JOPLIN - A stellar pitching performance from Ian O'Malley and a five-run seventh inning lifted Carthage to a 7-2 come-from-behind victory over Joplin on Tuesday in a Central Ozark Conference baseball clash at the JHS athletic complex.
"That was just a fun high school baseball game," Tigers coach Mike Godfrey said. "We know Joplin's got a good bunch, so we feel fortunate to come in here and leave with a win."
The clash was deadlocked after six innings when the Tigers erupted for five runs on four hits, two walks and a sacrifice fly in the game-changing seventh. The hosts stranded the bases loaded in the bottom half. "That's a tough one," Eagles coach Kyle Wolf said. "I think that was a really good high school baseball game that we let slip away from us. You have to credit Carthage for making something happen late. They took advantage of their opportunities."
A senior left-hander, O'Malley limited the Eagles to one hit while striking out six in 6 2/3 innings. O'Malley didn't allow an earned run and departed in the bottom of the seventh when he reached his pitch count.
"I feel like everything was working for me today, but the biggest thing was my breaking ball," said O'Malley, a Central Missouri recruit who threw 111 pitches. "My breaking ball either got me ahead or finished off counts. My fastball velocity was up today and it felt good. Everything felt good and it feels amazing to do this today."
O'Malley walked eight but maneuvered out of trouble each time he got into a jam.
"Ian did a great job," Godfrey said. "He had three pitches working. He kept competing, and he worked out of some tough jams. He stayed focused and just kept getting after it."
Joplin's Josh Wells was solid in defeat. The senior right-hander didn't allow an earned run and scattered seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
"When Josh is on the mound, we're going to have an opportunity to be in the game," Wolf said. "He gave us a chance today."
After taking over in the seventh, Luke Kuehnel was charged with the loss.
The Eagles pushed across a single tally in the bottom of the first, as Cade Carlson reached on an error and later charged home on an RBI groundout off the bat of Grant Jones.
The hosts added a run in the fourth, as Jones and Wells both reached on walks. Jones later scored from third on a passed ball.
The Tigers answered in the fifth, as Tucker Downing reached on an error, advanced to second on Trason Vogt's ground ball and then scored on Bryce Pugh's single into right.
Next, O'Malley helped his own cause by delivering a game-tying RBI double to left field.
The Eagles threatened in the sixth, as Wells reached on an error before Tyler Ledford hooked a single into right field, his team's lone hit. But O'Malley retired Holden Ledford to keep the score tied.
In the top of the seventh, Vogt tripled to center before Pugh and O'Malley walked. After an out, Zeke Sappington lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly to right.
Tanner Green followed with a run-scoring single, Kaden Kralicek delivered a two-run double and then Will McCombs added an RBI single for a 7-2 advantage. "We'd hit some balls hard earlier in the game and didn't have much to show for it," Godfrey said. "So that seventh inning was huge. It seemed like everything fell for us. We had competitive at-bats."
In the bottom half, O'Malley retired two, but walked three before exiting. Vogt fanned Jones to end the game.
Kale Schrader and O'Malley had three hits apiece for the Tigers (11-5, 2-2 COC), while McCombs added two hits.
The Eagles (10-5, 3-2 COC) stranded seven runners on base.
"Ian did a good job and it was hard to get a lot going against him," Wolf said. "Credit to him. He battled on the mound."
O'Malley, who received a nice ovation from the Carthage fans as he walked off the field, gave credit to his teammates.
"I had a good guy in Zeke behind the plate, and I always know my guys are behind me out there to play good defense," he said. "We got the bats going in the seventh, and it worked out for us today."