Bulldogs win district championship

By Zach Ewing, The Joplin Globe

In the twilight, there was something striking about the way Carl Junction’s baseball players huddled around their district-championship trophy.

Nearly every player had at least a finger on the plaque — symbolic of how nearly every Bulldog had a hand in CJ’s 8-4 shocker against No. 1-ranked Webb City in the District 3-12 championship Thursday.

“It seems like we’re always trying to top Webb,” starting pitcher Zak Porath said. “We finally did it.”

Start with Porath, a left-hander who threw a 127-pitch complete game on two days’ rest Thursday after beating Mount Vernon 5-2 in Monday’s quarterfinal round.

Carl Junction advances to play at Monett in the state round of 16 on Thursday.

Against two-time defending Class 3 state champion Webb City, Porath struck out nine, walked five and allowed three earned runs on four hits.

Porath, who played on a traveling team with several Webb City players, said he and Flave Darnell had planned on the quick turnaround from the get-go.

“He told me earlier (than Monday),” Porath said. “In the meetings before this, it’s like we were afraid of the name Webb City and tonight, it didn’t matter who it was.”

The Cardinals (23-2) had won the teams’ three previous meetings but hadn’t had to face Porath in any of them.

“He chewed us up,” Webb City coach Bryce Darnell said. “He flat dictated the action.”

Moving down the list of Carl Junction’s heroes, third baseman Jon Michel doubled home Scott Thompson for a 1-0 first-inning lead. He later scored on Porath’s single, immediately putting the pressure squarely on Webb City.

Michel finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. One of his hits came in the Bulldogs’ two-out rally in the fourth.

Against Webb City’s David Ebbs, who relieved starter Chance Sossamon, Thompson was hit by a pitch, Michel singled and Porath walked to load the bases.

Ebbs then walked Chris Green to force in a run and second baseman Drew Caruthers singled to right-center field, bringing home two more and giving Carl Junction (17-9) a 6-1 lead.

Still, the Bulldogs — and their hundreds of cautious fans — knew the defending state champs wouldn’t go quietly. Porath said before the game a couple of CJ players brought up the possibility of beating Webb City. The entire team walked to the end of the dugout to knock on wood.

“I think all of us made it over there,” Porath said. “I wouldn’t touch the white (foul) line, everything’s going through your mind. You don’t want to jinx yourself.”

But, thanks to Porath, a defense that was airtight until the final inning and a little luck, the expected Cardinals charge never really came.

With two on and nobody out in the second, Alan Pink scorched a liner right to shortstop Evan Clemons, who threw to second for a rally-killing double play.

After that, Porath rendered Webb City ordinary. Marcus Ozbun singled home Sossamon, who was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, in the fourth to cut the lead to 6-2, but Porath escaped with two strikeouts.

Ozbun finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. He and Sossamon combined for all of Webb City’s hits.

Two walks and two errors gave the Cardinals two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Porath struck out Sossamon swinging to end it.

“Walking off with a strikeout is so much fun,” Porath said.

At least, that is, for the winners. Sossamon slammed his bat and went back to a Webb City dugout full of players that have twice been to Columbia and returned as state champions. This year, they’ll watch as the tournament unfolds in Springfield.

“You’re never prepared to end it on a bad note, or a losing note,” Bryce Darnell said. “But at the same time, when the smoke clears, we’ve accomplished a lot.”

But Bryce Darnell was quick to say that Thursday, Carl Junction was the better team. And down the line, that was a credit to all the Bulldogs.

Catcher Josh Clark and designated hitter Trenton Black were both 2-for-4. Shortstop Evan Clemons, batting in the No. 9 spot, had two hits, including a clutch two-out single to make it 3-1 in the second. Thompson was on base four times. Britt Cacopardo late down a perfect sacrifice bunt.

And then, of course, there was No. 15 on the mound.

“It was a great team win,” Carl Junction coach Flave Darnell said. “We had good approaches in the box, kept the ball in play and were able to put a little pressure on them. And you can’t say enough about 1-5.”

Dogs, Cardinals to meet for championship

Carl Junction, the #3 seed, advanced to the Class 3 District 12 championship game with a 12-2 victory over McDonald County.  Chris Green, senior Bulldogs pitcher, earned the win.

Carl Junction is now 16-9 and will meet a familiar foe Thursday at 5:00.

Webb City, the two-time defending state champions, knocked off Carthage 7-3 and will take on the Bulldogs for the fourth time this season.  Webb City has won the three previous battles by scores of 10-1, 14-4 and 4-1 last week.

The Bulldogs were even with the Mustangs at 2-2 in the third inning before they steadily began to build their lead.  They plated their final five runs in their last at bat to extend their lead to 12-2, forcing the 10-run rule and sending the Mustangs packing for the season.

Webb City, meanwhile, started their game earlier in the afternoon with Carthage by no-hitting the Tigers thru the first five innings.  Shane Moreland threw for the Cardinals, finally allowing the first hit of the week against the Cardinals in the sixth inning.  Webb City's Brett Richardson no-hit East Newton in the Cardinals' district opener Monday.

With the game tied 1-1 in the fourth, Webb City senior Eli Dykens drilled a bases-loaded home run over the left field fence.  It was his second homer in two days in district play.

The Cardinals (23-1) extended their lead to 7-1 before Carthage managed two more runs in the sixth.  The Tigers wound up leaving the bases loaded in the inning and watched their hopes of an upset slip away.

Bulldogs advance to semi-finals

Favorites Webb City (#1), Carl Junction (#3) and Carthage (#4) all advanced in Monday's Class 3 District 12 opening round, but the upset of the day was McDonald County (#7) defeating #2 Seneca.

Tuesday's match-ups pit #1 Webb City (2-time defending state champions) vs. Carthage at 4:00 and Carl Junction vs. McDonald County at 6:00.  Both games will be played at Carl Junction High School.

The Bulldogs used 12 strikeouts from ace Zak Porath as they topped Mt. Vernon 5-2.  The Mountaineers loaded the bases with one out in the 7th before Porath retired the final two hitters on strikeouts.

Mt. Vernon struck first, scoring once in the initial frame.  The Bulldogs responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first and added single tallies in the third and sixth innings.

Senior Scott Thompson opened the bottom of the first with a single and stole second.  He scored on a base hit by John Michel.  Porath walked and scored along with Michel on a two-run single by senior Chris Green.

Webb City knocked off East Newton 15-0, propelled by Brett Richardson's no-hitter.  Carthage stopped Nevada 3-1.

The district championship will be played Thursday at 5:00 between the two winners of Tuesday's semi-finals.