Carl Junction overcame a two-run deficit in the final two innings to hand the McDonald County Lady Mustangs a 3-2 loss Monday at Carl Junction High School.
"We didn't hit very well today," coach Tray Shaddox said. "We got a lot of runners on by walks or errors, but we couldn't get a key hit when we needed it."
McDonald County, held to just three hits, scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the fourth, Kyla Buchanan singled to set up a run by Courtnie Welch, who reached on a fielder's choice. After getting on first, Welch went to second on a walk before coming around to score on two wild pitches.
In the McDonald County fifth, Coley Ickes singled and scored on a pair of Carl Junction errors.
Carl Junction tied the game in the sixth on a single and two doubles. The Lady Dawgs scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a hit by pitch, two singles and a passed ball.
Paige Jones went the distance for the Lady Mustangs, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five.
"Paige pitched very well," Shaddox said. "She deserved better."
Ickes finished with two of the three McDonald County hits.
McDonald County falls to 8-3 for the season, 2-1 in the Big 8 Conference, heading into its Sept. 16 game at Joplin. The Lady Mustangs are at the Branson tournament on Saturday.
Seneca
After trailing 3-0, McDonald County rallied for a 5-4 win Sept. 11 over Seneca at MCHS.
Seneca scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings before McDonald County got on board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Ickes ignited the fifth inning rally with a single. She scored on a triple by Hanna Schmit before Rachel Brown drove in Schmit for the Lady Mustangs' second run.
Cheyanne Chappie got the Lady Mustangs going in the sixth with a lead-off double. Chayleigh McCool followed with a double to tie the game. Kali McClain sacrificed before McCool scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Cloee Helm added an insurance run that proved to be needed when she tripled and scored on a wild pitch.
Chappie picked up the win, allowing four runs on eight hits.
McDonald County had two hits each from Helm, Schmit and Chappie while Brown, Buchanan and McCool had one each.
"This was a really good win for us over a quality opponent," Shaddox said. "The girls fought hard to come back after getting down early. They played with a lot of intensity."
Sports on 09/18/2014