By Richard Polen
sports@joplinglobe.com
The Joplin Outlaws allowed a well-pitched game to get away from them Sunday as the Ozark Generals came from behind for a 5-2 victory at the Joplin Athletic Complex.
Outlaws’ pitcher Taylor Fergerson, a left-hander from Fort Gibson, Okla., scattered seven hits and was leading 2-1 when he was removed with one out in the eighth inning.
The Generals responded by scoring twice in the eighth on singles by shortstop Chris Loveday and pinch-hitter Will Wright, a sacrifice bunt, a fielder’s choice and a passed ball. Ozark scored two more runs in the ninth inning.
“We played well, pitched the ball well, but just couldn’t get anything going,” said Outlaws head coach Chris Reddout. “It’s tough with the wind blowing straight in like this. We just couldn’t get the ball down when we needed to.”
The Outlaws had just three baserunners in the last five innings. The only hit was a two-out single by third baseman Skyler Rawlins in the eighth inning.
Kyle Westenfelt was the winner in relief for the Generals. Kyle Dyer, a right-hander from Missouri State University, pitched the ninth inning for the save.
The Outlaws broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the fourth inning on a two-out single by catcher Kyle Krager, a double by Joe Walton and a wild pitch that allowed Krager to score.
“We kept hitting it into the air,” said Spencer Barnett, the Outlaws’ shortstop and leadoff hitter. “It was tough hitting it over the outfielders today. Coach said it might be different if we had hit them on the ground.”
The victory gave the Generals a 2-1 edge in the three-game weekend series. Ozark won Friday night’s game 3-2 before the Outlaws’ 8-3 victory Saturday night snapped a four-game losing streak, all of which were one-run games.
“We were winning all those games early in the year,” Reddout said. “That’s baseball.”
The Outlaws have a seven-game road trip that begins Wednesday night at Clarinda, Iowa, before they return home July 1 to face the Nevada Griffons.
“Everybody that has beat us, we’ve beaten them,” Barnett said. “The North in the past has been pretty good. We’ll see where we stand in the other division.”
Sports
June 21, 2009
Outlaws fall to Generals
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Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Heat take 2-0 lead into Boston in East finals
- McIlroy recovers from rugged start for 71
- Former equipment manager sues Rams
- Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
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- Pittsburg State Sports
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- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
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Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
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