A two-out error in the first inning gave Jeff City a lead it would never relinquish in a 4-3 win over Joplin on Monday in MINK League action at Joe Becker Stadium.
It looked to be a clean 1-2-3 top of the first for the Outlaws before an error with two outs opened the door for a pair of Renegade runs to score to swing the momentum early. Jeff City added a run in the second before Joplin cut into the lead with single tallies scoring in the fourth and fifth innings. Jeff City added insurance with a run in the seventh, which was needed because Joplin rallied for a run in the ninth inning and saw the comeback attempt come up just short after leaving runners on first and second when the final out was made.
“We gave that game away—plain and simple,” Joplin manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said. “We made our guy throw 20-plus more pitches (and they scored two runs) in the first inning after we made that error. That changed the game for us. When you start behind the 8-ball, it’s hard to come back from that.”
ON THE MOUND
Ty Wilmsmeyer started and earned the win for Jeff City after allowing two runs on four hits, a walk and four strikeouts in five innings. Wyatt Fischer walked one in a scoreless relief inning. Tanner Schmitz pitched three relief innings, allowing one run on four hits. Fischer earned the save without allowing an earned run in the ninth.
AJ Moreno started for Joplin and took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits, a walk and seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Jordan Sheridan worked a scoreless 1/3 inning in relief. Joplin product Kohl Cooper came on in relief and allowed one run on two hits, two walks and a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Connor Peck pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning, while Jared Wells and Webb City product Gavin Stowell each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
“I have no complaints about the pitching tonight,” Gonzalez said. “AJ Moreno fought his heart out. He could have easily given up on himself, but he did not. He gave us a quality start. We kind of stacked it today and every guy that came in entered in pretty high-leverage situations and they all did a good job for the most part. I can’t complain about pitching at all, we just need to play better defense.”
GAME ACTION
Jeff City didn’t take long to reach the scoreboard. Taking advantage of a two-out error by Joplin, Jack Matousek yanked a ball down the first-base line with a runner on second for a standup two-out RBI triple and a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. TJ Racherbaumer followed with a flare to right-center for an RBI to push the lead to 2-0 in favor of the Renegades.
Jackson Lovich tripled led off the top of the second with a triple to left-center field and was driven on an RBI groundout from Cole Wagner to give the Renegades a 3-0 advantage.
The Outlaws cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Garrett Chun hit a sacrifice fly to left field with runners on second and third to make the score 3-1.
The Outlaws cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Caden Bressler grounded out to score Cody Min.
Jeff City got the run back in the top of the sixth inning when Luc Fuller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run.
Joplin put the rally caps on in the bottom of the ninth inning, when Chun singled to left to lead off the inning before Casey Yamauchi reached on an infield two batters later to put runners on the corners with one out. Webb City product Matt Woodmansee picked up an RBI with a groundout before Korrey Siracusa reached on a hit-by-pitch to put the tying run on second and go-ahead run on first. A groundout in the next at-bat ended the threat and the game.
“They didn’t give up, especially in the back half of the game,” Gonzalez said. “We went into a little bit of a lull, but we turned it around at the end and put together some good stuff. But, it can’t take that long for us to want to pull the trigger and make an adjustment because then you are pressuring yourself into making something happen instead of slowly working our way into it.”
IN THE BOX
Lovich had two hits and scored a run, while Matousek, Wagner and Fuller each had a hit, scored a run and drove in one to lead the Renegades at the plate.
Chun had a hit, scored a run and drove in one, while Bressler and Woodmansee each had base hits and added an RBI apiece to lead Joplin. Min had a hit and scored a run.
ON DECK
Joplin hits the road for the next seven games in eight days, starting with a 7 p.m. matchup at Des Moines on Tuesday.
