By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Springfield-based Midwest Nationals Red and the Houston Heat already had a spot assured on the championship bracket in the Premier Baseball Junior Championship entering their clash in pool play on Thursday.
That didn’t mean, of course, they weren’t going all-out in pursuit of a 3-0 pool finish.
“This game meant a great deal,” Nat right fielder Axel Johnson said. “That’s because they (the Heat) beat us earlier in the season during a tournament at Texas Christian (in Fort Worth).”
The left-handed batting Johnson, who’ll be a junior at Tulsa Kelley High School, had two singles during a nine-run fifth inning as the Midwest Nationals Red prevailed 11-8 at Carl Lewton Stadium.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Johnson, who said he picked on fastballs for both safeties, capped the inning by singling to right for two runs batted in and circling the bases when the ball was misplayed.
A dozen batters came to the plate during the inning against three Heat hurlers. The Nats had six hits, drew two walks and were helped by another Heat miscue.
“We may have had too many strikeouts early in the game, but we competed at the plate very well,” Nationals assistant Joe Ketchum, former Joplin High School coach, told the squad after the game.
“For us, it’s a big win,” Nationals head coach Jason Reinsch said. “Being 3-0, of course, gives us a chance to get a high seed for the championship round. Hopefully, the victory also gives us some momentum going into the championship round.”
Reinsch and Ketchum also were pleased with production off the bench in the fifth. Jack Kerr and Laurnet Zenoni delivered pinch singles during the uprising.
Shortstop Casey Goss, who attends Springfield Glendale, and first baseman Caleb Compton matched Johnson’s two hits for the winner. Compton’s hits were doubles and he had two RBI.
The Heat received two hits and three RBI from right fielder Billy Tetrault and two RBI from DH Carson Brown. Third baseman Anthony Chacon pulled a solo home run to right in the sixth.
Dustin Ewers, working in relief, picked up the mound decision and fellow right-hander Sean McIlroy notched a save by tossing a perfect seventh.
Heat left fielder Nick Hawkins had the defensive gem of the game by racing back to snare catcher Matt Henry’s liner in the sixth.
The Midwest National were one of four teams in a field of 32 to final pool play with a perfect record.
The Columbia Angels are top-seeded for championship round play, which begins today. The Austin Wings Black are seeded second, followed by Houston Kyle Chapman and the Nationals.
The South Texas Sliders (2-0-1 in pool action) drew the No. 5 seed.
The top 16 teams from pool play were assigned to the championshp bracket. The remaining 16 teams will compete in consolation action, which also begins today.
The tournament’s championship game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Joe Becker Stadium.
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