June 6, 2021
JOPLIN, MO—The Joplin Outlaws allowed seven runs over the first three innings and had an opportunity to erase a four-run deficit blunted by a controversial interference call as they fell 8-5 to the St. Joseph Mustangs on Monday night, their first loss of the season.
Joplin (3-1) fell behind in the top of the first inning as St. Joseph's Jaxon Himel launched a two-run homer to left field off of Outlaws starter Josh Walpole, giving the Mustangs a 2-0 advantage.
In the very next half-inning, the Outlaws immediately wrestled the lead away. After a bunt single and an error moved Drake Angeron to second, Logan Cline came through with an RBI single to half the deficit.
Following a double from Ethan Ellis that moved Cline to third, St. Joseph starter Dawson Smith retired the next two hitters. However, with two outs, Brett Weimers laced a two-run double to left-center, putting Joplin in front 3-2.
Following a scoreless inning, the Mustang bats came alive in the third inning. A single and a double began the inning to put two men in scoring position, which brought up Himel. He came through with a two-run single to right, giving St. Joseph a 4-3 lead and chasing Walpole from the game.
Zach Hill entered the game, but could not extinguish the threat, as he allowed a two-run single to Ike Book three batters into his outing. Book then came home on an groundout, capping off a five-run frame that put the Mustangs in front 7-3.
Joplin battled back, though, as Cline walked and Ellis roped his second double of the game, this one off the top of the left-field fence. Cline scored all the way from first to cut the deficit to three.
Two innings later, the Outlaws drew even closer, with Cline and Ellis in the middle of it all again. With one out, the duo drew consecutive walks, then pulled off a double steal. Jared Toler then rolled a ground ball to third that brought home a run to trip the margin to 7-5.
They key moment in the game, though, came in the sixth.
With Smith still on the mound for St. Joseph, Weimers led off with a single, then moved to third on Brandon Ulmer's double. Following a four-pitch walk to Cam Pfafman, Smith was lifted in favor of Will Hann, who inherited a base-loaded, no-out jam.
However, Jack Mettam bounced back to Hann, who threw to the plate for the first out, but the throw to first from catcher Coleman Fenton was high and errant. As the first baseman Book came down following an unsuccessful leap, he collided with Mettam, who was crossing the bag. As a result of the contact, Mettam was called for interference for the second out of the inning.
Following a lengthy and heated argument that resulted in Head Coach Chris Dawson's ejection, Angerson struck out to end the inning, with no runs scoring.
Ward Richardson attempted to keep the Outlaws in the game but retiring nine of ten batters over 3.0 shutout innings, but Hann was even better, striking out seven over the final 4.0 innings, and the Outlaws only had two baserunners after the sixth.
St. Joseph tacked on a final insurance run in the ninth on a wild pitch from Justin Schrader, which served as the icing on top of an 8-5 win, snapping their three-game skid in addition to ending the Outlaws' season-opening win streak.
In defeat, Weimers posted his second-straight two-hit night, while also driving in two runs. Ellis added two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored, while Cline notched two hits, two runs, and an RBI.
Walpole (0-1) went 2.0+ innings, allowing five runs on five hits, with two walks, and five strikeouts, taking the loss. Zach Hill threw one inning, allowing two runs on a hit and a walk, with one strikeout. Jeb Jenkins tossed 2.0 scoreless frames, allowing a hit and striking out two. Richardson allowed a hit and struck out one over 3.0 shutout innings, while Schrader allowed a run on a hit, two walks, and two strikeouts in his one inning of work.
The Outlaws will hit the road for the first time in the MINK League schedule with a one-game jaunt north to Nevada to take on the Nevada Griffins. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be available on UclickTV on pay-per-view, as well as all Joplin Outlaws and MINK League season passes.
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