Joplin kicked off a week full of baseball by rallying from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Jeff City 11-9 on Monday at Joe Becker Stadium in MINK League action.
The Renegades (3-4) led 4-0 after three innings before a five-run fourth inning fueled the Outlaws’ rally with Joplin leading 6-4. Joplin (4-5) added four runs in the sixth inning to push the lead to six and held off Jeff City for the win.
ON THE MOUND
Ethan Sally started and took the no-decision for Joplin after allowing four runs on five hits and three strikeouts in four innings of work. Michel Kinson earned the win in relief after allowing one run on three hits and two strikeouts in two innings. Cole White earned the save after striking out one and allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.
“Cole White, after two decent outings, was a different pitcher tonight at the end of the game,” first-year Joplin manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said. “He got after it and competed. He went out and made sure those guys were going to have to beat him. Kudos to him. We won because of him tonight.”
Ty Wilmsmeyer started for Jeff City and took a no-decision after allowing one run on two hits, a walk and three strikeouts in three innings of work. Brennan Perkins took the loss in relief after allowing five runs on one hit and three walks without recording an out in the fourth inning.
GAME ACTION
Jeff City struck first and didn’t need long to do it. Ross Lovich led off the game with a triple to the gap in right-center field before Coulton Doyle followed with an opposite-field double down the third-base line to plate a run and take the lead. Luc Fuller made it three straight hits that went for extra bases after he doubled home a run with a line drive to the corner in right before being thrown out trying to reach third.
The Renegades doubled their lead to 4-0 in the top of the third after scoring a pair of two-out runs on two hits and two Joplin errors. Doyle reached base with two outs on an error on the Outlaws before moving to third on a single by Fuller moved him to third. Doyle later scored on a wild pitch before Fuller was driven in on a single to left-center by T.J. Racherbaumer.
Joplin got on the board in the bottom of the third when Max Bruff drove home Caden Bressler, who reached base with a single to lead off the inning, to cut the lead to 4-1.
The Outlaws rallied in a big way in the bottom of the fourth, plating five runs to take their first lead of the game. Joplin scored its first run when Garrett Chun, who singled to kick off the inning, came around to score on a wild pitch to make the score 4-2. A second run came home when Korrey Siracusa drew a bases-loaded walk, the third straight free pass by Jeff City, to cut the lead to 4-3. After a pitching change, Bressler yanked a ball down the right-field line for a two-run double with the bases loaded to give the Outlaws a 5-4 advantage. Michael Long followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to push the lead to 6-4.
“I think the biggest thing today was getting a spark plug in the form of Garrett Chun,” Gonzalez said. “He joined us today from [Florida State College at Jacksonville] and made an immediate impact, not just with his bat but with his presence in the dugout, too. He is tough-nosed and it rubbed off on our guys today.”
Hunter Sherman, who singled to lead off the top of the fifth inning, cut the Outlaws’ lead to one after coming around to score later in the inning on a sac fly from Fuller to make the score 6-5.
Chun got the run back for the Outlaws in the next half inning when he launched a solo home run to right field to push the lead back to two, 7-5.
Joplin added insurance in the bottom of the sixth when Long tripled home two runs on a line drive to the gap in right-center before scoring on the play with the throw to third ending up out of play to make the score 10-5. The Outlaws distanced themselves further when a fourth run came home on a double steal for a six-run lead.
“The biggest thing was our approach at the plate has been great (against Jeff City the last two nights),” Gonzalez said. “Even last night when we lost the nail-biter, these guys are sticking to the plan and that is the biggest thing you can say about them. They are having great at-bats, and as a coach, there is nothing more that I could ask.”
Jeff City added a run in the top of the seventh after the first two batters reached via hit-by-pitch before a balk pushed a run across the plate. Two more runs came home on a Joplin throwing error with the bases loaded to trim the lead down to 11-8. After a second pitching change, Jeff City cut the lead to two with a bases-loaded walk. The Renegades grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Outlaws leading 11-9.
AT THE PLATE
Bressler had three hits, two RBI and scored twice, while Chun had two hits, an RBI and scored twice. Long had a hit, scored one and drove in three for Joplin.
Fuller had two hits, two RBI and scored twice to lead Jeff City at the plate.
ON DECK
Joplin (4-5) is on the road for a matchup at Nevada on Tuesday before traveling to Jeff City on Wednesday. The Outlaws return home in a rematch with Jeff City on Thursday at Joe Becker Stadium before welcoming the Griffons on Friday.
