Republic’s season ended Thursday with a 6-4 loss at Ozark in the Class 6 District 6 semifinals, one day after the eighth-seeded Tigers upset top seed Glendale to reach the semis. Republic out-hit Ozark 9-7.
Republic had chances in the late innings to continue its upset run through the district tournament. The Tigers put runners on in each of the final two innings, but hit into double plays in both. Down 6-4 in the top of the sixth, Maddox West and Chase Connell each singled. Reliever Logan Kirkland got Nolan Lashley to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Cooper Thomas led off the top of the seventh with a single. Ozark went back to the bullpen for Logan Kirkland, who got Landon Blankenship to ground into a 1-6-3 double play back through the middle.
Republic struck first in the top of the first. Lashley led off with a single, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice and came home on a Brennan Overstreet ground out.
Ozark answered with a run in the bottom of the first on a Luke Baer line-drive single, then added three more in the second. Brody Julian’s single drove in pinch runner Anthony Cordell, Cooper Wood scored on an error, and Julian later scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the third, Overstreet drove Carter Coggin to make it 4-2, but Ozark got the run back in the bottom of the fourth to take a three-run advantage again.
Republic answered with two in the fifth. Connell reached on an error, Lashley singled, and Thomas drove in Connell with a single to right. Overstreet’s single to center brought in Lashley. The Tigers stranded two and trailed 5-4.
After Ozark scored another run in the fifth, the Tigers threatened in their final two innings at the plate but failed to score.
Cooper Thomas threw all six innings for Republic, allowing seven hits and six runs while walking two, hitting four, and striking out one.
Overstreet led Republic at the plate with two hits and three RBIs. Lashley added two hits and scored twice. Thomas finished with three hits.
It was the final game for seniors Preston McCracken and Kyler Tate.
It was also the last for Curt Plotner as head coach. Plotner has been part of the program since 2010 and head coach since 2018. His record in eight seasons as head coach was 126-116. In the eight seasons prior to his hiring, Republic was 72-101.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 - R H E
Republic 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 - 4 9 2
Ozark 1 3 0 1 1 0 X - 6 7 2
Republic Hitting: Lashley 2-4, 2 R; Thomas 3-4, RBI; Blankenship 1-4; Overstreet 2-3, 3 RBI; Perkins 0-3; Hicks 0-3; West 1-3; Moore 0-3; Connell 1-3, R.
Republic Pitching: Thomas (L), 6 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 4 HBP.
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