Republic broke an eight-year losing streak against Webb City, pounding the Cardinals 13-1 in five innings at Republic Tuesday. The win was Republic’s first over Webb City since 2016, snapping a 12-game skid in the series, and marked the first victory over the Cardinals for head coach Curt Plotner.
Preston McCracken struck out seven batters in five innings to earn the win, working at a brisk pace throughout the game.
“I like just not being able to overthink anything — just get on the mound, pitch, next pitch. Every time,” McCracken said of his quick tempo on the mound.
The Tigers jumped on the Cardinals early with three runs in the first inning, then tacked on four more in the third. They put the game away with a six-run fourth inning to invoke the run rule.
Isaac White led Republic’s 15-hit attack with three hits, three runs scored, and an RBI. White said he’s simplified his approach at the plate recently.
“I was taking big hacks and striking out a lot. I just kind of dumbed it down a little bit, taking smaller hacks” White said.
McCracken helped his own cause with two hits and three RBIs. Four Tigers scored two runs each: Jackson Overstreet, Cooper Pilkinton, Nolan Lashley, and Cannon Ellison. Ryder Davis had a single and a double, while Overstreet and Pilkinton each doubled twice. Lashley added two hits and drove in two runs.
Plotner praised his team’s energy and performance.
“We swung the bat really well. We just had good energy and I felt like we were ready to play,” he said. “We had some huge at-bats. We swung the bat good. We got a good performance from Preston on the mound and it was just a great game.”
Despite the significance of finally beating Webb City, Plotner downplayed the milestone.
“It’s just another game for us honestly. We needed to play well and I was glad that we did. I just happened to be against them, but I’ve got a ton of respect for them. They’ve had our number for a while now and it just felt good to get a win.”
The win improved Republic’s record to 11-9 overall and 1-0 in the COC West Division. Webb City fell to 8-9 overall and 0-1 in division play. Republic travels to Neosho on Thursday.
