CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The host Carl Junction Bulldogs and the visiting Pittsburg Dragons combined for 29 runs, 29 hits, 10 errors, 24 RBI, seven extra-base hits, eight walks, six hit batters and nearly 300 pitches during a wild and crazy 17-12 win for the guests from Kansas.
Pittsburg scored four runs in the first, third and seventh with one in the second and the fourth and three in the fifth, while Carl Junction plated two in the first and the sixth, seven in the third and one in the fourth.
The Bulldogs erased an early 9-2 deficit with their seven-run third and then knotted the score again at 10 with their run in the fourth.
The Bulldogs scored two in the sixth to narrow the deficit to 13-12, before the Dragons closed out the scoring with four insurance runs in the seventh.
“That’s the positive, that they had every opportunity to just quit, and they didn’t,” Carl Junction coach Phil Cook said. “We swung the bat well all day. We scored 12 runs, and you should win. They’re a good team, I know they’ve won a lot of games and they’ve got some guys at the top of their lineup that can flat out swing it. I think we’ve got a good team, too.
“We walked or hit nine … nine free ones. What happened with those nine? Here lately, some of the games that we’ve lost and lost close, even Willard the other day, we walked 14 … Springfield Catholic, we walked 11 … and then nine (Friday). You can’t do that and expect to win. You can’t put nine guys on free and expect to beat anybody. We’ve got to clean that up.
“We are swinging it well. We had a couple errors, so did they. It’s a tough day out there. That field is hard as a rock. We need some rain. I’m discouraged. I hate getting beat, that’s what it boils down to, but I am encouraged by the fight that the kids had and the way they swung it.”
Logan Eck and Wyatt McAfee combined for half of Carl Junction’s 12 hits with three each and Arlen Wakefield, Bentley Rowden, Lucas Vanlanduit, Drew Massey, Deacon Endicott and Mekhi McGarry each had the other half of the 12 hits with one apiece.
Endicott provided one of the game’s most thrilling moments with his three-run inside-the-park home run in the third. Eck added a RBI single and McAfee tied it up at 9 with his RBI single.
Eck put the Bulldogs on the board with a RBI triple in the second that brought home Vanlanduit after he led off the inning with a walk.
Massey’s RBI triple tied it at 10 in the fourth.
Endicott finished with four RBI, his first on a sacrifice fly that plated Eck in the second, while Vanlanduit scored three runs and Eck drove in and scored two.
Eck took a no-decision and he allowed 10 runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks over four innings.
Endicott ended with the loss and he allowed seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits with one strikeout and no walks over his three innings of relief.
Beau Pasteur led Pittsburg’s 17-hit attack with four and the trio of Dawson Stegman, Tucker Akins, and Ethan Rhodes each had three hits.
Webb Fern’s two-run triple only three batters in opened the scoring and Pittsburg’s catcher finished his day with four RBI, all in the first three innings.
Jackson Turnbull added three RBI for the Dragons.
Pittsburg starter Garrett Hanson also did not factor in the final decision and he allowed nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 2 2/3 innings.
Quentin Fears earned the win in relief with three runs (one earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Carl Junction dropped to 7-12 overall on the season and the Bulldogs return to Central Ozark Conference action Tuesday on the road against their rival Webb City.
