SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Carson Johnson had a big day and the Carl Junction Bulldogs improved to 14-7 on the season by earning a pair of non-conference wins on Saturday at Springfield Catholic.
Carl Junction defeated McDonald County 5-2 and beat Catholic 14-1.
CARL JUNCTION 5, MCDONALD COUNTY 2
Johnson homered and was the winning pitcher for the Bulldogs in Saturday’s opener.
At the plate, Johnson homered, walked, drove in two runs and scored twice.
On the mound, went the distance and allowed just two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out four.
Drew Beyer was the lone Bulldog with two hits, while Noah Southern and Kyler Perry had one RBI apiece.
Cole Martin hit a two-run home run for the Mustangs’ lone tallies of the game.
Cross Dowd was charged with the loss, but he only allowed four runs on four hits in five innings. Dowd struck out seven, but walked six.
Weston Gordon pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
Carl Junction scored twice in the first inning, as Southern hit an RBI single into left and Beyer scored on an error.
Johnson’s two-run blast came in the second and gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.
Carl Junction went up 5-0 in the third when Perry’s sacrifice fly allowed Alex Baker to cross home.
McDonald County got on the board in the bottom of the third on Martin’s two-run shot to center.
CARL JUNCTION 14, SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC 1
The Bulldogs used a pair of big innings to earn a run-rule victory.
Carl Junction pushed across six runs in the second and seven in the fourth before a one-run fifth concluded the scoring.
Carson Johnson went 3-for-4 with a grand slam, a double and five RBI.
Keaton Johnson, Cole Stewart, Southern and Perry had two hits apiece. Baker, Stewart and Keaton Johnson drove in two runs apiece. Dalton Mills and Beyer scored two runs apiece.
Southern was the winning pitcher. He scattered three hits and struck out three in five innings.
Catholic’s Collin Davis allowed 12 earned runs on 14 hits in four innings. Weston Cline gave up one run in one inning.
Ben Smith, Logan Ripper and Davis had one hit apiece for the Fighting Irish (17-4).
CATHOLIC 11, MCDONALD COUNTY 1
The Mustangs were limited to two hits, a solo home run by Cole Martin and a single by Levi Helm.
Helm was charged with the loss after allowing five earned runs on two hits and three walks.
Catholic’s Logan Ripper went all five innings and gave up just two hits and one walk. He struck out two.
Jeremy Rader, Ben Smith, Collin Davis and Hans Kaiser drove in two runs apiece for the hosts, who scored their 11 runs on nine hits.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Carl Junction is at Joplin at 4:30 on Tuesday.
