Siebert helps Merchants avoid tournament sweep
Finally.
After suffering two dreadful losses in extra innings during the past two games, Carthage found a way to hang on in the late innings Sunday, beating Pryor, Okla. 6-4 at Joe Becker Stadium.
The Merchants managed to salvage the final game of the sixth annual Roper/Joplin Sports Authority Classic after dropping two heartbreaking losses in extra innings on Thursday and Saturday.
“If we would have done some things differently (in the last two games), we could have been playing for a championship,” said coach James Kinder. “That’s a part of learning and life.”
It wasn’t easy, but considering how the last two games ended, the Merchants were prepared to take anything they could get.
Carthage, again, ran out to an early lead, scoring four runs over the first two innings.
The Merchants took advantage of seven walks surrendered by Pryor starter Ben Jacks. The walks — spiced by a two-out triple by Caleb Fierro in the Merchants’ second — ended Jacks’ day after just 1 2/3 innings. Jacks needed 54 pitches to get that far.
The Merchants, 4-6, only collected two hits off of Jacks, but it was clear he didn’t have he best stuff on this particular day, and was pulled with two outs in the second.
Chris Ashley, entering with the bases loaded, replaced Jacks and got Pryor out of the inning without any further damage.
Kyle Wicklund, making his first start since laboring through his last outing in the Carl Junction Tournament, was back to his old self. Wicklund struck out nine over five innings, allowing four runs, all of which were unearned.
All four runs were scored after a botched double play attempt in the bottom of the fifth. Pryor, which had only one hit through the first four innings, garnered three hits to tie the game, 4-4, and, once again, it looked as if the Merchants would let another late-inning lead slip.
But, in the end, it was Carthage getting the final say. A double by Joe Allan, and a pair of RBI singles by Brian and Stephen Poston put the Merchants up by two in the top of the sixth.
“It would have been really easy for our kids, when (Pryor) tied it up, to fold,” said Kinder. “But we came out and scored two to take the lead, then sophomore Mason Siebert came in and competed.”
Mason Siebert, who saw limited duty on the hill during the prep season, pitched two spotless frames to pick up the save.
To reach Cody Dyer, Merchants reporter for The Press, send email to sports@carthagepress.com or call 417-358-2191
