Rod’s Sports rips Carthage in state meet

August 08, 2008 12:41 am

— From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
WASHINGTON, Mo. — A 13-run fourth inning helped the Blue Springs Rod’s Sports Athletics trim Carthage 19-0 in seven innings to open the Missouri American Legion Championships on Thursday.
The A’s, defending champions, finished with 16 hits and improved to 48-6 behind the four-hit pitching of right-hander Kyle Seithel.
“Maybe they aren’t 19 runs better,” Carthage coach James Kinder said. “But they’re the real deal. They were very impressive on offense.
“Seithel (who struck out nine) had a nice breaking pitch,” Kinder said. “We hit some balls hard. But we couldn’t piece anything together.
“We hung in there for three innings,” Kinder said. “But it finally fell apart.”
Caleb Fierro had two of the Merchants’ hits. Dalton Cossey and Tadd Wagner had the other singles.
Chace Ellis walloped a grand slam homer in the fourth for the A’s. Center fielder Kyle Barbeck finished with four runs scored.
Carthage (25-24) will play the loser of the Columbia-Festus game at 4 p.m. today (after the winner plays the A’s at 1).
Kinder said today’s probable starting pitcher for the Merchants probably will be Levi Snyder or fellow right-hander Kyle Wicklund. Carthage, with a victory, returns to Ronsick Field tonight for the losers’ final.