By Richard Polen
sports@joplinglobe.com
WEBB CITY, Mo. —
Kaitlin Beason and Alexah Replogle hit back-to-back home runs in a six-run fifth inning Tuesday as Webb City broke open a close game and defeated Neosho 9-3.
The victory was Webb City’s ninth in 10 games this season and improved its record to 2-0 in the Central Ozark Conference Large Division.
“These girls are capable of putting a lot of hits together,” Cardinals head coach Walter Resa said. “It was nice to get a couple of runs early.”
Leading 3-1 in the fifth, Webb City’s Callie Beaver and Morgan Coleman singled before Beason, a freshman, launched the first home run of her career over the fence in left-center field.
Replogle followed with a drive that cleared the fence in center field, her third home run of the season, and gave Webb City 7-1 lead. The Cardinals added two more runs in the inning on one-out, back-to-back singles by Laney Knieb and Lexie Gardner, a wild pitch, and an RBI single by pinch hitter Lacy Resa.
The Cardinals played error-free defensively behind starting pitcher Knieb and two relief pitchers.
“Our defense is supporting our pitchers,” Resa said. “Our pitchers will give up hits, but our defense is solid. It’s a sign of a team growing.”
Five freshmen played in the game for the Cardinals.
Neosho threatened but did not score in the first two innings. Morgan Rathmann and Ashley Gilion each walked to start the top of the first inning but were left stranded at second and third base.
In the second, Neosho third baseman Sami LaRose had a two-out single and second baseman Jordan Scott was hit by a pitch, but Knieb got out of the inning when Rathmann popped out to Gilion at short.
Meanwhile, Webb City took a 2-0 lead in the first. Beaver reached on an error, Coleman singled and Beason advanced the runners with a sacrifice. Replogle drove in a run and reached base on a fielder’s choice.
The Cardinals then executed a delayed double steal before Chelsea Smith followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that turned into the defensive play of the game for Neosho.
Right fielder Shea Wyatt made the catch and threw to third baseman LaRose, who bobbled the ball, then threw home to catcher Catie Cummins, who completed the double play by tagging out Replogle trying to score.
Neosho cut the lead to 2-1 in the third inning on a home run by first baseman Brooke Hulsey to left-center field.
Webb City added a run in the fourth inning on a leadoff single by Knieb, who advanced to third on two groundballs and scored on a wild pitch. Neosho scored twice in the seventh inning on bases-loaded walks to Wyatt and Brittany Copeland.
Webb City is scheduled to play at 5 p.m. Thursday at Carthage, while Neosho, 5-5 and 1-1, travels to Ozark.
