Freshmen take two

Carl Junction's freshman team opened with a doubleheader sweep Tuesday, defeating Carthage 8-7 in the opener and 5-4 in the nightcap.  

 

Zach Waranch drives the ball as a rainbow appears over Carl Junction's freshman game against Carthage Tuesday

In the opener, Carthage built an early 5-0 lead as the Bulldogs' defense struggled.  Carl Junction scored their first two runs of the season on a Devon England blast to left-center, resulting in a triple.

 

The Tigers responded with two more runs and still led 7-3 after four innings.  England relieved starter Jansen Adams, throwing a scoreless inning in the scheduled five-inning contest.

 

The Bulldogs then strung together six walks and a bloop single by Brandon McCoy, tying the game at seven each.  With the bases loaded, Zach Waranch walked to force in the winning run.  England (1-0) earned the victory in relief.

 

In the second game, Matt Thompson pitched three innings and England pitched the fourth, but the Bulldogs once again found themselves trailing by four runs (4-0).

 

However, the Dogs managed a pair fourth inning runs before leaving the bases loaded.

Jansen Adams delivers a pitch in the first inning Tuesday

 

Brandon McCoy pitched a scoreless fifth inning and the Bulldogs once again mounted a last inning comeback.  Andrew Jiles scored the tying run on a wild pitch.  The Carthage pitcher walked Kyle Friend and Jordan Degraff, once again loading the bases.

 

Matt Thompson turns on a pitch

 

With two outs, Adams stepped to the plate.  One more wild pitch later, and Jared Doyle raced home from third base scoring the winning run.  McCoy (1-0) picked up the victory on the mound for the Bulldogs.

 

On the night, the Bulldogs pitching staff allowed only six Carthage hits in 10 innings of work.

Freshmen Stats

Freshmen sweep Neosho

Carl Junction's freshman team took Neosho behind the woodshed Thursday evening in the nightcap of a double-header, whipping the Wildcats 20-7 in a four-inning game.  Brandon McCoy pitched a complete game for the Bulldogs, moving his pitching record to 2-0.

 

Devon England also earned his second pitching victory of the season, pitching all five innings in the Bulldogs' 8-5 victory over Neosho in the opener.

 

In game one, the Wildcats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but Carl Junction's Chase Price chased down a deep fly in right field with two on and two out to kill Neosho's rally.  The Bulldogs then responded with all eight of their runs in the third inning, highlighted by Price's infield single with the bases loaded.  The Wildcats' pitcher threw wildly to first, allowing all three runners to score and putting the Bulldogs in the lead for good.

 

An 11-run fourth inning in the final game put the lead out of reach.

 

The freshmen are now 4-0 on the young season.

 

Freshmen lose for first time

Carl Junction's 9th grade team, after starting the season 4-0, fell to Webb City Thursday afternoon in a game interrupted by snow.  

 

The Cardinals built an early 3-0 lead and then steadily pulled away from the Bulldogs, eventually winning 8-0.  Trenton Black went the distance on the mound for Carl Junction.  Temperature was 44 degrees at game time and fell to 36 as the game progressed and snow began to fall in the final inning.

 

Freshmen split Monday and Tuesday

CJ 4, Aurora 0 (Game 1 Monday)

Matt Thompson pitched a complete game two-hit shutout for Carl Junction.

Aurora 7, CJ 6 (Game 2)

The Bulldogs scored four in the fourth to build a 5-1 lead, but Aurora scored 5 unearned runs in the bottom of the inning and added a walk-off home run in the bottom of the fifth to earn the split.

Mt.Vernon 11, CJ 6 (Game 1 Tuesday)

The Mountaineers used a seven run first inning to deflate the Bulldogs early.

CJ 23, Mt.Vernon 12 (Game 2)

Brady Hall earned the pitching victory in a rainy, sloppily-played second game of the doubleheader.  It was the second time in nine games the Bulldogs freshmen have scored in the 20's.  They now stand at 6-3.

 

Seven run extra inning rally carries Freshmen

Carl Junction's freshman baseball team knocked off McDonald County 18-17 in extra innings to gain a split in Thursday's doubleheader.  The Bulldogs lost the first game 6-2.

 

The Bulldogs scored seven runs in the second inning of the nightcap to build an 11-3 lead.  Jordan DeGraff hit an inside-the-park home run while Devon England and Kyle Friend each added triples.  Friend also had a single to start the inning.

 

Pitcher Brandon McCoy cruised thru the third and fourth innings as both teams' bats were silenced.

 

The Mustangs rallied to score eight runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at 11-11.  The Bulldogs were unable to score in their half of the fifth and the game went to extra innings.

 

McDonald County's bats stayed hot as they scored another six runs in the top of the sixth.

 

Carl Junction, trailing by six, had their first four hitters of the inning reach safely before Jared Doyle's sacrifice fly cut the score to 17-14.  Friend reached base on a single and Jansen Adams followed with a double to right field to score McCoy and Friend.  Adams advanced to third on a throwing error.

 

Matt Thompson hit a sharp grounder which was mishandled by the Mustangs first baseman and Adams raced home from third with the tying run.  Andrew Wheeler walked and Thompson then stole third base.

 

England, who relieved McCoy in the fifth inning, then hit a sharp single up the middle scoring Thompson with the winning run and giving the Bulldogs the improbable come-from-behind victory.

 

Adams picked up the pitching victory after relieving England during the sixth inning and recording the final out.

 

  Game 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 F
  Mustangs 0 3 0 0 8 6 17
  Bulldogs 4 7 0 0 0 7 18