Nevada bounces back with win over Carthage

Nevada shortstop Justin Reed tags out Carthage baserunner Alex Allan while attempting to steal second base during the second inning of Nevada's 6-2 win at Lyons Stadium. Catcher Keith Overton (not pictured) made the throw. Nevada played one of their most complete games of the season to win their Southwest Conference opener.

NEVADA, Mo. -- Avenging an earlier loss that didn't count toward their league record, the Nevada Tigers downed the Carthage Tigers 6-2 Wednesday, kicking off their Southwest Conference slate in style.

Nevada (6-6 overall, 1-0 in the conference) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and rode a combination of impressive pitching and solid defense to hand Carthage (8-7, 0-2) their sixth consecutive loss.

Starter Cody Thompson pitched four strong frames and Jerrod Alexander nailed down the last three as the duo kept Carthage off balance.

Thompson struck out seven and allowed two earned runs without walking anybody to collect the win. The junior lefty also came through at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Justin Reed added two hits for Nevada, while Chris Eador, Kyle Hughes, Jordan Kerbs and Alexander each had one.

The Tigers manufactured their four first-inning runs.

Kerbs singled leading off, stole second and scored on a single by Thompson.

Thompson stole second himself and was plated by a Reed single.

Reed promptly stole second, went to third on a ground out by Heath Baker and scored on a wild pitch.

Hughes singled with two outs, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored as the tail end of a double steal with Ben Compton, who was on first courtesy running for Keith Overton. Overton had walked to get on.

Nevada scored two more in the second. Thompson singled with one out, and Reed followed with another. Alexander singled to score a run, moving Reed to third.

Reed then scored on a wild pitch, the third of the game for Carthage starter Nathan Martin.

Carthage scored single runs in the second and third innings, but Nevada shut them down the rest of the way.

Carthage had a chance to strike in the sixth inning against Alexander when they loaded the bases with two out. Alexander struck out Alex Allan to end the threat and Nevada secured the win.

"Any time you can start in the conference 1-0, it's big," Nevada head coach Jared Brown said.

Brown was proud of the way Nevada responded after committing eight errors in a loss to Clinton the day before.

"That's something that has to come from within," he said. "They hashed it out and went at it with a lot of enthusiasm, and that's what it takes as a team."

Nevada hosts Webb City in another conference tilt today at Lyons Stadium beginning at 4:30 p.m.