May 13, 2008 01:13 am
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From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Neosho posted the victory it wanted against Joplin.
The Wildcats, beaten 13-3 in six innings by the host Eagles last Thursday, knocked off fourth-seeded Joplin 9-7 in the first round of the Class 4 District 12 Tournament on Monday on Neil Pittman Field at Kickapoo.
“You have to give Neosho credit,” Joplin coach Kirk Harryman said. “They were ready to play and did more than we did to win. That’s the bottom line.
“We dug ourselves a hole a little bit,” Harryman said. “We tried to arrange things the best way we could to win the tournament.
“I’m proud of our seniors. I thought they battled all year. This is a tough way to go out. But that’s baseball. It can be a cruel game.
“We had guys on base (the Eagles had 16 hits) and we had the right guys at the plate to drive them in,” Harryman said. “We just didn’t get that big hit to swin the momentum our way and that hurt us.”
McAuley surprises Pierce City
SARCOXIE, Mo. — The eighth-seeded Warriors scored three times in the fifth and pulled off a 3-2 upset of the top-seeded Eagles in the Class 2 District 13 Tournament.
The Warriors got a stellar outing from sophomore pitcher Austin Metts to make those runs stand up. Metts went the distance while striking out five and walking just one.
The Warriors now face the No. 5 Sarcoxie Bears, who beat No. 4 Diamond 7-2 behind J.D. Smith’s no-hit pitching. Smith struck out 14 while going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and a pair of two-run home runs.
Lamar needed just five innings to oust College Heights 11-0 in another first-round contest. Lamar scored five times in the first and then plated three in both the second and third innings.
Dusty Schlicting went 2-for-3 with two RBI for Lamar and Ryan Lock slugged a homer.
Class 3 favorites prevail
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Second-seeded Carl Junction, third-rated Seneca and No. 4 Carthage joined favored Webb City in taking first-round games in the Disrict 12 Tournament.
Webb City ousted East Newton 15-0 in five innings, Carl Junction stymied Mount Vernon 5-0, Seneca stopped McDonald County 2-0 and Carthage eliminated Nevada 6-2.
The Carl Junction-Mount Vernon contest was held at Barnes Field in Webb City.
Today’s semifinal schedule at Carthage’s Carl Lewton Stadium is Webb City vs. Carthage at 4:30 p.m. and Carl Junction vs. Seneca at 7.
Several pitchers sparkled for the winning teams on Monday.
Carthage junior right-hander Clint Spencer limited Nevada to four hits. Webb City senior right-hander Jerick Swarens checked East Newton without a hit. Carl Junction senior southpaw Zak Porath and junior right-hander Jake Hale stopped Mount Vernon on just four hits. Seneca senior right-hander Patrick Bennett allowed three hits and struck out 15 Mustangs.
Stephen Poston had two hits and three RBI for Carthage and Anthony Eck added two hits. Eck lashed a triple on the first pitch in the bottom of the first to ignite a three-run salvo.
Swarens, who struck out 10, was backed by Austin Lepper’s three hits (hiking his average to .550), Darren Aggus’ two hits and Chance Sossamon’s two hits. Sossamon, who homered (his sixth), drove in three runs to match Aggus and Patrick Drake added a two-run double in a 10-run first.
Porath allowed two hits, two walks and struck out 12 in six innings. Jack Luton’s two-run single capped a three-run third.
Seneca scored its runs in the sixth on Cody Badgwell’s squeeze bunt and Bennett’s triple. Jeb Clark reached Bennett for two hits.
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