The Webb City offense ignited in the later innings as the Cardinals rode a strong performance from Haidyn Berry on the way to an 11-1 Central Ozark Conference win over Joplin on Tuesday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
“We are very pleased with how we have started out this season,” Webb City coach Shauna Friend said. “We still have a lot of work to do. You don’t want to be peaking at this point, so it is good we have a list of things to work on tomorrow. It gives us a chance to keep building, keep developing and keep playing, hopefully.”
“We came out and didn’t back down,” Joplin coach Manny Flores said. “We competed right away and executed routine plays. I thought our at-bats got better throughout the game, and if we make a couple of plays (defensively) in the middle and late innings, it could have been a different ballgame.”
Once again, Berry showed why she is one of the top pitches in the conference, area and state. The senior allowed one earned run on seven hits and one walk, while striking out seven in a complete-game effort to earn the win.
“Haidyn controlled the game really well,” Friend said. “Even when (Joplin) had the bases loaded (in the fifth), Haidyn was under complete control. She has plenty of confidence to focus on the batter and work out of the situation. She is a good senior leader for us.”
Jill McDaniel took the loss after allowing 11 runs, eight earned, on 13 hits, two walks and four strikeouts.
“I thought she did really well in the circle for us,” Flores said. “If we execute a couple more plays defensively, herself included, it’s a different game. That is what it is going to come down to. We have to play flawlessly on defense and clean it up a bit. If we do that, we will find ourselves in tightly-contested games all season long.”
Webb City (7-0, 1-0) took the early 1-0 lead after Emalee Lamar came up with a two-out RBI single in the top of the first.
With the Cardinals still holding onto the one-run advantage, Webb City’s Emma Welch and Berry singled to lead off the top of the fifth inning. Lamar again came through in the clutch, roping a double down the line in left to score two runs to push the Cardinals’ lead to 3-0. Webb City added two more runs on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a walk in the following at-bat.
“Getting on the board first early was big,” Friend said. “Emalee really came through out of the four hole. She really got things started early and then added to the lead with those two RBIs (on the double). That is what you want your four-hole hitter to do. She performed really well at the plate.”
Joplin (2-6, 0-1) loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning when Ryleigh Surridge reached on an error before Abby McGinnis singled through the left side and Reece Schroer walked. Berry was able to get out of the inning without allowing a run after striking out Joplin’s Bailey Ledford.
“I thought that was a huge momentum shifter because great teams are going to capitalize on something like that,” Flores said. “They are going to take that momentum and ride it. I think they did exactly that the next inning when they came out and scored a couple more runs. I think if we score in that situation, we put them back on their heels a little bit.”
Webb City increased its lead to 7-0 in the top of the sixth when Shea’lee Key singled home a run before coming around to touch the plate later in the inning on a wild pitch.
Webb City’s Alyssa Jennings hit a solo home run to left field to lead off the seventh, with Peyton Hawkins reaching third base on a triple to left-center in the next at-bat. Hawkins scored on an RBI single from Welch and later scored on a two-run single from Brynna Cupp to push the Cardinals’ lead to 11-0.
“We would like to make that adjustment a little bit earlier, obviously,” Friend said of the offensive approach. “But the girls did a good job of being a little bit more patient and finding a pitch they could drive. It was a good adjustment by them.”
McGinnis led off the last of the seventh with a double to left field before coming around to score on Ledford’s double to left-center to wrap the scoring at 11-1.
“Coming up with the bases loaded earlier in the game, (Bailey) just tried to do too much,” Flores said of his freshman third baseman. “She was chasing a little bit. If she finds a way to slow the game down, take a deep breath and attack her pitches in her zone, I think she gets a hit there.
“I thought she did an excellent job the next time up of adjusting with a runner in scoring position. She got her pitch and drove it into the left-center field gap. That is going to come with experience this year. The more tightly-contested games we play, the more confidence I am going to have in these kids coming through in those situations.”
AT THE PLATE
Welch and Lamar had three hits each, including a double, and three RBI to lead the Cardinals. Lamar scored three times, while Welch scored twice. Jennings had two hits, including a home run, and two RBI.
McGinnis had two hits and scored a run to lead Joplin. Ledford added a single and an RBI.
UP NEXT
Webb City hosts Ozark on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Joplin hosts Branson on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. for Senior Night.
