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Price is right as Griffons take three of four from Joplin
By Joe Warren
Nevada Daily Mail
JOPLIN, Mo. -- The Nevada Griffons pounded out 15 hits and received six rugged innings from starter Lendsey Thomson as they topped the Joplin Slashers Monday, 10-3.
The win gave Nevada three out of four against the Slashers over the weekend, and improved the Griffons' record to 8-2 when facing Joplin this season.
"We've shown we can beat Joplin," Nevada head coach John Hill III said. "You take away their losses against us in the league and they are pretty good against everyone else."
Nevada also won a home game against the Slashers Saturday, then split a doubleheader in Joplin Sunday.
The Griffons are now 22-27 this season overall, 13-24 in the Jayhawk League. Six of their wins over the Slashers came in league play, and the two teams meet one last time this season on Wednesday at Lyons Stadium in another league contest.
The Slashers dropped to 27-34 overall, 14-25 in the league.
In Monday's game, Nevada jumped out to an early lead as Shawn Taylor and T.J. Prentice both singled and scored in the first. Derrick Chambers drove Taylor in and Prentice scored from third on a dropped third strike to Matt Wagner. Wagner struck out swinging but took off for first as the ball trickled away from Joplin catcher Nate Peterson. Peterson recovered in time to throw Wagner out at first but Prentice scored on the play to give the Griffons a 2-0 lead.
Nevada added a pair in the second inning when Eli Rumler and Daniel Dellasega each singled with one out. Dellasega's hit was mishandled by left fielder Derrick Coleman, allowing both runners to advance an extra base.
With runners on second and third with two outs, Taylor singled to center and both runners scored to make it 4-0.
Joplin scored twice in the fourth but left the bases loaded as Thompson worked out of one of many jams. The Missouri-bound right hander had runners on base in every inning except the first, but managed to give up only two runs against the Slashers in six frames.
"He battled," was all Hill said about the former Fort Scott Community College pitcher.
Nevada got both runs back in the sixth off three singles and an RBI groundout by Kyle Mach. Kenny Price, Scott Dunwoody and Rumler all had hits in the inning, Rumler's driving in Price from third.
Nevada added four runs in the seventh to put the game away, with the biggest blow a two-run single by Dellasega.
Joplin scored once off three walks and a single in the ninth for the final tally.
In his first game back from a shoulder injury, Dellasega played third base and went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Taylor was 3-for-5 in the game with three RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base.
Rumler also had three hits and Wagner had two for the suddenly potent Nevada attack.
The Griffons averaged more than 11 hits a game during the four-game set against the Slashers.
In Sunday's first contest, Price supplied the biggest bat going 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Each of Price's hits drove in a pair, the second of which propelled the Griffons to a 9-7 victory in eight innings.
Price now has a seven game hitting streak, and is batting .400 over his last nine games, with eight RBIs. The outfielder has raised his batting average 96 points during that span, and is now at .226 this season.
Dunwoody also continued his tear in the first game of the twin bill. Dunwoody came off the bench in the fourth inning to replace injured Brandon Sears, then went 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the eighth inning.
The game was tied at five after seven innings forcing the extra frame, and Joplin scored twice in the bottom of the eighth but Jon Christian closed the door with the tying runners in scoring position for his seventh save.
Mach, Chambers and Taylor each had two hits in that first game, as Nevada collected 13 as a team in the scheduled seven inning affair.
T.J. Prentice hit his first home run of the season in the first inning to get the offense started.
In the second game Joplin made the most of six hits, scoring four runs (all in the first inning) and holding off Nevada 4-3.
The Griffons had nine hits in the seven-inning game, but a big baserunning error cost them dearly in the second inning.
Mach had singled leading off, and after Matt Wulfers flew out to left, Wagner singled. Price was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dunwoody singled to right scoring Mach, and Wagner was held up on third. Price thought Wagner was going to score from second on the play, so he went halfway to third base before realizing Wagner was there, and he was caught off the bag.
Price was tagged out by shortstop Lino Mariot in a rundown, and Dunwoody tried to advance to second on the play but was thrown out to end the inning.
"We didn't give ourselves a chance to see ourselves through that inning," Hill said. "You usually only get one chance a game at a big inning and that was ours."
Nevada did have other chances to score, leaving eight men on base in the final six innings of the game.
A single by Taylor, double by Chambers and single by Mach produced two more runs in the third, but that was all the Griffons could muster.
Saturday it was Nevada taking advantage of four Joplin errors to win 7-2.
A.J. Morris pitched five strong innings in his first start of the season to collect the win, and Matt Wulfers hit a two-run homer in the victory.
Mach added a two-run double in the game, while Prentice and Chambers also had RBIs.
The Griffons are home tonight when they host the El Dorado Broncos in another league contest. The Nevada Daily Mail is sponsoring the game so admission is free and there are lots of scheduled giveaways, including three two-night vacation packages.
The Griffons are also still holding drawings for both a Johnny Bench-signed baseball and a Mark Teahen-signed bat. Chances for each are $1.
The bat is one of Teahen's personal sticks, complete with his name stamped in the barrel.