The Joplin Eagles reached 10 wins on the season, extended their winning streak to four games, and placed fourth overall in the 18th annual Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Softball Tournament after recording a pair of wins on Saturday— 15-8 against Neosho and 12-8 against Nevada.
Blue Springs won the tournament behind a perfect 5-0 record and Broken Arrow (Okla.) finished second.
Kickapoo was third, while Neosho finished fifth and Nevada was sixth. Park Hill South, Staley, Carthage, Webb City, Monett, and Seneca rounded out the tourney field.
Joplin (10-2 overall and 4-1 in the tournament) brought out the bats early and often in their opening win against Neosho, plating six runs in the first, three in the second, two in the third, three in the fifth, and one in the sixth.
The Eagles drove Neosho sophomore Carleigh Kinnaird, who threw a perfect game on Friday against Monett, out in the first with two outs and six runs scored.
Joplin pitcher Jill McDaniel delivered the decisive blow, a three-run home run.
The Eagles seemed to have their momentum carry over from Friday’s 8-7 win over Staley that saw them erase a six-run deficit and win in thrilling fashion.
“When you come out and score all those runs in the first inning, it’s really nice to get all that momentum right away,” Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “Neosho’s a good team. Obviously, they’ve got a potent lineup as well, and they put up runs just as much as we did almost. We’re happy about the good momentum for us.
“Getting those six runs and to find a way to win it in extras, it is huge momentum coming into today. Credit to Jill McDaniel on the pitching side. She’s thrown a lot for us, and she’s being a warrior for us in the circle, grinding it out. For our girls in the lineup to know that we’re going to help you out here, too, it’s a nice balance and there’s a lot of trust being developed.”
Abby Lowery and Izzy Yust each led the Eagles with four hits and three RBI, while Lowery scored four runs and doubled twice. Lowery also worked a walk, proving to be a thorn in the side of the Wildcats all day.
Lowery also denied Neosho’s Abbie Carpenter a hit with a diving catch in center in the fourth.
McDaniel and Jadyn Pankow each also had two hits and three RBI, and 10 different Eagles players scored at least one run.
McDaniel earned the win, and she allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks over 2 2/3 innings.
Caelyn Bobski came on in relief and she finished with two runs allowed (both earned) on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 3 1/3 innings.
Beclynn Garrett led Neosho with three hits, older sister Maelynn Garrett had two, and Autumn Kinnaird, Carpenter, Carleigh Kinnaird, Chloe Patterson, and Grace Johnson each had one.
Maelynn Garrett scored three runs and drove in two, while Beclynn Garrett scored two and drove in two.
Joplin scored seven unearned against Neosho pitchers Carleigh Kinnaird and Patterson.
The Eagles scored four in the first and two in four different innings during their tournament finale against Nevada.
Libby Munn hit a pair of home runs and drove in three, while Pankow led the way with four hits. Riley Kelly added three hits, and Bailey Ledford and Maria Loum each contributed two.
Ledford, Pankow, Kelly, and Yust each drove in two, while Taryn Casey scored three runs and Lowery, Munn, and Loum two each.
Ava Wolf earned the win in relief with her one recorded out and McDaniel pitched three scoreless as the Eagles closed out the scoring in the fourth and sixth.
Coming out of the Labor Day holiday, Joplin returns to action on Tuesday with the Central Ozark Conference opener against district foe Carthage.
“We’d love to go into Carthage and snag a win,” Schneider said. “Big conference game for us. Coach (Stephanie) Ray always does a nice job. Carthage is always tough, especially playing at their field makes it a little more difficult. Hopefully, our momentum carries into Tuesday.
“Right now, other than the hitting, which is more of a physical thing, it’s our grit and our toughness. Being down six runs going into the bottom of the inning vs. Staley and then we come out and carry that over (Saturday) with six in the first, that’s awesome. Just impressed with the ability of us to grind through things.”
Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Softball Tournament
Saturday’s results
(At Joplin Athletic Complex)
Gold Bracket
Blue Springs 9, Broken Arrow 3
Blue Springs 11, Kickapoo 3
Broken Arrow 12, Kickapoo 3
Silver Bracket
Joplin 15, Neosho 8
Neosho 11, Nevada 3
Joplin 12, Nevada 8
Bronze Bracket
Staley 3, Carthage 2
Park Hill South 9, Carthage 8
Park Hill South 9, Staley 8
Consolation Bracket
Monett 8, Seneca 0
Webb City 7, Monett 5
Webb City 12, Seneca 5
Tournament Records
Blue Springs 5-0
Broken Arrow 4-1
Joplin 4-1
Kickapoo 3-2
Neosho 3-2
Park Hill South 3-2
Nevada 2-3
Staley 2-3
Webb City 2-3
Carthage 1-4
Monett 1-4
Seneca 0-5
