The Joplin Outlaws snapped a two-game skid with an overpowering performance with the bats en route to a 13-1 run-rule win in seven innings over Sedalia in MINK League action on Thursday at Joe Becker Stadium.
After the Bombers (2-3) took an early 1-0 lead in the first, the Outlaws (4-2) tied it up with a single tally in the second before scoring three times in the third for a 4-1 advantage. Joplin’s offense erupted for five runs in the fifth inning to build an eight-run lead. The Outlaws put the game away with a four-run sixth inning.
“It was about time, huh?” Joplin coach Chris Dawson said with a laugh when asked about his team’s offensive performance. “We have been preaching that for the last five or six games. It was going to come eventually and it finally came today. We got some breaks, but we were able to barrel some baseballs. … These kids have put in the work in the cages and during (batting practice) and it finally showed out for them today. It was good to see.”
ON THE MOUND
Webb City native Cale McCallister started for the Outlaws and took a no-decision after allowing one run on four hits, two walks and three strikeouts in three innings. Carl Junction native Jeremiah Kennedy earned the win after pitching three perfect relief innings, striking out three in the process. Austin Gottula walked one and struck out three in one relief inning.
“Jeremiah Kennedy was lights out today,” Dawson said. “Doing what he did was awesome.”
Tucker Nunnenkamp took the loss for Sedalia after allowing seven runs, five earned, on eight hits, a walk and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings.
GAME ACTION
Sedalia went to work offensively with two outs in the top of the first inning. After the first two Bombers were retired, Brandon Stahlman and Jacob McWhirter came up with back to back singles. Brett Mooney and Clayton Meyer followed with consecutive walks to force in a run.
Joplin answered back with a run in the bottom of the second to tie the game after Jeb Jenkins came through with a sacrifice fly to score Cade Lott, who singled to lead off the inning.
The Outlaws took the lead an inning later when Lott singled to left with runners on the corners to plate Brett Wiemers, who doubled to lead off the frame. Jenkins reached later in the inning with the bases full on a Sedalia fielding error in left that allowed two more runs to score to push the lead to 4-1.
Joplin added a pair of one-out runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jenkins ripped a single off the glove of the leaping third baseman for Sedalia to score Lott, who singled through the left side to start the inning, and Lawson Faria to make the score 6-1. Ethan Lopez singled up the middle two batters later to score two more and give the Outlaws an 8-1 advantage. Wiemers closed out the scoring with an RBI single.
“It was good,” Dawson said of the Outlaws’ multi-run innings. “We were able to have team at-bats early on and then broke it open with some balls to the gaps and balls down the line.”
“Brett Wiemers continues to hit the cover off the baseball,” Dawson added. “He had his wisdom teeth taken out about a week ago and maybe that was the ticket for him. He has been incredible the last week since he’s been back, so hopefully we can keep that going.”
Joplin’s sticks didn’t let up in the sixth, with Cam Pfafman adding an RBI single and Faria picking up two more RBI with a two-run single to build a 12-1 lead. A fourth run in the inning came around to score on a throwing error by Sedalia.
“It was good to see that we put together some good at-bats, and balls fell today,” Dawson said. “We’ve been hitting balls hard all summer long and they either haven’t found the gap or the defense made a really good play. Today, it was kind of the opposite of the opposite. We were able to take advantage of mistakes, but we were also able to hit balls in the gap that fell for us.
“We were able to get those breaks and you have to get that sometimes in baseball. It was good to see them getting rewarded for barrelling up baseball and having good approaches.”
IN THE BOX
Lott led the Outlaws at the dish with a perfect 4-for-4 day and scored a team-high four runs to go along with one RBI.
“Cade is a great kid,” Dawson said. “I love him in the clubhouse and he is maybe one of the funniest guys on this team. He has been putting in the work. He made some tweaks, nothing crazy— staying in the legs a little more. … It was good to see the hard work help him come through and it finally paying off.”
Wiemers finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Lukas White scored twice, while Faria drove in two and scored twice. Jenkins doubled and finished with a team-high three RBI.
UP NEXT
Joplin hits the road with a matchup at Sedalia at 7 p.m. on Friday.
