Cross Dowd allowed three runs on four hits while striking out four in going the distance to lead McDonald County to a 4-3 win over the Northeast Oklahoma Prospects in the final game of the Northeast Oklahoma 18U baseball tournament on June 28 in Grove, Okla.
The Prospects scored an unearned run in the first before McDonald County answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning on a double by Cole Martin and an RBI single by Destyn Dowd.
Northeast Oklahoma added two runs in the fourth on an error and three hits to take a 3-1 lead.
McDonald County tied the game in the sixth. Jack Parnell singled and went to third on a two-base error to lead off the inning. Martin was hit by a pitch before Cross Dowd singled in the first run of the inning. With two out, Weston Gordon walked to load the bases, followed by Jackson Behm's RBI on a hit by pitch.
McDonald County scored the winning run in the seventh. Wade Rickman walked to lead off the inning. Logan Harriman then sacrificed, but Rickman was able to score the winning run when Grove threw Harriman's bunt into right field.
Cross Dowd finished with two hits to lead McDonald County at the plate, while Martin and Parnell each had one of McDonald County's other two hits.
Seneca
McDonald County split a doubleheader on June 27 to open the tournament, including a 7-1 loss to Seneca in the first game.
Riley Boyd took the loss, allowing six runs on four hits, five walks and two hit batters in four-plus innings. Boyd had only given up a first-inning run until running into trouble in the fifth. The senior-to-be at McDonald County High School walked the first two batters of the inning before an error, a hit and a hit batter ended his day.
Carlos Maturino walked the first man he faced in relief, before striking out the next two. But, with two outs, a bases-loaded triple scored three runs.
McDonald County's only run came in the first on a single by Jackson Behm, a sacrifice bunt by Maturino and a sacrifice fly by Martin.
Behm's single and a hit by Cross Dowd were the only McDonald County hits in the game.
Springfield White
McDonald County bounced back with an 11-4 win against Springfield White in its second game.
Maturino got the win, shutting out Springfield in the first two innings. Nevin Price worked a scoreless third before needing help from Gordon in the fourth to get the final out of the game.
McDonald County scored five runs in the second inning without a hit to break a scoreless tie.
Walks to Price, Parnell, Martin, Cross Dowd, Ethan Lett and hit pitches by Gordon and Ruddick along with two errors keyed the inning.
McDonald County added five runs in the third. Gordon had the only hit of the inning, while walks to Price, Ruddick, Behm, Wade Rickman and Cross Dowd accounted for most of the damage.
McDonald County added a run in the fourth on a single by Junior Eliam, a walk and two wild pitches.
Martin, Eliam and Gordon had one hit each to account for McDonald County's three hits.
8-On-8 League
The McDonald County 18U baseball team was shut out for eight innings before scoring a single run in the ninth and four more in the 10th in an 11-4 loss to Neosho on June 24 in an 8-on-8 league game at Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin.
Neosho scored single runs in the first, fifth and sixth innings, two in the third and 10th innings and four in the seventh for the win.
McDonald County's first run came on doubles by Jackson Behm and Nevin Price in the ninth.
Singles by Ethan Lett and Wade Rickman to open the 10th led to four runs. Colton Ruddick had an RBI single before Levi Helm hit an RBI double. Cole Martin drove in a run with a ground out before Junior Eliam drove in the final run with a single.
McDonald county plays Carl Junction at 5 p.m. on July 1 to close out league play.
