By: Jackson Wright
The Joplin Outlaws hit the road for a unique four-game series this weekend, to square off against the Texarkana Rhinos on a neutral field in Fort Scott, Kansas; the future home of the league’s newest expansion team, the Fort Scott Dragoons.
The opening was an offensive explosion, with both teams coming out swinging and Fort Scott proving to be a hitter-friendly ballpark. Texarkana struck first with a pair of runs off a Cade Park single and a Bodie Amberson triple, aided by an Outlaws error.
The Outlaws responded immediately with a dominant bottom half of the inning. After the bases were loaded via a walk and a string of hits, Murchael Turner unloaded a grand slam, marking his sixth home run of the season. The Outlaws batted around and cruised ahead to a 6-2 lead after the opening frame.
The second inning turned into a home run derby. Texarkana briefly tied up the game at 6 with a pair of home runs, a 3-run shot, and a solo homer. But the Outlaws made the tie game very short-lived. Sending 14 men to the plate, the Outlaws’ offense exploded for 10 runs on seven hits. Again, it was Murchael Turner providing a huge spark, launching his second grand slam of the night and seventh total home run this season. This gave the Outlaws a 16-6 lead after two innings.
Things calmed down slightly in the third. Texarkana added a run after back-to-back walks. However, it didn’t take long before the Outlaws extended their lead back to double digits after Brodrick lined a single that scored two, making the lead 18-7.
The Rhinos continued to battle in the top of the fourth, scoring five runs on four hits to cut into the Outlaws’ lead. Joplin was held scoreless with an 18-12 lead after 4.
After Easton Renn got a three-up, three-down top of the fifth, the game was called due to incoming weather.
The Outlaws move to 29-9, while the Rhinos drop to 12-24.
Outlaws’ player of the game was Murchael Turner, who went 3-4 with 8 RBIs and 2 grand slams.
The series will continue the Fort Scott Series with a 6:05 pm first pitch Saturday, July 12th, and a double header on Sunday, July 13th, starting at 4:05 pm.