The McDonald County 16U baseball team dropped a 6-1 decision to Joplin in the opener of an 8-on-8 league on June 2 held at Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin.
The league uses a pitching-machine because of the pitcher’s lack of throwing over the past three months due to the canceling of the high school season because of covid-19.
In addition to the use of a pitching machine, the format calls for a 65-minute time limit, with each team getting two innings at-bat before changing from offense to defense.
Issac Behm got McDonald County’s first two hits of the game, a one-out single in the second and a two-out triple in the sixth.
Cooper Sprenkle singled to lead off the eighth, but two strikeouts and a groundout ended the inning.
Jack Parnell reached on an error and Cross Dowd singled in the ninth with two out, but Joplin escaped when it got a groundout to end the inning.
Behm led off the 12th with a double for his third hit of the game. Jakob Gordon singled to put runners on first and third before Lane Pratt drove in McDonald County’s only run of the game with a sacrifice fly.
McDonald County was back in Joplin on June 9 for its second league game against Webb City. McDonald County is at a showcase tournament on June 13-14 at Labette County.