Republic came back from two runs down to tie Joplin in the fifth inning, but Joplin scored three runs in the sixth and beat the Lady Tigers 6-3 Wednesday at Republic.
The Lady Tigers committed seven errors, and three of Joplin’s six runs were unearned.
Republic scored first. Maddie Carter singled in the first inning and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Mia Carnes, and with two outs Emma Ellison walked and Maddie Taylor singled to the pitcher to score courtesy runner Harper Lankford.
Joplin tied it 1-1 with a sacrifice fly in the third and went ahead 3-1 on back-to-back home runs in the fifth.
Republic answered in the bottom of the fifth. Carnes was hit by a pitch, and with two outs Pitchford doubled to right to score her. Pitchford took third on the throw. Ellison hit a ground ball that the third baseman misplayed, and Pitchford scored to tie it 3-3.
But Joplin scored the three go-ahead runs in the sixth on two hits, a walk and an error.
Game page →Carnes and Kendra Goeke singled in the seventh, and Pitchford’s ground out moved them to second and third, but Ellison grounded out to end the game.
Goeke pitched the first four innings and allowed two hits and an unearned run with three strikeouts and one walk. Kennedy Smithson took the loss, and Pitchford pitched the last 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit.
Goeke had a double and a single for two of Republic’s six hits.
The Lady Tigers are 8-20-1. They host Webb City Thursday at 5 p.m.
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