straight over 90 feet, then McGarry scored on a Wyatt McAfee fielder’s choice that eventually turned into the second and third outs on a play scored 5-2-6-2-4-5 with one runner safe at home and one thrown out at home and another thrown out at third.
“I thought we played well,” Cook said. “Hitting is so much a mental game. You have to hit good pitches, you have to be ready to hit, and you have to keep your hands. A lot of our guys really looked great in the cage during BP, but you get them in a game situation and everything changes. They lose their mind a little bit.
“Physically, we may have had an error or two there, but I thought we played good defense, the pitching was really good, and both teams I thought threw the ball well. At the plate, we’ve got to get better, and we will. We’ll talk through it and we’ll think hitting a little bit more. We’ll get there.”
Carl Junction, 0-1 overall, returns home and welcomes Hollister on Thursday.
“That was a good high school baseball game (Monday),” Cook said. “I don’t know what time it is, but it felt like it just kept moving at a good pace. Both teams fought hard, and they’re a nice team (Neosho). They’re going to win a lot of games this year, and so are we. We’re going to keep getting better every game, improving and learning, and that’s what it’s all about.”
