By: Jackson Wright
The Joplin Outlaws are back on top of the Mid-America League. With a relentless offensive surge and clutch pitching in late innings, the Outlaws defeated the Abilene Flying Bison 10-6 in Game 3 of the championship series. The victory secured Joplin’s second straight league title, repeating their 2024 triumph over the same opponent.
After starter Keaton Anderson slammed the door on Abilene’s threat, Joplin immediately got the bats going. Back-to-back errors put Andre Jackson and Tyler Brodrick on base, setting the stage for Luke Shannahan’s RBI single, giving the Outlaws an early 1-0 lead.
Joplin broke the game open in the second, highlighted by Mark Ross’s leadoff double, Jackson Mervosh’s RBI double, and Brodrick’s two-run single. Murchael Turner then capped off the 5-run inning with a two-run blast to left field to make it 6-0.
Abilen chipped away in the third. A leadoff double and sacrifice fly put the visitors on the board at 6-1. Both teams went quietly in the fourth, with Turner’s single being the only offense.
The Flying Bison continued to claw back in the fifth, using back-to-back walks and an RBI single to cut the lead down to 6-2, as Anderson escaped further damage. The sixth inning however, saw Abilene’s biggest surge. Sending 10 men to the plate, the visitors loaded the bases with three straight batters, then strung together three consecutive run-scoring singles to erase the deficit and tie the game at 6-6. League Reliever of the Year, Marcus Young, entered the game with bases loaded, but shut the door to preserve the tie.
Young came up big again in the seventh, escaping another bases-loaded jam before the Outlaws’ offense exploded. Brodrick and Turner singled, Shannahan walked, and Reece Bariola was hit by a pitch to bring home the go-ahead run. A bases-loaded walk Ross, a passed ball, and Garrett Springer’s RBI single extended the lead to 10-6.
From there, Young took over. Retiring the side in order in the eighth and allowing just one baserunner in the ninth to lock down the championship.
Turner finished the game 3-4 with a homer and was named Playoff MVP after hitting .462 (6-13) with eight RBIs in the series. Young’s 3 ⅔ scoreless innings with four strikeouts proved pivotal as he earns the win and Joplin wrapped up its 50-16 season with another trophy.