The McDonald County 18U summer baseball team scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to pull out a 6-5 win Sunday over Clever to take fifth place in the Carl Junction Baseball Tournament.
The rally was keyed by two errors by Clever, including one on a bases-loaded fielder's choice grounder by Trenton Frazier that scored two runs.
Victor Payne walked to lead off the inning before Mason Hendrix singled and Seth Shockley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Frazier then hit a ground ball to Bryce Geiger at shortstop. Geiger threw to second baseman Tatum Maples, but Maples throw to first was wild due to a hard slide by Shockley.
The final run of the inning came on a wild throw on a grounder by Emitt Dalton.
Dagan Stites got the win, allowing four runs on just three hits in four innings. Shockley allowed a run in the top of the fifth, but stranded the tying run on second for the save.
"Dagan did a great job on the mound as a spot starter," said coach Skyler Rawlins. "Seth came in a threw strikes and got us a win. We never hit the ball real well, but found a way to scratch out a few runs."
Clever scored three runs in the first on a walk, two errors and a double. McDonald County answered with a run in the top of the second on singles by Hendrix and Shockley and a sacrifice fly by Dalton.
McDonald County tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth on a hit by Trenton Frazier and three Clever errors. Clever took a 4-3 lead in the bottom half of the inning on a walk, an error and a single.
Stites and Hendrix finished with two hits each while Shockley and Frazier both had one.
Joplin
McDonald County opened the tournament with an 8-7 win over Joplin by scoring seven runs in the fifth inning.
Emanuel Baisch walked and stole second to start the rally. Brock Burnett singled to drive in Baisch for the first run of the inning before Shockley walked and Jaime Hanke and Payne were both hit by pitches to force in a run. Stites and Austen Davis then both doubled to drive in a pair of runs.
Frazier went the first five innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Joplin scored three runs in the sixth off Lakota Rose, who worked a third of inning before Payne came in to get the final out of the game by picking off the tying run at third base.
Stites and Davis both had a double and a single while Burnett and Dalton both had tw0 singles.
"We keep fighting and grinding out at bats," Rawlins said. "We chased their starter and got into their bullpen and had a big inning."
Carthage
Carthage scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a 3-2 win in McDonald County's second pool game.
Hendrix allowed two runs on three hits while striking out five in seven innings of work. Rose worked the eighth and ninth to get the loss.
Payne led the offense with a pair of doubles while Burnett had a double and a single and Hanke had two singles. Dylan Teague had the only other McDonald County hit.
"Mason threw real well," Rawlins said. "He kept us in the game and gave us chance to win."
Hillcrest
McDonald County closed out pool play with an 11-2 loss to Hillcrest. Tyler Sellers took the loss. Sellers shut out Hillcrest for the first three innings, before Hillcrest scored eight runs in the fourth off of Sellers and Rose. Hillcrest added three runs in the sixth off Rose.
Payne had two hits and Burnett the other for McDonald County.
"Sellers did a good job on the mound," Rawlins said. "He had three good innings, but a few walks and bad defense hurt us in the fourth.
McDonald County hosted Carl Junction June 10 and Webb City June 11 before playing at Seneca on June 16.
Sports on 06/11/2015