Eagles thwart Lebanon's bid for outright title

May 03, 2008 01:25 am

— By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
The Joplin High School baseball team denied Lebanon an outright Ozark Conference championship on Friday night at Joe Becker Stadium.
Chief ingredients for the Eagles in their 5-4 victory were a three-run, three-hit fifth inning, erasing a 4-2 deficit, and the pitching of senior right-hander Calvin Burr.
Burr, 3-2, held the Yellowjackets (14-5, 7-2) to four hits and scoreless the last five innings. He scattered nine hits overall and allowed two earned runs.
“Tonight, as far as putting everything together, was our best game of the season,” Joplin coach Kirk Harryman said. “The key for Calvin tonight was that he consistently was able to get the breaking ball over the plate for strikes.”
Added Joplin pitching coach Matt Harding: “He got the breaking ball over the plate and mixed in a nice slider. Calvin beat an outstanding team in Lebanon. They can hit.”
The Eagles, halting a six-game skid, improved to 8-15, 4-5 entering today’s tripleheader — starting with the five-inning freshman contest at 2 p.m. — against Webb City at JHS.
The Ozark Conference race could finish in a three-way tie with Glendale and Kickapoo joining Lebanon at 7-2.
Said Lebanon coach Paul Dudley: “Joplin was ready to play. They hit the ball well. Their kid on the mound (Burr) did a good job of changing speeds and throwing strikes.”
Dudley said mistakes — a Yellowjacket was picked off first base before a double and an error assisted Joplin in the decisive fifth — hurt the Lebanon effort a day after it moved into position to claim outright the crown.
The Yellowjackets stunned visiting West Plains 10-7 with five runs in the seventh. Chris Davy’s grand-slam home run capped the inning.
First baseman Jake Brummer ignited Joplin in the fifth with a leadoff double. Dane Kolkmeyer, a defensive standout at shortstop, followed with a triple to make it 4-3 and chase starter Blake Brenton. Second baseman Taylor Byrd then worked fellow right-hander Landon Widhalm for a pass.
Third baseman Shayne Hoke then shot a run-scoring single to center and Byrd continued home on an outfield miscue.
Brummer was the only Joplin player with two hits.
Lebanon, which received two hits apiece from Brenton, second baseman Heath Lewis and Widhalm (who started out at DH), mounted a two-out threat in the seventh.
Left fielder Mikey Jennings worked Burr for a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Widhalm then singled to bring Harryman to the mound for a brief meeting.
“He wanted to finish the game,” Harryman said of Burr. “Barrett (Noirfalise) then made a nice play in center field. Calvin was great.”
Noirfalise chased down a long drive by first baseman Phillip Archer to end it.
Noirfalise, a junior left-hander, is expected to face the Webb City varsity at about 6 p.m., Harryman said.

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