By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
For Dodge City center fielder Cameron Monger, it was the worst of times and the best of times.
Two misplays by Monger led to two runs.
But with the game on the line, Monger’s highlight-reel catch to end the eighth inning protected the lead, and the A’s plated two insurance runs in the ninth for a 7-3 victory over the Joplin Slashers on Wednesday night at Joe Becker Stadium.
Trailing 5-1, Patrick Walsh walked to start the Joplin eighth and scored on Colby Price’s two-out double to right-center field. Dodge City catcher Jeremy Mayo attempted to pick Price off second, but his throw sailed into center field and then rolled past Monger, allowing Walsh to score.
Reed Kreiser tripled over Monger’s head, and pinch-hitter Keith Kenny walked to put the tying runs on base. Travis Jacobi lined a shot into left-center field, an apparent extra-base blow that would have brought both runners home. But Monger, a University of New Mexico signee, ran to his right and made a leaping catch before falling.
“I was just hoping that it wasn’t going to be over his head,” Dodge City coach Phil Stephenson said. “Side to side, I knew he’d get to it, but whether it gets over his head, I didn’t know. He made a heck of a play. It certainly saved us. It’s a tie ball game if that gets by him.
“He’s a kid who has a lot of tools. ... He has the potential to be a five-tool player. He still has to figure some things out, but that’s the reason we have him out there so he can make that play.”
“I thought we swung the bats a little bit better,” Slashers coach Denny Vilela said. “Baseball is a funny game. How do you explain it? We hit the ball hard to the shortstop (a line drive that became a double play in the third inning). And of course, Travis Jacobi’s shot changed the whole game.
“It seems like to me that we’re always playing catch-up, and that drives me nuts,” Vilela said. “Even if we get a lead, we give it right back. We can’t do that.”
Both starting pitchers turned in strong performances.
The Slashers’ Ben Hays, former Joplin High School hurler who just completed his freshman year at Illinois State, allowed five hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings, struck out nine batters and walked two. All nine strikeouts came in the first four innings.
Six days earlier, Hays allowed six runs (three earned) in two innings against Nevada.
“It’s just confidence,” Hays said. “Confidence is big. Pitching is more mental than anything. I was throwing first-pitch strikes. I had all three pitches working at one point. All you have to do is keep the ball down in the zone and attack hitters and work inside, especially with wood bats. You’ll do all right.”
“Benny kept them off balance,” Vilela said. “For Benny, it’s more of a confidence thing with him. He’s only a pup. ... He came in and was a little upset when they scored their first two runs, but he threw a heck of a game.”
Dodge City’s Eric Holmes gave up an unearned run and five hits in five innings, walked two and fanned one. Blake Thomas allowed two runs and four hits and struck out five in the last four innings to earn the save.
The Slashers (4-5, 2-5) scored an unearned run in the fifth. Mick Doyle lined a single to center and continued to third as the ball skipped past Monger. Jared DeLong followed with a sacrifice fly to left.
Mayo’s one-out blast over the left-field fence off reliever Will Stratton gave the A’s a 3-1 lead in the seventh, and Dodge City added two runs in the eighth on two-out doubles by Chris Ciesla, Adam Hamilton and Oscar Sigala. Ciesla, the A’s cleanup hitter, lined six hits in the three-game series — a homer, triple, single and three doubles.
DeLong, Joe Walton and Kreiser had two hits apiece for the Slashers, who play Derby tonight at 7 at Crowder College in Neosho.
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