CASSVILLE, Mo. — Joplin softball hit the road and hung crooked numbers on the scoreboard in four of the seven innings en route to a 10-4 win over Cassville on Thursday.
Joplin (6-1) collected 18 hits as a team, scoring twice in the first inning, another in the second, two times in the fourth and fifth innings and three times in the seventh to pace the way to victory.
Jill McDaniel earned the win in the circle after allowing two unearned runs on three hits and nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, while Caelyn Bobski allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in 2/3 of a relief inning.
Jadyn Pankow and Abby Lowery each had first-inning RBI doubles to start the scoring. Bailey Ledford pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second inning with an RBI double to left. Maria Loum and Ledford had back-to-back run-scoring singles in the fourth inning to make the score 5-2.
Libby Munn hit Joplin’s second home run of the season, with a two-run shot to center field in the fifth inning. Munn added a two-run single in the seventh inning, with Izzy Yust adding an RBI single later in the inning to wrap the Eagles’ scoring.
Ledford led the Eagles at the plate with five hits, two RBI and a run scored. Lowery had two doubles and a triple to go along with two runs scored and an RBI. Munn homered on the way to two hits, a team-high four RBI and a run scored. Loum, who scored a run and drove in a run, and Kirsten McMillen each had two hits in the win.
Joplin hosts the Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Invitational softball tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Joplin Athletic Complex. Joplin opens with a matchup against Broken Arrow at 10 a.m. on Friday to start pool play.
