MABA Nationals lose grip in final inning

FARMINGTON — The score was tied after the first inning with each team scoring two runs, and it remained tied until the bottom of the fifth when the MABA Nationals game fell apart in their opening game of the Missouri State 11-year-olds Babe Ruth Tournament held at Farmington’s Sports Complex.

Brookfield sent 12 batters to the plate and ballooned their score by seven more runs. The Nationals could not answer in their last at-bats and fell by a score of 9-2.

Brookfield’s pitcher Ryan Kearns was roughed up a little in the first inning, but settled in nicely, allowing only two MABA batters to reach base in the last five frames, both by walks. Kearns struck out seven batters on his way to the complete game win.

 Noah Skaggs threw for the Nationals and also suffered a little roughing up in the first as infield singles by leadoff River Wright and by Kearns resulted in Brookfield’s two runs scoring. Skaggs also settled in, matching Kearns nearly pitch for pitch until the fifth inning.

Jarred Deal and Chandler Franklin both singled in the first inning to help the Nationals take the early 2-0 lead. The two hits would also be their last.

The Nationals defense sparkled some in the first inning. A ground ball resulted in shortstop Chandler Franklin throwing home to catcher Devin Savage for the tag. Savage sent the ball right back to Franklin at second to catch the batter-runner trying to gain an extra base on the play for the double play.

A walk and an error gave Brookfield their first two baserunners in the fifth inning. Jordan Huerta made a superb catch of a fly ball in deep left hit by Tucker Noble. Tagging up at third, David Keller was able to slide in under the tag on the throw home. Keller, the No. 9 hitter, walked in all three of his at-bats

A ground ball by Kearns to short scored a second run, and with the bases empty it looked like the damage would be minimal. However, an error on a second ground ball opened the floodgates.

A single, a hit batter, two walks and two-RBI singles by both Trey Battye and Wright created too big of a hill for the Nationals to climb in their last at-bats.

The Nationals will play Hallsville at 4 p.m. today in a must-win or go-home situation, and Brookfield will play the MABA Americans at noon today.

MABA  200 000 – 2  2  4

Brookfield  200 07x – 9  8  1

WP- Ryan Kearns  6i 2r 2h 7k 2bb.

Hitting:

MABA – Chandler Franklin 1-2, Jarred Deal 1-3.

Brookfield – Ryan Kearns 2-3, River Wright 2-4, Brendan France  1-2, Trey Battye 1-3, Reed McBroom 1-3, David Corbin 1-3.  

Boonville 5, SEMO North 2

The first game of the tournament was a pitcher’s duel with Booneville’s Jake Esser keeping the upper hand through three innings and reliever Connor Pond finishing out the second half for a 5-2 win over the SEMO North squad.

Esser struck out five and gave up only two hits, having been treated to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. SEMO would pull to within one in the fourth, but Boonville’s offense matched the two runs and Pond settled down to close out the last two innings.

Bryce Feummeler and Mason Schlotzhauer provided the offensive power for Boonville. Feummeler hit a triple and Schlotzhauer hit a double with both having one single each. Jody Reese was 2-3, and Dalton Bealmer and Pond both had one single.

Isaiah Berry was 2-3 for SEMO, and Hunter Copeland, Dakota Welty, Drew Short and Levi Davidson hit one single each.

Jackson 14, Sikeston 13

Jackson jumped out to a 11-run lead after two innings, but a determined Sikeston bunch fought their way back into the second contest of the day to tie the game in their last at-bats, before Jackson would use their last at-bats to pull out a 14-13 win.

Sean Jones would get the win, even though Sikeston tied it up on his one-inning shift in the top of the sixth. Jones was the pitcher of record when Jackson secured the win.

Garrett Walker was 3-5 with a double for Jackson. Zach Lawrence, Wyatt Eldridge, Joey Jeffers and Jack Litzenfelner all had two singles each, and Tristen Thele had one single.

Hitters for Sikeston were Blake Wolferding 2-4 with a double, Trent Sidwell had two singles, and Gavin Post 2-4. Andrew Pearson, Trevor Wheatley and Hunter Deane all had one single.

Jackson will take on Boonville at 10 a.m. today and Sikeston will face SEMO North at 2 p.m. in an elimination game.