NMCC slips by Doniphan then falls to Holcomb

sports@standard-democrat.com

MALDEN -- Fighting back from a late four-run deficit on Friday, New Madrid County Central pumped out five runs in the seventh inning to beat Doniphan 12-11 in their first game of the Malden Invitational Tournament.

"We definitely have no quit in us, that's for sure," Eagles' head coach Joseph McClarty said. "We're just hit and miss right now. On Thursday we play Dexter 1-0 where we played a flawless defensive game and didn't swing the bats very well.

"Then today the bats woke up, but we didn't field the ball very well. But the kids didn't quit and we kept fighting until the end."

Surrendering five runs on three errors and four hits in the bottom of the first, NMCC spent the better part of the contest trying to fight from behind.

After putting their first run on the board in the fourth, the Eagles' offense finally broke free for a six-run rally in the fifth.

Batting around the order in the frame, the Eagles got things started when Sam Barnett was hit by a pitch, followed by a misplayed fielder's choice to leave runners on first and second.

Lead off hitter Kyle Harris made the Don's pay for their mistake with a bases clearing double to left field. An infield error in the next at bat plated Harris for the Eagles' third run of the rally.

Later in the frame, JaShawn McDaniel gave NMCC its first lead of the game, at 6-5, with a three-run home run over the left field fence.

"Our pitcher's ball got elevated," Doniphan head coach Ryan Adams said. "Their guys were kind of lifting the ball out and they did a good job of putting the ball in play and making us work for it. They played a good game."

As quickly as they had taken the momentum, however, the Eagles found themselves back in a hole after giving up six runs to Doniphan in the bottom of the sixth.

Starting with a hit batter in the lead off spot, six straight batters reached before coming around to score.

After loading the bases, Doniphan brought in two runs on a pair of infield errors to tie the game. Lining a shot to deep right, Ben Manuel put the Dons back on top, 9-7, with a two-RBI double.

With a single from Bo Blackwell and a groundout by Drew Short each bringing in a run, the Dons were able to pull out an 11-7 advantage going into the top of the seventh.

With NMCC down to their final three outs, Harris once again kicked off an NMCC rally in a big way.

Besting the double in his previous at bat, Harris opened the inning with a solo home run to cut the Eagles' deficit to three before NMCC loaded the bases.

A bases-loaded walk to Tim Clayton drew in another run before a double from Barnett tied the game.

Still with only one out, a ground out to short from Logan Frazier brought home the winning run from third as NMCC went up 12-11.

"Kyle Harris is leading off and he hits a bomb," McClarty said. "It just got the kids excited and we just built off that and put some good at bats together. We got to their pitcher and ended up pulling out the win somehow."

On the mound in relief, Harris struck out the side in the bottom of the frame to seal the win.

Coming in to spell starter Denton Daugherty with one out in the sixth, Harris struck out four while allowing one hit in 1 2/3 innings work to pick up the win.

"He came in and threw some smoke," McClarty said. "He kept the ball down and worked his breaking ball in there real well. You can't ask for anything better. That's what you expect out of a senior leader like that, to come in and just settle everybody down and then take control there in that last inning."

Leading the Eagles' seven hit performance, Harris went 2 for 4 with a double and home run, driving in three runs while Daugherty, Smith and Barnett had a double each. McDaniel had the game's only other home run with his three-run shot in the fifth.

For Doniphan, Manuel went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBI to top an 11-hit afternoon by the Dons. David Baca went 2 for 4 with a double.

"We're coming off a terrible loss to Holcomb were the guys didn't hit the ball at all," Adams said. "I was very proud of the way we hit the ball and of the way we pitched the ball. It was just a couple of costly errors that could have got us out of innings and situations that happened."

NMCC 000 160 5 - 12 7 5

Doniphan 500 006 0 - 11 11 2

WP -- Kyle Harris. LP -- Davis Baca. Multiple hitters: (N) Kyle Harris 2-4; (D) David Baca 2-4, Ben Manuel 3-4, Bo Blackwell 2-4. 2B -- (N) Harris, Denton Daugherty, Gabe Smith, Sam Barnett; (D) Baca, Manuel. HR -- (N) Harris.

Holcomb 12, NMCC

MALDEN -- The Holcomb Hornets booked its spot in Saturday's championship pool with a convincing 12-0 win against New Madrid County Central Friday.

Holcomb starting pitcher David McDaniel collected a complete-game win, allowing only one hit in the contest.

A 9-run third inning for the Hornets provided the runs Holcomb needed to collect a five-inning run-rule win.

NMCC coach Joseph McClarty: "I don't feel like we used up any bullets in the first game. I just don't feel like we came out to play the second game. Mentally we've got to be prepared. I know it was an up-and-down game the game before and mentally you have to be prepared every pitch to play. We were mentally lost the second game against Holcomb.

"We've got two games Saturday," McClarty said. "We will bounce back. We are going to come back and play hard. We'll be fine."

NMCC 000 00 - 0 1 0

Holcomb 109 2X - 12 12 0

WP - David McDaniel. LP - Jimmy Ash. 3B - Cameron Clark (H), 2B - Michael Glover (H). Multiple Hits: Holcomb - David McDaniel 2-3, Michael Glover 2-3, Aaron Reeves 3-3, Hunter Swafford 2-3.