The McDonald County High School baseball team swept a doubleheader on April 10, in the Hollister High School Baseball Festival to improve to 8-6 for the season.
After beating Summit Christian of Kansas City 15-2 in the opener, the Mustangs had to rally to claim a 4-2 win over Forsyth in the nightcap.
McDonald County tailed Forsyth 2-1 entering the bottom of the sixth before scoring three runs to pull out the win.
Levi Helm led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cross Dowd. Weston Gordon followed with a single to drive in the first run of the inning and tie the game at 2-2. Gordon advanced to second on the throw home, but pinch runner Wade Rickman was thrown out attempting to steal third.
But with two out and no one on base, McDonald County scraped together a pair of unearned runs to take a 4-2 lead. Levi Malone was hit by a pitch. Wyatt Jordan then struck out, but the ball got past the catcher allowing Jordan to reach first base and Malone to go all the way to third.
Malone then scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by the catcher before Jordan scored when Jack Parnell's grounder to shortstop was thrown away.
Rylee Boyd relieved Cross Dowd in the bottom of the seventh and retired the Panthers in order for the save.
Destyn Dowd started for McDonald County, allowing two unearned runs on three hits in three innings. Cross Dowd worked three innings of relief, shutting out Forsyth on two hits before Boyd got the final three outs.
Cole Martin had two hits to lead the offense while Helm, Cross Dowd, Gordon, Malone and Isaac Behm added one hit each.
Summit Christian
McDonald County scored a season high 15 runs in just four at-bats and Gordon pitched a five-inning complete game in the Mustangs' 15-2 win in the opener.
McDonald County scored three runs in the first on hits by Helm and Malone, a walk to Destyn Dowd, a fielder's choice RBI by Cross Dowd and an error.
After the Eagles scored a run in the second to cut the lead to 3-1, McDonald County scored two runs in the third to stretch the lead to 5-1. Hits by Destyn Dowd, Helm, Gordon and Malone keyed the inning.
McDonald County broke the game open with 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The inning was highlighted by two hits in the inning by Destyn Dowd and one hit each from Helm, Gordon, Malone and Parnell along with two walks and three errors.
Gordon allowed just one earned run on three hits while striking out six and walking three.
Helm, Malone and Destyn Dowd led the 12-hit attack with three hits each while Gordon had two hits and Parnell one.
"In the first game, we swung the bats really well," said coach Kevin Burgi. "We had been waiting for Helm to do what he did. He had a really good day at the plate. Weston Gordon threw incredibly well and we were clean defensively. I think we lost a little bit of intensity to start the second game. Honestly, the first inning really got away from us defensively. To limit that to two runs was really, really big. We made a couple of base running errors that forced us to score some runs late to win the game. With that being said, we came through and did what good teams do and found a way to win."
McDonald County traveled to Lamar on April 13, to begin play in the West Division of the Big 8 Conference before continuing conference play on April 16, at Monett.
Shiloh Christian
The Shiloh Christian Saints broke open a close game with six runs in the top of the seventh inning on the way to a 10-4 win over McDonald County on April 12 at MCHS.
The Saints led just 4-2 after six innings, but scored six runs on three hits, including a three-run homer by Gunner Pace, three walks and an error.
Shiloh Christian scored a run in the first on a double and two-out error before adding two runs in the third on a two-run homer by Dakota Gobble.
McDonald County cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom half of the inning.
Cole Martin hit a two-out home run before Destyn Dowd doubled and scored on two wild pitches.
Shiloh Christian added a single run in the fifth on a solo homer by Ben Baker.
The Mustangs scored their final two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Destyn Dowd reached on an error with two outs before Levi Helm doubled and Cross Dowd drove in both runners with a single.
Destyn Dowd took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in three innings. Ethan Francisco went three and a third innings of relief, allowing six runs on five hits before Colton Ruddick got the final two outs, allowing one run on one hit.
Cross Dowd had two hits to lead McDonald County at the plate while Martin, Destyn Dowd, Helm and Jack Parnell had one hit each.
McDonald County falls to 8-7 entering its April 13 game at Lamar.
