NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats closed out their regular season with a 7-1 win on Thursday over Newton County-rival Seneca at Roy B. Shaver Field within the Marion Sports Complex.
Playing their final home game, Neosho seniors Austin Rodriguez and Wyatt Shadwick each had big days for the Wildcats.
Rodriguez earned a complete-game victory and delivered a go-ahead RBI double to left in the third inning.
Shadwick hit a three-run home run to left in the sixth to provide an exclamation on Neosho’s 17th win of the season.
Seneca opened the scoring with one in the second, before Neosho scored one in the second, third, and fourth and four in the sixth.
“It wasn’t our best game of the year,” Neosho coach Bo Helsel said. “We made too many mistakes on the basepaths, which at this point in the year you hope you have more of that ironed out, but it is what it is at this point. We played good defense, and Austin pitched a great game today. We got some bats going toward the end to pull it out.”
Shadwick’s three-run homer occurred on the day he was recognized, along with several of his classmates in a signing ceremony at the La-Z-Boy End Zone Facility, for signing with NAIA school Evangel (Springfield) for baseball.
“I’m excited for him to see what he can do at the next level,” Helsel said. “Obviously, today, he played well, so I think it’s going to translate well to the next level.”
Carter Fenske added a RBI single in the sixth and his bunt in the second led to a throwing error that helped produce Neosho’s first run.
Seneca’s Grant Houchin started the second with a leadoff triple and he scored the Indians’ only run when Cade Galindo connected on a single.
After the second, Rodriguez largely silenced the Indians and they were retired in order in the third, the fourth, and the sixth.
Galindo reached on an error in the fifth and singled to left in the seventh.
Conner Ackerson also reached on an error in the sixth, but the Wildcats turned a double play when Hagen Ginger flied out and Ackerson got caught too far off second.
Neosho finished the regular season 17-13 overall and the Wildcats, behind three straight wins and four of their last five, guaranteed their first winning season since 2016, Helsel’s first season as assistant coach with former head coach Danny Powers.
“It’s our first winning season since 2016, so that was exciting and today to get our 17th win, that’s a lot of wins,” Helsel said. “These kids earned it. They’ve worked hard last four years of their career, the seniors have, and we’ve had some contributions from some younger guys, so we’ll see what we’re made of on Tuesday. We’ll know who we play (Friday) after seeding, and we’ll go from there.”
The Wildcats have the fourth-most wins this season in Class 6 District 6, behind Nixa (27), Republic (19), and Kickapoo (18).
Among district opponents, Neosho lost twice against Nixa (7-4, 6-1), once against Republic (3-1), and also once against Ozark (8-1). The Wildcats defeated Joplin 1-0 in eight innings and Carthage 13-9 but did not play either Kickapoo or Springfield Central.
Meanwhile, Seneca finished the regular season 16-12 overall and the Indians are back in action Saturday in their Class 4 District 11 opener against Reeds Spring.
Seneca junior reliever Payne Sikes made his 22nd appearance of the season Thursday, two more than previous state record holders Geoff Harrison (Francis Howell, 2002), Clifford Kiely (Leeton, 2006), and Josh Harryman (Joplin, 2020).
