Championship Game - Carthage 12, Mt. Vernon 0
CARTHAGE, — Carthage found the perfect recipe for success on Friday in the Bill O'Dell Tournament championship game.
The Tigers (8-2), now winners of eight straight, scored in every inning but one and were gifted another dominant performance from senior southpaw Trason Vogt on the way to a 12-0 win over Mount Vernon (7-3) in six innings to clinch the tournament title for the first time since 2013.
"We talked a couple of weeks ago, after looking at our schedule, about the chance of going on a run and finishing a couple of strong weeks of play here at this tournament," Carthage coach Mike Godfrey said. "Our guys did a great job (all week) and tonight. I am so proud of the way we finished it. We had great pitching, timely hits and great defensive plays."
Vogt dazzled on the mound for the Tigers, taking a no-hitter into the last of the sixth inning before it was broken up by leadoff hitter Patrick Lester's bunt in no-man's land between the pitcher, first and second base. The Mountaineers registered three infield hits in the sixth but never touched home.
"I could tell early his velocity was going to be good," Godfrey said. "The command of his fastball was excellent tonight."
Vogt finished the complete-game shutout with 12 strikeouts and one hit-by-pitch.
"I felt amazing," Vogt said. "Everything was working and I couldn't be more proud of the way my team played behind me."
Carthage gave its starter all the run support needed in the top of the first when Kale Schrader singled up the middle to score a run, which was followed by a two-out RBI single by Tanner Green two batters later to push the lead to 2-0.
"The other team new who they were facing coming into this game," Godfrey said. "For us to get two runs off the bat and set the tone, that gave us the momentum and we grabbed control of the game."
The Tigers struck for two more in the second when Vogt helped himself out with an RBI single before Schrader came through with a two-out single to right to bring a run home and make the score 4-0.
"Two-out and two-strike hits are huge for us," Godfrey said. "It's just a lift (for the team)."
From there, Carthage played add-on as its ace shut down the Mountaineers. Bryce Pugh singled in a run in the fourth, with Schrader picking up another RBI on a groundout later in the frame. Will McCombs drove a run in on a single to right in the fifth to make the score 7-0.
The Tigers continued to produce with runners in scoring position with a five-run sixth inning. Ian O'Malley and Zeke Sappington singled home runs before McCombs capped the inning with a three-run triple to left to settle the dust with a 12-0 advantage.
"The timely hitting was huge tonight," Godfrey said. "With runners in scoring position, our guys did a good job fighting off breaking pitches and staying back to get the runs home. We had several big hits."
Colby Johnston started and took the loss for Mount Vernon, allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits, four strikeouts and three walks in four innings. Arthur Henry pitched two relief innings and allowed six runs on five hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
Vogt led Carthage with three hits, including a double, and an RBI. Schrader had two hits, three RBI and a run scored, while McCombs had two hits and a team-high four RBI. Tucker Downing finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Johnston, Lester and Rafe Darter each had infield hits for the Mountaineers in the last of the sixth.
Carthage hosts Webb City (6-5) at 4:30 p.m. in COC action on Monday at Carl Lewton Stadium.

Carthage    220 215 - 12  13  0
Mt. Vernon 000 000 -   0    3  2
C: Trason Vogt and Zeke Sappington. MV: Colby Johnston, Alex Henry (5), and Quin Price.
W - Vogt. L - Johnston.
2B: Carthage: Vogt. 3B: Carthage: Will McCombs.

Semifinals - Carthage 9, Monett 7 (8)
CARTHAGE, Mo. — A season ago, the Carthage baseball team registered its seventh win on May 5 — 49 days and 24 games into the campaign.
As for the 2019 season? Win No. 7 was notched well before spring flowers had a chance to bloom.
Carthage reached the mark on Wednesday at its annual Bill O'Dell Tournament at Carl Lewton Stadium, downing Monett 9-7 in eight innings to punch its ticket to the tournament's championship for the first time since 2013.
The Tigers take on Mount Vernon, a 6-5 winner over Carl Junction in Wednesday's nightcap, in the title game on Friday at 7. The teams agreed to cancel their cross-pool game that was scheduled to take place tonight.
The triumph extended the Tigers' win streak to seven games and moved their season record to 7-2 — Carthage's best start since 2013 when it claimed victories in its first 17 games.
"There's something noticeably different about this team from the ones we've had in recent years," Carthage coach Mike Godfrey said. "I think it starts with the leaders on this team. They expect a lot out of themselves and their teammates. And boy, that really has a strong effect on the rest of the guys. I think they always feel like something good is going to happen."
The Tigers ended up on the good side of a back-and-forth game with the Cubs despite seeing an early four-run lead turn into a 7-7 tie after seven innings.
A two-run showing by Carthage in the top of the eighth — aided by a Kale Schrader double and a pair of Monett errors — ultimately clinched the win after the Cubs were held scoreless in the bottom half.
A double William Daingerfield gave Monett a runner at second base with one out in the bottom of the eighth. The ensuing at-bat, however, resulted in Daingerfield getting thrown out on an attempt to take third after Karter Brink grounded out to second base.
"When we took that early lead, we knew the game wasn't over," Godfrey said. "It went back and forth just like we thought it could, and fortunately we kept coming up with big at-bats at some big times."
Carthage finished with 10 hits and a pair of doubles. Sophomore Kaden Kralicek's double to left field drove in a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, ending a 6-0 Monett scoring run and tying the game at 7-all.
Monett also tallied 10 hits and was led by Alex Rivera, who went 3-for-4 with one double. Wesley Merriman was 3-for-4 with a trio of singles and scored on three occasions.
The Cubs suffered five errors in the game.
"Give Carthage credit because they played a cleaner game than us in the field," Monett coach Michael Calhoun said. "When you make five errors in the infield against a quality team, you probably shouldn't win. I thought we did well with our bats, and there were a lot of positives to take from the game. But defensively, we know we have to be better. "

Carthage  122 022 02 - 9  10  1
Monett      013 030 00 - 7  10  5
2B: Carthage: Kale Schrader, Kaden Kralicek; Monett Alex Rivera.

1st Round - Carthage 12, Seneca 5
CARTHAGE, Mo.— Carthage and Carl Junction won opening round contests of the 2019 Bill O'Dell Baseball Tournament on Monday at Carl Lewton Stadium.
The host Tigers handled Seneca 12-8, while Carl Junction topped Nevada 12-5.
In his team's win over Seneca, Carthage's Ian O'Malley drove in four runs on three hits and scored twice.
Carthage's Trason Vogt and Tucker Downing contributed three hits apiece, while Zeke Sappington drove in two runs. Tanner Green and Kaden Kralicek added two hits apiece for the Tigers.
Seneca's Monty Mailes and Harris Griffith had three hits apiece, while Gavin Clouse scored twice.

Seneca    200 501 0 - 8  9  1
Carthage 420 600 x - 12  16  3
Daythen Long, Lance Stephens (3), Titus Atkins (4) and TBA; Bryce Pugh, Tanner Gree (5), Will McCombs (6) and TBA.
Win: Green. Loss: Stephens.
2B: Seneca Monty Mailes (3); Carthage: Kaden Kralicek, Zeke Sappington, Trason Vogt. 3B: Carthage: Ian O'Malley.