From staff reports
—
Jenks dominated play Wednesday in the Joplin Invitational tennis tournament at the Joplin Athletic Complex.
The Oklahoma school swept through pool play, then beat fellow pool winner Joplin 8-1 in the championship match.
Springfield Central tripped North Kansas City 6-3 for third place. Thomas Jefferson and Camdenton opted not to play for fifth.
Joplin posted 9-0 victories over Camdenton and North Kansas City in pool play. Jenks had similar 9-0 decisions over Central and Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson also lost an 8-1 decision to Central.
Junior Jeremy Lynn, at No. 1 singles, scored the lone Joplin point in the championship match. He beat Jenks’ Chase Gordon 8-5.
“We had some other close matches,” said Sean McWilliams, Joplin coach. “We were very competitive.”
Lynn and Luke Frogge lost at No. 1 doubles to Gordon and Grant Bond in a tiebreaker.
The Eagles resume dual competition at 4:30 p.m. today, entertaining Ozark Conference rival Glendale at the athletic complex.
Bulldogs 6, Hillcrest 3
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Carl Junction won four singles matches and evened its dual record at 1-1 with a decision over Hillcrest.
Andy Gloshen, Brandon Weston, Jensen Smith and Dylan Haralson had the singles victories. Ben Coltrarp-Gloshen and Weston-Haralson added decisions in doubles.
The Bulldogs visit Nevada for a 4:30 p.m. dual today.
Baseball
West Plains 6, Joplin 4
WEST PLAINS, Mo. — West Plains took advantage of a gift-wrapped four-run first inning to spoil Joplin’s Ozark Conference opener.
The Zizzer managed their runs on one hit, a walk, a hit batsman, two of Joplin’s five errors and a groundout.
Joplin senior right-hander Keith Simpson deserved better, said JHS coach Kirk Harryman. Simpson limited West Plains to just three hits, walked three and struck out two. He needed just 54 pitches over the final five innings.
The Eagles couldn’t overcome the deficit despite four extra-base hits, including solo home runs by first baseman Adam St. Peter in the second inning and designated hitter Brett Graham in the fifth. Simpson had a double and St. Peter added a triple.
Joplin, 1-2 overall, travels to Pryor, Okla., today to begin tournament play. The Eagles meet the host school at 2 p.m. St. Peter is the probable JHS starter.
