Republic turned in its best offensive performance since at least 2010 Thursday, walloping Neosho 19-5. The Tigers scored more runs Wednesday than in any other game of the GameChanger Era, which started for Republic in 2011 when the program began using the online service GameChanger to track statistics.
The Tigers scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back. Republic went on to score in every inning. It’s the first time the Tigers have done that since a 10-3 win over Nixa two seasons ago.
Cameron Beck had three hits, scored four runs, and drove in four runs to lead the Tigers offensively. Jaden Duvall, Easton Prevo, and Tyler Cavener scored three runs apiece. Prevo also had three hits and drove in three runs. Duvall, Cavener, Landin Sigman, and Clayton Crowley each added two hits for the Tigers.
Crowley picked up the win on the mound, pitching five innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on ten hits. He struck out four and walked two.
Coach Curt Plotner says the team is starting to reap the benefits of recent changes in practice, including 30 minutes of baserunning practice to start every day.
“We’ve made some pretty drastic changes to what we’re doing. We took eight to ten extra bases today and really put the pressure on them defensively,” he says. “We’ve really been focused on that especially.”
The 19-run, 17-hit performance was an outlier for the Tigers, but Plotner says he believes the team is capable of putting up gaudy numbers at the plate.
“They don’t know what they’re capable of because they’ve never seen that before,” he says. “But I really think if we play well and execute the things we’ve been trying to do, that can be the type of team that we have.”
The Tigers improve to 4-6. They play Friday in a makeup game at Carl Junction, then again next Tuesday when they host Webb City.
