June 20, 2009 01:45 am
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By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
The Joplin Miners, moving into position to finish unbeaten in Pool A of its annual Joplin Sports Authority/Roper Classic, erased an early deficit in outslugging Andover 15-10 on Friday night at Joplin High School,.
The Miners need to hurdle Bolivar at 6:30 tonight at Joe Becker Stadium to finish 3-0 and advance to Sunday’s 3 p.m. title game at Becker.
Parkview, which lost 11-7 to the Miners on Thursday night, won twice earlier at JHS on Friday. It clipped Carthage 8-7 in eight innings and trimmed Bolivar 15-8.
Rolla claimed two narrow decisions at Joe Becker. It beat Neosho 11-10 and Three Rivers 5-4.
Games today at JHS are Carthage vs. Rolla at 11 a.m., Carthage vs. Three Rivers at 1:30 p.m., Neosho vs. Bolivar at 4 and Neosho vs. Three Rivers at 6:30.
At Joe Becker, before Joplin and Bolivar clash, it’s Andover vs. Parkview at 1:30 p.m. and Rolla vs. Andover at 4.
Sunday’s schedule has three-game sessions at each site starting at 10 a.m.
Joplin, Andover, Bolivar and Parkview make up Pool A. Carthage, Neosho, Rolla and Three Rivers are in Pool B.
Joplin trailed Andover 5-0 after two innings. But the Miners struck for seven runs and seven hits in the third and added four tallies in the fourth.
Taylor Huff struck out but hustled safely to first on a wild pitch to start the Joplin uprising in the third.
Huff moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Dane Kolkmeyer’s two-bagger.
Taylor Byrd singled home Kolkmeyer before singles by Drew Douthitt and Cidy Sadler loaded the bases.
Byrd scored on a wild pitch before Stevan Freeborn blasted a two-run triple for the big blow of the inning.
Freeborn crossed the plate on a ground-out by Kyle Montgomery before Cory Macey doubled and tallied on Lucas Cox’ single to wrap up the inning.
The Miners’ Sadler smoked a two-run double to left center in the fourth and Byrd pulled a two-run double to right center in the seventh.
Bryce Paden, a right-hander, settled down after a rocky start to work six innings for the victory. Sadler shifted from third base to work the seventh.
Andover received three hits from Mason Lent and Brandon Mikus had three RBI.
Joplin’s Douthitt had three hits and Byrd as many RBI.
Notes from JHS: Austin Meets, a right-hander out of McAuley Catholic, is the probable Joplin starting pitcher against Bolivar. ... Parkview’s Spencer Johnson had two homers and went back-to-back with Darin Francis in the win against Bolivar. Francis also had two doubles and Johnson a single. They combined for seven RBI. ... Johnson, against Carthage, rapped a homer, a double and two singles.
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