CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Nevada Tigers scored early and often during their 11-1 run-rule win in five innings against the host Carl Junction Bulldogs on Saturday morning.
Nevada scored one run in the first, three in the third, five in the fourth, and two in the fifth to close out the scoring and set up the run-rule scenario after the Bulldogs scored their lone run in the fourth.
University of Nebraska baseball commit and Nevada senior Case Sanderson pitched three shutout innings and collected three hits, including an RBI double, and three runs scored.
The Tigers received contributions from every player in their lineup Saturday.
“I think all nine guys made a lot of contributions today,” Nevada coach Danny Penn said. “Case Sanderson, our three hole, had a couple real loud swings, but everyone contributed whether it was a hit bringing in runs or getting on base with a walk. Just a balanced performance offensively today.”
Offensive highlights for the Tigers included Barrett Nadurata’s double in the second, Graham Walker’s two-run single in the third, Caden Klumpp’s two-run single in the fourth and Kennedy D’Elia’s RBI single in the fifth.
The Tigers collected a dozen hits, worked seven walks against four different Carl Junction pitchers, reached twice on errors and once on a hit batter, and left seven runners behind.
“Yeah, it was a tight (strike) zone,” Penn said. “It was tight both ways so that was something that we talked with our guys about and they did a nice job early in the count laying off those pitches and either getting into a more favorable count or a walk.
“On the flip side, it did hurt Case a little bit because those pitches that are right there on the black, he was not getting those calls today so that elevated his pitch count a little bit, but I thought he did a nice job of adjusting to the strike zone and pitching to contact.”
Two days earlier, Nevada jumped out to a 6-0 lead at home against Central Ozark Conference school Carthage.
Carthage scored four runs in the fourth and two in the sixth for a tie score, but Nevada walked it off with a 7-6 win.
On Saturday, though, Nevada scored at least one run in four of the five innings and responded much sooner after Carl Junction broke on through for that first run.
“That’s something I talked with the guys about after the game,” Penn said. “Our showing today was much more representative of the team that I think we can be. We scored runs early and we kept adding. We got out to a 4-0 lead and where Thursday we stopped scoring runs and our approach changed, today we kept the same approach and put up a five-spot there in the fourth inning for a 9-0 lead. We just kept going from there.”
Nevada improved to 5-2 overall this season, including 3-1 for the week with three straight wins headed into the Smith-Cotton Tournament starting Wednesday with games against Warrensburg and Battle, and the Tigers won consecutive games against COC schools Carthage and Carl Junction.
“Early in the season, we’re playing some bigger schools,” Penn said. “We’re playing those schools that are in tough conferences to see how we stack up. We’ve had some success and got off to a good start to the season, but we’ve got to be able to make sure that we recognize those areas where we can still improve and continue growing as players so that we don’t peak too early in the season, and we keep getting better as the season progresses.”
Carl Junction received two hits from Lucas Vanlanduit and one each from Arlen Wakefield, Cody Hollingsworth, and Logan Eck, the first three hitters in the Carl Junction order.
Bentley Rowden led off the Carl Junction fourth with a walk and courtesy runner Grady Goddard scored the Bulldogs’ lone run on Vanlanduit’s RBI triple.
Wakefield beat out a covering Sanderson to the bag for an infield single in the first, but Sanderson picked off Wakefield at first.
Eck then hit a two-out single in the first, but Sanderson induced a Rowden groundout to first baseman D’Elia to retire the side.
Vanlanduit singled to left in the second, following Nevada left fielder Riddick Shook’s diving catch on a Drew Massey ball roped near the line.
Hollingsworth singled in the fifth.
Nevada scored eight runs (six earned) against starter Eck, one against Jacob Ford who struggled to find the zone and walked all four batters during his relief appearance in the fourth, and two against Massey. Only third pitcher of the day Mekhi McGarry avoided a dent to his ERA.
Carl Junction dropped to 2-5 overall entering Thursday’s conference opener on the road against Joplin.
