Late goal propels Eagles

May 06, 2008 01:41 am

— From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
Joplin High School, lifted by Lauren Copple’s unassisted goal in the 78th minute, defeated Nixa 2-1 in a nonconference soccer match on Monday night at Junge Field.
The Eagles play host to Ozark today at Junge with the varsity match starting at 4:30 p.m.
Copple’s goal snapped a 1-1 deadlock.
Kelsey Sanders, assisted by Stephanie Taylor, posted the Eagles’ first goal late in the first half.
Joplin knocks off Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Joplin Eagles coughed up a three-run lead in the bottom of the seventh, but bounced back and scored four times in the top of the 10th and knocked off the Fayetteville Bulldogs.
The Eagles improve to 9-16 with the win over a Bulldog team that entered with a 26-2 record and has won the last two Arkansas Class 7A state titles.
“(Fayetteville) is going to be the No. 1 seed in their state tournament when they play this weekend and we got to see their No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 pitchers,” Joplin coach Kirk Harryman said. “We’re really swinging the bats well.”
The Eagles led 8-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth, but Fayetteville took advantage of four walks to score three runs and send the game into extra innings.
After a pair of scoreless innings, Joplin went ahead for good in the 10th.
Travis Kunce led off with a single and stole second before being driven home by John McDermid’s single to put the Eagles up 9-8.
Joplin added three more runs before McDermid took over on the mound and struck out the side to end the game.
The Eagles scored once in the second and five times in the third to take a 6-1 lead. The Bulldogs plated three in the fourth and one in the fifth to claw within 6-5 before Joplin upped its lead to 8-5 with a two-run seventh inning.
Barrett Noirfalise finished 3-for-5 with two RBI for Joplin while Kunce and Dane Kolkmeyer each had three hits. Shayne Hoke and John McDermid each added a pair of hits.
“I’ve been very pleased with the way we’ve been hitting,” Harryman said. “I think we have 29 or 30 hits in the last two games. We’re seeing the ball and we’ve got a bounce in our step that wasn’t there earlier in the year.”
Joplin plays host to Neosho in a nonconference matchup today at 4:30 p.m.
Bulldogs top Raiders
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Zak Porath allowed one hit and had four hits to help Carl Junction trim Frontenac 16-0 in five innings.
Porath, who homered and doubled, had four runs scored and two RBI. He was reached for Brett Marshall’s single in the third, struck out 11 and walked one.
Carl Junction, 17-4 with the nonconference victory, received 3-for-3 and three RBI from Evan Clemons and three hits and four RBI from Drew Caruthers.

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