After beating state-ranked Marshfield on April 23, the McDonald County High School baseball team had a chance to get to .500 for the season in its next game but, instead, the Mustangs dropped its next four games to close out the week with an overall record of 9-14.
Senior right-hander Izak Johnson allowed one run on seven hits in the Mustangs' 4-1 win over Marshfield on April 23 at Marshfield High School. Johnson never walked a batter and struck out two.
Boston Dowd walked and scored on Omar Manuel's single in the second to give McDonald County a 1-0 lead.
Marshfield tied the game in the fourth on three hits before the Mustangs took a 2-1 in the top of the fifth. Levi Helm walked and scored on a hit by Jordan Platter.
McDonald County added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth on hits by Helm, Joe Brown, a walk, an error and Johnson's sacrifice fly. Platter, Brown, Manuel, Helm and Kameron Hopkins had one hit each to lead the Mustang offense.
McDonald County was at Nevada on April 30 before returning home as host for the Big 8 Showdown on May 2 against a team to be determined. Game time is 4:30 p.m.
Seneca
Seneca scored seven runs in the final three innings to break open a close game on the way to an 8-3 win on April 25 at MCHS.
Dowd took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in five innings. Rylee Boyd and Brown each allowed two runs in an inning of relief.
Johnson's two-run homer in the seventh was the Mustangs' offensive highlight. Johnson also had a single in the fifth, while Platter and Manuel had the only other two Mustang hits.
Mount Vernon
The Mountaineers broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, keyed by two errors and a walk, for a 6-3 win on April 26 at Mount Vernon High School.
Helm took the loss, allowing six runs on six hits in five and two-thirds innings. Parker Toney got the only man he faced in relief.
McDonald County trailed 3-0 before tying the game with three runs in the top half of the fifth.
Helm doubled to lead off the inning. Oakley Roessler walked and Jackson Behm sacrificed the runners to second and third. Cole Martin drove in a run with a single before Dowd tied the game with a two-run hit.
Martin had two of the five McDonald County hits while Dowd, Helm and Johnson each had one.
Springfield Catholic
Catholic scored six runs in the third inning and cruised to a 10-2 win on April 27 at Carl Junction High School.
Boyd took the loss, allowing eight runs on six hits and four walks in three innings. Koby McAlister allowed two runs on four hits over the final three innings.
Martin had two singles and Helm had a home run to account for all three of the McDonald County hits.
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Carl Junction
Trailing 3-2 in the fourth, Carl Junction scored nine runs over the final three innings to hand McDonald County an 11-3 loss in the second game of a doubleheader on April 27 at Carl Junction High School.
Toney took the loss, giving up eight runs on 11 hits in four and two-thirds innings. Hopkins allowed three runs in an inning and a third of relief.
Martin, Brown, Manuel, Helm and Roessler each had one hit to lead McDonald County at the plate.
Sports on 05/02/2019