CARTHAGE, Mo. — Joplin found itself trailing 5-2 heading into the seventh inning before rallying for six runs in its final at-bat on the way to an 8-5 win over Carthage in Central Ozark Conference action on Tuesday at historic Carl Lewton Stadium.
“We put ourselves in a position where we were ahead early but when you play (Carthage) long enough over the years, you know they are going to find a way to come back and score some runs,” Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said. “It was just a matter of controlling it until the end. Then, my goodness, that last inning—I am just very proud of six or seven at-bats in a row where we just kind of grinded at-bats out and found a way to get to first to get the job done.
“We were fighting for each other and not just ourselves. I thought in that last at-bat we were locked in knowing our backs were against the wall and fought for each other. … I felt like you could really see in our kids’ eyes that they didn’t want to let each other down. After we scored a couple of runs there, you kind of felt it a little bit and we just locked in and found a way.”
The Eagles went into the seventh inning down three before Justin McReynolds doubled to deep left field with one out to plate Kyler Stokes, who doubled off the wall to lead off the inning, to start the rally and cut the lead to two runs. Two batters later with two outs, Jackson Queen singled to right to score a run before moving to second on the throw to trim the lead to 5-4. Byler Reither followed with a two-strike infield hit deep in the hole at short to bring home Layten Copher to tie the game at 5-5. Bodee Carlson capped the inning in the next at-bat after launching a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left field for a three-run home run to give the Eagles the lead for the final time.
“I am very proud and happy for him,” Wolf said of Carlson. “He works really hard at it and takes this game seriously. For him to come up at that moment, I was happy for him. I told him as he rounded the third, ‘Way to come up big in a big moment.’ I was proud of him for that.”
With the win Joplin improves to 9-8 overall, 4-0 in conference play. Carthage falls to 6-11, 1-3 in conference play.
“Talking briefly with Coach Wolf after the game, he said, ‘Hey, you guys really compete hard,’” Carthage coach Luke Bordewick said after the tough-luck loss. “That is all I ever want to hear about our team. Him saying that kind of put it into perspective. Yes, it is a bummer to lose in that fashion but if we compete like that consistently, we will be in a good spot to win every game.”
PITCHING
Joe Jasper earned the win in relief after allowing one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ethan Guilford earned the save after pitching a scoreless seventh inning. McReynolds started and took a no-decision after allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits, two walks and eight strikeouts, with his first seven outs recorded coming via the punchout.
“Not lost on this game is what Joe Jasper did,” Wolf said of his senior reliever who entered in the fifth inning to limit Carthage’s damage. “That was a great effort—and that is a tough role to play when you’re up, you’re down and you don’t know if you’re going to throw or not and he hasn’t thrown in a while just because of how the games have played out. He comes in and gives us a chance. I want to make sure and point out that that was a great job by him.”
Parker Copeland took the loss after allowing six runs on six hits and a strikeout in 1 1/3 relief innings. Bradyn Tate took a no-decision after allowing two runs on eight hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
“I thought Bradyn did a great job,” Bordewick said. “He did exactly what we asked him to do and filled it up early. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he did a great job competing and keeping them at bay.”
GAME ACTION
Joplin took the lead in the top of the first inning after McReynolds helped his own cause with a two-out RBI single through the left side to score Brady Mails, who singled with one out earlier in the inning, for an early 1-0 lead.
The Eagles added to the lead an inning later when Reither singled to shallow right field with runners at the corners, with Tyler Duley scoring on the throw to second for a 2-0 lead.
Carthage answered back in the bottom half of the second inning when Clay Kinder reached base on a drag bunt for a hit that brought home Sylas Browning, who led the inning off with a single up the middle.
After threatening in the third and fourth innings, the Tigers rallied in the fifth. Carthage plated four runs on five hits to take a 5-2 advantage.
“The top of the order did their job and set the table and the middle of the order came through,” Bordewick said. “That’s why they’re in those spots. They rise to the occasion. It was a well-oiled machine (in the fifth).”
Logan Carmickle, celebrating his 18th birthday, tied the game up with an RBI single through the right side with runners on second and third. Kanen Vogt followed with a sharp single to left field to plate the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Kinder slapped a ball to the opposite field to score two runs and give Carthage a three-run lead to wrap the scoring.
AT THE PLATE
Carlson homered, had two hits, three RBI and scored a run to lead the Eagles at the plate. Queen had three hits, scored a run and drove in one. McReynolds, who doubled, and Reither each had two hits, two RBI and scored a run. Stokes doubled and scored a run.
Kinder had three hits and three RBI to lead Carthage, while Browning added two hits and scored two runs. Carmickle and Vogt each had a hit and drove in one, with Vogt also scoring a run.
ON DECK
Joplin is on the road with a conference matchup at Nixa on Thursday.
Carthage hits the road for a COC contest at Republic on Thursday.
