Joplin trailed 6-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before touching home five times, including a one-out, three-run home run from Eli Sotlar that sent the Eagles to their first win of the season in 8-6 walk-off fashion over St. Mary’s Colgan (Kansas) on a cold, wet Tuesday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
“It was crazy,” Sotlar said. “I didn’t think it was going out then I saw the wind catch it a little bit and I was like, ‘Oh my God’. … I was just wanting to put a ball in play because anything can happen. I saw that pitch, my eyes lit up and I just put a swing on it.”
Byler Reither, Brady Mails and Justin McReynolds all walked in consecutive order to jump-start the seventh-inning rally. Jackson Queen picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice groundout in the next at-bat to make the score 6-4. Landon Maples followed with a run-scoring single on a liner to center field to plate McReynolds and trim the deficit to one. In need of a big swing, Sotlar stepped up and hit a rope over the wall in left to lift the home team to a win and the crowd to their feet in the process.
“I told them down there after the game, ‘Great job. Celebrate this win because those types of things don’t happen all the time. To be able to come back and get a win against a huge baseball team is huge, but don’t lose the lesson of coming out focused and prepared to play.’” Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said after the win. “I thought their pitchers came out and threw a lot of strikes early and we were passive at the plate. We didn’t throw strikes and gave them some momentum early that they took advantage of. … I am proud of them for sticking with it and not giving in, which would have been easy to do.”
OLD ADAGE
The adage of the day for Joplin’s win was clearly, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.” The Eagles (1-1) ultimately trailed 6-0 at one point in the game before chipping away with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double off the wall from Cole Lawrence, to cut the deficit in half. And while the Eagles didn’t score in the sixth, they did manage to load the bases and put pressure on the Panthers (0-1) before rallying all the way back in their final at-bat.
“I think those three runs in the fifth were huge,” Wolf said. “They had just extended their lead in the half inning before. We were able to put up three and cut it in half and then you feel like you’re in striking distance with eight outs to go at that point. You feel like you have an opportunity if something goes right to do what Eli did. I thought our approach the last three innings was better. We didn’t chase a lot of the balls out of the zone and when we got something we could drive, we put a good swing on it and started hitting balls hard.”
That adage also rang true for Sotlar, who started the game on the bump for Joplin but struggled with his command. He ultimately allowed one run, struck out two and walked five in an inning-plus of work. However, when the opportunity came late in the game to help his team get a win, Sotlar came up clutch and delivered a huge early-season confidence boost for his team with his first-ever long ball.
“I didn’t contribute on the mound much but I wanted to get back in there and have another chance to contribute for my team,” Sotlar said. “It feels great. This was a huge win to get us going.”
“I am blown-away happy for Eli to put a good swing on it and get a win for his team,” Wolf said. “Especially after he started the game and was frustrated with the way he pitched. To come in there and help his team at the plate. That was huge right there. … The good thing about Eli, and I say this kindly and lovingly, but he’s got a short memory. You have to have that to play this game.”
ON THE MOUND
With the weather not ideal, control on the mound was an issue for both teams. Joplin’s staff walked 11 total in the win, while Colgan walked seven.
Reither ultimately earned the win for Joplin, pitching two scoreless relief innings without allowing a hit, walking four and striking out five. Alex Isbell struck out four, walked two and allowed two runs on one hit in two relief innings, while Mails allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits and a strikeout.
Cooper Simmons was saddled with the loss in relief after allowing two runs on two hits in 1/3 of an inning. Kyson Bennett started for SMC, while Gus Keller, John Potusek, Carter Jacquinot, Tristan Voss, Cartston Simmons and Brady VanBecelaere all worked in relief.
AT THE PLATE
Sotlar homered, had a team-high three RBI and scored a team-high two runs for Joplin. Mails had two hits, while Lawrence doubled and drove in two. Queen and Maples each drove in one, scored one and had one hit.
Cooper Simmons smacked two home runs for Colgan, picked up three RBI and scored twice. Gus Keller had an inside-the-park home run in front of one of Simmons’ homers and finished with two runs scored and an RBI. Noah Duncan also had a hit for Colgan.
UP NEXT
Joplin travels to Oklahoma to take part in the Tiger/Zebra Classic over the weekend with games against Booker T. Washington, Glenpool, Claremore and Tahlequah scheduled.
