JOPLIN - The Joplin Eagles threatened again and again throughout Monday's semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 11 baseball tournament.
But time and time again, the Carthage Tigers maneuvered out of trouble.
As a result, second-seeded Carthage held on for a 3-0 win over third-seeded Joplin inside the JHS Athletic Complex. The win propels the Tigers into tonight's district title game against top-seeded Webb City.
"We got great pitching and some timely hits and that's a great recipe," Tigers coach Mike Godfrey said. "We're just excited to be in this position again and we're excited to have a shot at another district title. Hopefully it will be another great game and another great atmosphere."
The Eagles had their chances, but the hosts stranded the bases loaded in the first, fifth and seventh innings. Joplin stranded a total of 11 runners in the loss.
"We had opportunities," Joplin coach Kyle Wolf said. "We had some hits throughout the game, but we just couldn't get them at the right time. If we would have had a hit during one of those situations, it would have changed the momentum. But that's baseball and that's life. But I can't say enough about our kids. They never quit and that's what I'm most proud of."
The nail-biter was a pitcher's duel between Carthage's Trason Vogt and Joplin's Grant Jones.
A senior left-hander, Vogt did not allow a run in 6 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and five walks while striking out nine.
"Trason was very sharp when he needed to be," Godfrey said. "He did a good job of getting out of those bases-loaded jams."
Carthage senior southpaw Ian O'Malley recorded the final two outs of the game.
"Ian did a good job of throwing it in the zone and letting us play defense," Godfrey said.
A senior right-hander, Jones went six innings and surrendered two earned runs on five hits and two walks, while fanning five.
"Grant did an incredible job," Wolf said. "He competed from the first pitch and wouldn't give in."
Joplin had a chance in the fourth, but lost two on the base paths. The inning ended when Carthage right fielder Bryce Pugh gunned down Tyler Ledford at third.
In the bottom of the fourth, Carthage's O'Malley attempted to score from third on a wild pitch, but he was tagged out at the plate, keeping the game scoreless.
In the top of the fifth, Vogt walked both Luke Benfield and Cade Carlson before Jones reached on an error. But Vogt got out of the jam by striking out Blake Dean and inducing a groundout off the bat of Josh Wells.
The Tigers pushed across three runs in the bottom half of the fifth, as Will McCombs and Tucker Downing both singled with one out. After Vogt was hit by a pitch, Pugh laid down a bunt towards first base. The throw home was not in time, and the Tigers took a 1-0 lead.
O'Malley then cracked a two-run double to left field, giving the visitors a three-run cushion.
"It made me more comfortable on the mound once we had the lead," Vogt said. "It gave me some room to breathe."
Vogt left with one on and one out in the seventh due to his pitch count. O'Malley came in and gave up an infield single to Dean before Wells drew a walk to load the bases.
A fielder's choice resulted in an out at home and then O'Malley got Holden Ledford to ground out to end the game.
"There are no tough situations because we work on these situations all year long," O'Malley said. "Trason threw an amazing game, so I did what I had to do when I came in."
"We knew Joplin wanted redemption against us, but we just tried to keep our tempo up and that's what won us the game," Vogt said.
Joplin's departing seniors are Logan Irvin, Maurice Auberry, Luke Kuehnel, Riley, Benfield, Wells, Dean and Jones.
"The seniors have carried us and it's been a joy to coach them," Wolf said. "They've put in a lot of time. I wish them the best of luck. I'm happy with what we did this year. I feel like we made strides."
While the season concluded for the Eagles, the Tigers will attempt to repeat as district champs tonight.
"We want two of them," O'Malley said. "That's the plan."

-Jason Peake, Joplin Globe Sports

Carthage 3, Joplin 0
Joplin         000  000  0  - 0  5  1
Carthage    000  030  x  - 3  5  1

Grant Jones and Luke Benfield and David Fiscus (6); Trason Vogt, Ian O'Malley (6) and Will McCombs.
W: Trason Vogt; L: Jones.
2B - Joplin: Josh Wells; Carthage: Zeke Sappington, O'Malley.
3B - Carthage: O'Malley.