Republic built an early lead and withstood a seventh-inning Carthage rally, hanging on for a 4-3 win Tuesday at Carthage.
The Tigers scored twice in the second inning. Isaac White doubled and went to third on an single by Preston McCracken. An error allowed White to score, then Cannon Ellison delivered a run-scoring triple to make it 2-0. Republic added another run in the third when Jackson Overstreet grounded out to score Nolan Lashley, who had doubled to lead off the inning.
In the sixth, Ellison struck again with an RBI double to score White, extending the lead to 4-0.
Carthage scored a single run in the sixth, then made it interesting in the seventh, scoring three times against Republic pitchers Cooper Thomas and Ryder Smith to cut the lead to one. The comeback began with a Jordan Brunnert solo home run off Thomas in the sixth. In the seventh, an error allowed another run to score, and Nolan Brown’s RBI single made it 4-3 before Ryder Smith entered the game and recorded the final out.
Thomas earned the win with 5 2/3 innings of relief work, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four. McCracken started the game and pitched a scoreless first inning before Thomas entered in the second. Smith got the final out to earn the save.
Ellison led Republic’s offense with three hits, including a triple and a double, and drove in two runs. White and Lashley both had two hits.
The win improves Republic’s record to 12-13 and snaps a four-game losing streak. Carthage falls to 15-10.
Republic will host Joplin Wednesday in a makeup game from a previous rainout.
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