16U Splits Doubleheader

Photo by Rick Peck McDonald County second baseman Cory Creason forces out a Neosho runner before throwing to first for an attempted double play during McDonald County’s 8-6 win on June 22 at Neosho High School.
Photo by Rick Peck McDonald County second baseman Cory Creason forces out a Neosho runner before throwing to first for an attempted double play during McDonald County’s 8-6 win on June 22 at Neosho High School.

The McDonald County 16U baseball team scored two runs in the top of the sixth to break a 6-6 tie with Neosho for a split of a doubleheader on June 22 at Neosho High School.

Cory Creason reached on an error to lead off the top of the sixth for McDonald County. After Tae-Shaun Alik forced out Creason at second base with a ground ball, Koby McAlister doubled to put runners on second and third. Kammeron Hopkins drove in the eventual winning run with a base hit before Rendon Lane singled for an insurance run.

Sampson Boles retired Neosho in order in the bottom half of the inning to pick up the win.

Neosho jumped out to a 5-1 lead after two innings, scoring five runs on just three hits off Lane. Neosho added a run in the fifth on an RBI double off McAlister who relieved lane after a leadoff walk.

McAlister scored a run for McDonald County the first on a walk, a stolen base and a wild pitch. In the third, Hopkins singled and scored on Lane's infield hit and a wild throw to first to cut Neosho's lead to 5-2.

McDonald County erupted for four runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. With two out, McAlister and Hopkins reached on errors. McDonald County tied the game on RBI singles by Lane and Jackson Behm along with an outfield error. McDonald County took the lead on walks to Colliar Gottfried and Omar Manuel and a balk.

In the second game, Neosho turned the tables with a walk-off 8-7 win in five innings.

Ethan Francisco started for McDonald County and allowed six runs in three and a third innings. Creason relieved with one out in the fourth and gave up a run before getting out of the inning. Neosho scored the winning run on a leadoff walk from Creason and a two-out double off of Hopkins.

Boles doubled and scored on Lane's RBI ground out in the first for McDonald County's first run. In the second, a walk to Ethan Lett, an error and Francisco's RBI single along with Boles' bases-loaded walk gave McDonald County a 3-1 lead.

After Neosho tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, McDonald County scored three runs in the top of the third. Walks to Lett, Manuel and Cade Brock loaded the bases. Francisco and Alik drove in runs with ground ball outs before Hopkins singled in the final run of the inning.

Neosho cut the lead to 6-4 with a run in the bottom of the third before taking a 7-6 lead with three runs in the fourth.

McDonald County tied the game with a run in the top of the fifth setting the stage for Neosho's winning run in the bottom of the inning. Jacob Pagel walked and came around to score on an error and a wild pitch for McDonald County's go-ahead run.

The split gives McDonald County a 5-12 record heading into its final week of the season, including a home game against Joplin on June 29 to end the season.

Sports on 06/29/2017