CASSVILLE, Mo. — Joplin softball put up crooked numbers in the second and third innings en route to a 9-5 win over Cassville on Thursday to clinch the Eagles’ first victory of the season.
Cassville (1-2) pushed across a run in the bottom of the first before Joplin’s offense exploded for four runs in the top of the second to lead 4-2 after two innings. The Eagles (1-1) went to work offensively in the third, hanging five runs on the scoreboard to build a 9-2 advantage. Cassville added two runs in the sixth and a single tally in the seventh.
Madisyn Tracy earned the win in the circle for the Eagles, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits, with one walk and a strikeout in six innings. Brittany Shryock pitched one inning in relief and allowed one run on two hits with a strikeout.
Bell Edwards took the loss after allowing nine runs, two earned, on six hits and two strikeouts. Alyssa Whisenhurt allowed four hits and no runs over four innings of work.
Tatum Stogsdill walked to lead off the second frame for Joplin before stealing second to get into scoring position. Reece Schroer bunt singled to put runners on first and third before Abby McGinnis reached on an error to score Stogsdill and tie the game at 1-1.
The small-ball style of play continued to pay off for the Eagles, as Ryleigh Surridge followed with a bunt single to score Schroer, giving Joplin a 2-1 lead. An error on Cassville allowed the third run in the inning to score, with Surridge later scoring on a passed ball in the frame to stake Joplin to a 4-1 advantage.
The Wildcats cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom half of the inning when Kyren Postelwait tripled to left to score a run.
McGinnis pushed the Joplin lead to 6-2 in the third with a two-run single to center field, scoring Kirsten McMillen and Stogsdill. Ashley Phillips doubled to right later in the frame to score McGinnis. Following a Bailey Ledford bunt single in the next at-bat, Isabella Yust brought home Phillips with a single to left. Ledford scored on an error to wrap the inning with the Eagles leading 9-2.
Ledford, Yust and McGinnins led Joplin with two hits each. Elisabeth Snider, Schroer, Surridge and Phillips all tallied a hit. McGinnis and Stogsdill each scored two runs, while McGinnis also led the Eagles with two RBI.
Postelwait led Cassville at the plate with three hits, including a home run, a triple and a double. She drove in three runs and scored twice. Edwards and Kenzie Dilbeck had two hits each.
Joplin is in action Friday and Saturday as the host of the Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Joplin High School Softball Tournament.
