DISTRICT SOFTBALL: Carthage rallies past Joplin behind big sixth inning

Fifth-seeded Carthage trailed 6-4 heading into the sixth inning before scoring six times with two outs to take control on the way to a 10-6 win over fourth-seeded Joplin in the finale of the opening round of the Class 5 District 7 tournament on Thursday at the JHS Athletic Center. 

“Joplin is a great offensive team and they just come at you and are hard outs from the top of the lineup to the bottom of the lineup,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said after the win. “We regained our focus and honed it back in there after they got out ahead of us. We had some opportunities to score after getting runners on base with our speed before we just started getting hits where we needed them in that sixth inning to get those six runs.”

ALL GOOD THINGS

The loss ends Joplin’s season with a 15-14 record, with the Eagles graduating seniors Bailey Ledford (3B), Ashley Phillips (LF), Taryn Casey (RF), Peyton Meadows (LF) and Megan Meeker (RF).

“I am very happy with the way the girls responded throughout that game,” Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “Obviously, we can’t give up a six spot because it’s hard to come back from that. But, it’s funny because that’s how the game works. Last time we played them (earlier in the season), we put up a big inning to go ahead in the top of the seventh at their place. … Credit to Carthage for finding a way to have good at-bats and battle all game. The one thing I have always said about Coach Ray’s Carthage teams is they’re extremely tough and always play you hard. Hopefully, next year we will find a way to overcome that stuff and get better.”

“Every single one of those kids has found a way to get better and found a way to help their teammates get better,” Schneider added of his senior class. “Ultimately, it’s a softball program, but it’s also a human-development program. When they leave this place after four years, the one thing we care about more than wins and losses or statistics is, ‘are they better people?’ If they walk off this field as better human beings than when they walked on it for the first time, I feel like our staff has done a pretty good job. We can’t thank those five enough for how they’ve helped turn this program around. We are going to miss all five of them. There is nothing more I can say than thank you.”

RUN WITH TWO

Carthage went into the sixth inning down 6-4 and rallied with six runs touching home with two outs in the frame. Lottie Youngblood brought in the first two runs with a two-run single to center to tie the game at 6-6. Shelby Hegwer flared a ball to right field for an RBI single and a 7-6 advantage. After a Joplin pitching change, Lexa Youngblood put Carthage on top 8-6 with a run-scoring double to right field before Jenna Calhoon dropped a ball inside the foul line down the right-field line in the next at-bat to plate two more runners and wrap the scoring in the inning.

“Anytime we come into the dugout, whether we are down two or even four runs, these girls have always had the ability to score big,” Ray said. “We talked to them before the inning and told them to get a couple and get it even. They went and put six runs up. When their energy is up and they believe, anything is possible.”

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Carthage took the lead in the top of the first inning when Brooklynn Dolon-Main drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field before Joplin answered back in the bottom half of the opening frame with a run-scoring single past shortstop by Jadyn Pankow to tie the game at 1s.

The Tigers clawed back in front, 2-1, in the second inning after Calhoon scored from third on a shallow single to center by Emmy Stark.

The Eagles used a big swing to jump in front in the third inning when Pankow ripped a ball over the wall in center field with a runner on to give Joplin a 3-2 advantage.

Joplin added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth when Abby Lowery drove in a run with a groundout before Libby Munn brought a run home after reaching on an error when a popup on the infield found the turf with two outs and runners on the corners for a 5-2 lead.

Carthage cut the deficit to one in the top of the fifth when Dolon-Main singled to right field to drive in a pair of runs to make the score 5-4.

Joplin answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth when Ledford reached on an infield hit with runners on second and third to score a run and push the lead to 6-4.

IN THE CIRCLE

Addie Wallace earned the complete-game win after allowing six runs, four earned, on 12 hits, a walk and three strikeouts in seven frames. 

“She did a great job,” Ray said. “Early on, we felt like they had her number a little bit. We brought her in the dugout and went over spray charts. She became a student of the game and started studying. She locked back in the second half of the game and went and got some big outs when we needed them.”

Ava Wolf took the loss after allowing nine runs, four earned, on 11 hits, two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Caelyn Bobski allowed one run on four hits and a strikeout in 1 1/3 relief innings.

IN THE BOX

Lottie Youngblood had two hits, two RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Calhoon doubled twice, drove in two and scored once for Carthage. Dolon-Main had two hits and two RBI, while Hegwer had a hit, scored a run and drove in a pair. Avyn Willis and Ashlyn Brust each had two hits and two runs scored. Stark had two hits and an RBI. Lexa Youngblood had a hit, an RBI and a run scored.

Pankow led Joplin with two hits, including a home run, a team-high three RBI and scored a run. Ledford had two hits, scored a run and drove in one. Lowery had a hit, scored a run and drove in one. Munn, who doubled, and Wolf each had two hits, while Maria Loum and Phillips each had a hit and scored a run.

ON DECK

With the win, Carthage improves to 18-15 and takes on top-seeded Raymore-Peculiar at 1 p.m. in the semifinal round on Saturday.