By: Jackson Wright
After a comfortable 13-2 victory in Tuesday night’s series opener, the Joplin Outlaws dropped both games of a tightly contested doubleheader on Wednesday, falling to the Marshals in a pair of 4-3 losses.
Game 1: Missed Chance Haunts the Outlaws
The tone was set early with both starting pitchers striking out the side in the first inning. However, the Marshals struck first in the second inning, scoring on a Jett Frazier RBI single, but left the bases loaded.
The Outlaws had their threat brewing in the bottom half of the frame with bases loaded and one out, but a strikeout by Garrett Springer and a flyout by Blake Wilson ended the inning without any damage.
The third inning proved to be the difference maker for the Marshals. Colt Weaver launched a two-run homer as part of the three-run inning to give the Marshals a 4-0 lead.
Joplin was held quiet until the fifth inning when they got a two-run single from Carson Hilton, followed by an RBI groundout from Landin Midgett to cut the deficit to one.
However, despite having several runners in scoring position all night, including the tying run on second in the bottom of the seventh, the Outlaws were never able to capitalize. They dropped the game by a final of 4-3.
Game 2: Strong Start is Spoiled Late
Joplin came out of the gates swinging in the second game of the night. In the bottom half of the first inning, the Outlaws plated all three of their runs. Landin Midgett got things started again with an RBI groundout, and Mark Ross followed with an RBI single. Anthony Mazza hits a double, and an error brings Ross in as the Outlaws were quickly ahead 3-0.
Walker Sweet was dominant on the mound. He pitched five scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and one walk, striking out nine Marshals. He worked out of a critical jam in the fifth, stranding two runners after the Marshals threatened with nobody out.
But the sixth inning unraveled quickly. Beau Pasteur enters the game and struggles to find the zone, as the Marshals mounted a four-run rally on just two hits and multiple free passes. The go-ahead run came on a bases-loaded walk to Caleb Johnson, capping off the comeback.
The Outlaws went quietly the rest of the way, dropping Game 2 by a score of 4-3.
Following the sweep, the Outlaws drop their record to 31-12, still in first place in the league. In contrast, Fort Smith moves to 18-25.
The Outlaws will wrap up their series with Fort Smith on Thursday, July 17, before hitting the road for a weekend series in Sherman, Texas, with the third-place Shadowcats.
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