Joplin’s game against Pittsburg didn’t end up in favor of the Eagles, but the program had plenty to celebrate anyway.
On Saturday, Joplin baseball welcomed back several former players and coaches on the field prior to first pitch to honor them on Alumni Day. Highlighting the festivities, the 2001 state champion Eagles were recognized with it being the 20th anniversary of their title run.
Coached by Kirk Harryman, Joplin defeated Neosho and Kickapoo in district play before scoring seven runs in the top of seventh inning in a 7-3 sectional win over Lebanon. In the quarterfinals, Joplin breezed past Columbia Hickman 7-5 before earning a narrow 1-0 win over Eureka in the semifinal round. Joplin capped the six-game playoff run with a 2-0 win over Francis Howell North to capture the state title.
“It was awesome to see those guys,” Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said. “I was kind of looking forward to this day just to see those guys come out to the park. Those guys have a great tradition. … That is a tough group of guys who found a way to get it done in 2001. It was exciting to see them. I was happy we got them out here. I just wish we could have played a little bit better for them.”
On the diamond, the cooler weather limited the scoring opportunities. But it was the Dragons (6-3) who took advantage when presented, scoring single tallies in the second, third and fifth innings before holding off the Eagles (11-5) in the seventh for a 3-1 win.
“Pittsburg took advantage of the opportunities in front of them,” Wolf said. “They did a good job of getting a guy on, getting him over and getting him in. We didn’t. At the end of the day, you credit (Pittsburg starting pitcher Cooper Hayden) because he pounded the zone and put pressure on us. We didn’t make the adjustments we needed.”
ON THE MOUND
Cooper Hayden earned the win for Pittsburg, allowing one unearned run in a complete-game effort. He allowed 11 hits, walked two and struck out five in seven innings.
“I thought Cooper was great,” Pittsburg coach Keith Matlock said. “Anytime he is on the mound, we know he is going to compete for us. He keeps us in the game and gives us a chance as long as we do things behind him.”
Justin McReynolds made his first career start and allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits, two walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Josh Harryman pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and walking one.
“It was his first varsity start of his career and I thought he went out and threw extremely well,” Wolf said of McReynolds. “He competed in the zone. He got some big outs when he needed to. At the end of the day, it should be a confidence builder for him. It certainly was for us because he can go out and do a good job for us in that role. He threw well enough to give us a chance to win.”
GAME ACTION
Pittsburg’s Cole Jameson put the first run on the scoreboard with an RBI single through the left side in the top of the second to give the Dragons a 1-0. Blaine Dunstan singled earlier in the frame before moving to third on a Joplin error, setting up the RBI opportunity.
“It started with our first at-bat,” Matlock said. “Our guys have really been locked in the last couple of weeks. They are starting to get a realization of where they’re at in the order and doing some situational things. I have been really proud of them.”
The Dragons pushed the lead to 2-0 in the top of the third inning after Tyler Sutton doubled to center field before coming around to score on an RBI groundout from Braden Benson.
Hayden doubled to right-center to lead off the Pittsburg half of the fifth inning and came around to score on an RBI single to left by Jackson Turnbull to make the score 3-0.
“That was big,” Matlock said about his team adding insurance runs. “We even tried to bunt a little bit there late to get another one because (Joplin) is a good baseball team. I never felt comfortable up 3-0. … Just being able to scratch out those three, I was really proud of them.”
Joplin, which stranded 10 runners on base in the loss, had runners on second and third in the last of the seventh with two outs when David Fiscus came up with an infield hit to the shortstop, driving home a run. On the play, after the throw to first was late, PHS ended the game following a follow-up throw to the plate to nail the second runner trying to score at home to end the game.
“We had opportunities,” Wolf said. “Between base running errors and mistakes, maybe the approach at the plate of trying to do too much, but, again, credit to (Hayden) for making big pitches in big spots. Our guys, throughout the course of the year, have shown they can come up with those hits in those situations. We just couldn’t do it today.”
IN THE BOX
Hayden and Turnbull each had two hits to lead the Dragons at the plate. Turnbull, Benson and Jameson all finished with an RBI, while Sutton, Dunstan and Brandon Freeman each scored a run.
Fiscus led Joplin with three hits and an RBI, including a double, while Alex Curry and Ethan Guilford each added two hits. Bodee Carlson had one hit, a walk and scored a run.
UP NEXT
Joplin hosts Nixa at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
