By Jim Henry

jhenry@joplinglobe.com

Since a 20-run outburst on Saturday night, the Joplin Slashers’ bats went quiet.

Blanked 4-0 on Sunday night by Hays, the Slashers managed just one run and eight hits in two games on Tuesday night.

But Travis Jacobi’s run-scoring single in the fifth inning and a strong pitching performance lifted the Slashers to a 1-0 victory over the Dodge City A’s on Tuesday night to salvage a split in the Jayhawk League doubleheader at Joe Becker Stadium.

The A’s won the opener 6-0 behind a four-hit pitching performance and home runs by Chris Ciesla and Travis Meiners.

The Slashers (4-4 2-4 Jayhawk League), who plated eight runs in the first inning and nine in the second last Saturday, scored in only two of their next 25 innings.

The Slashers halted a 19-inning drought in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s nightcap when Colby Price lined a double to right-center field, took third on Keith Kenny’s sacrifice and scored on Travis Jacobi’s single to right.

C.J. Maffei and two relievers made the run stand.

Maffei, a left-hander who’s signed with Missouri Southern, allowed three hits in five innings, walked three batters and struck out four.

Relievers Colin Feneis and Quentin Morgan pitched one hitless inning apiece, although both had to work out of jams. A dandy play by second baseman Patrick Walsh robbed Chris Ciesla of a hit in the sixth, and shortstop Tyler Robbins threw out a runner attempting to reach third on a grounder for the second out in the seventh.

“That performance is exactly what we wanted ... stop the bleeding,” Slashers head coach Denny Vilela said. “C.J. came in and threw strikes, filled the zone up. He had a filthy changeup tonight. I was very happy for him. I was very happy with all three of our throwers in the second game.”

Dodge City starter Dillon Griffin allowed three hits, fanned seven batters and walked three in four innings.

“Offensively we are really hurting right now,” Vilela said. “Granted (Dodge City’s pitchers) threw the ball well, but we have to make the adjustments. We need to be able to hit early in the count. We’re looking at strike one, then strike two will be some wrinkle in the dirt, and now we’re chasing everything.”

A’s southpaw Jermaine Barksdale allowed three hits in 5 2/3 innings in the opener, walked four batters and struck out five. Kevin Ginorio, a right-hander, allowed a hit and two walks in the seventh but escaped the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to preserve the shutout.