Joplin started fast with the bats and got a dominant pitching performance on the way to, perhaps, its most-complete win of the season—a 14-2 victory over Nevada on Friday night in MINK League action at Joe Becker Stadium.
The Outlaws’ offense hung crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the first three innings and ultimately scored runs in the first four frames, while the Joplin pitcher Jack Kelley limited the Griffons to one run over five innings. After Nevada pushed across two unanswered, Joplin put the finishing touches on the win with a six-run sixth inning.
“Absolutely,” first-year Joplin manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said when asked if this was one of his team’s best performances of the season. “We played good defense, guys put together good at-bats and fought through adversity. That was huge for us.”
ON THE MOUND
Kelley started for Joplin and earned the win after allowing one run on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts in five innings of work. Harold Baez allowed one run on two hits in one inning of relief work. Eduardo Ojeda walked two and struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief.
“The biggest thing for Jack was his fastball command,” Gonzalez said. “And his changeup is starting to come around. He was able to pull the string a little more and not rely on his breaking ball as much. It has become a true out pitch for him.”
Houston Fogelstrom started and took the loss for Nevada after allowing seven runs on five hits and three walks in three innings pitched. Caleb Chance allowed a run in relief, while Conner Culp pitched one scoreless inning in relief. Jackson Walker allowed six runs on one hit and four walks in 1/3 of an inning.
GAME ACTION
Joplin wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as Caden Bressler led the bottom of the first off with a triple to left field before coming home on a wild pitch in the next at-bat for a 1-0 lead. Korrey Siracusa followed with a double to right field before coming around to score two batters later on an RBI groundout from Max Bruff for a 2-0 lead.
The Outlaws added to the lead an inning later when Cody Min singled home a run and advanced to second on the play. Carl Junction product Carson Johnson followed with a single to center field to plate Min, pushing the lead to 4-0.
Joplin made it three straight innings with a crooked number coming across the plate when Min drew a bases-loaded walk in the last of the third to extend the lead to five runs. Sam Fagan, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning to get on base, straight stole home in the next at-bat for a 6-0 lead. Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to center to bring the Outlaws’ lead to 7-0.
The Outlaws made it four straight innings with a run as Siracusa walked before advancing to second and third on wild pitches before scoring on a passed ball for an 8-0 lead through four innings.
“That was big for us,” Gonzalez said of the early-and-often run support. “It took the pressure off (Kelley) and allowed him to pitch free and easy. It allowed him to attack the zone and not try to put too much pressure on himself to have to do it all.”
Nevada reached the scoreboard for the first time on a two-out RBI single flared to center field by Andrew Pickering to bring the Griffons’ deficit to 8-1.
The Griffons scored a second run in the top of the sixth off an RBI single to shallow center field from Jacob Strobel.
The Outlaws pushed the lead to 12 with a six-run sixth inning highlighted by a sac fly from Joe Ricchio and an RBI singles from Webb City product Matt Woodmansee and Siracusa.
“We have talked about it in the past, but when it’s time to put teams away, you have to put them away,” Gonzalez said of the late offensive output. “You can’t let them hang around because that usually ends up bad for us. … It was nice to see these guys put it away.”
IN THE BOX
Siracusa had two hits, an RBI and scored three times, while Bressler had two hits and scored once. Johnson had a hit and led the team with three RBI and added a run scored, while Min registered a hit, two runs scored and two RBI.
ON DECK
The Outlaws host the Joplin Playmakers in an exhibition on Saturday at Joe Becker Stadium.
