Nevada baseball wins two in tournament play

CARTHAGE -- After a rough start, the Nevada Tigers baseball team finished the Bill O'Dell Tournament on a high note, with two straight wins at Carl Lewton Stadium. The first of those wins came against the Carthage junior varsity squad by a final score of 10-0 and the second came against Mount Vernon, 5-4.

Against the Carthage JV, Clay Regers picked up the victory, allowing just three hits with two strikeouts and three walks in four innings of work. Derek O'Dell finished the contest, recording three strikeouts without a hit in one inning.

Alex Payne, Taylor Manes and Cole Sanderson each recorded two hits in the contest, while Manes score two runs and Payne scored three. Both of Sanderson's hits were doubles and he added three RBIs, while Payne and Brett Norton each had two.

Against Mount Vernon, Grant Wolfe got the start on the mound, but a four-run sixth inning that gave the Mountaineers a 4-2 lead took him out of the running for the win. Easton Mitchell got that distinction, as he allowed one hit with two strikeouts and no runs in 1 2/3 innings of work.

"Grant pitched well (and) was down in the zone, most of the game," Penn said. "He started struggling with command as his pitch count got up into the 80s.

"He had a couple of walks later in the game that came back to bite us. Easton came in and threw strikes, and our defense played well, most of the game."

Wolfe finished the day allowing four earned runs on three his with five strikeouts, four walks and a hit batter in 5 1/3 innings of work.

The lower part of the order did most of the damage for the Tigers, led by a solid day at the plate from Regers and Andy Heathman. Regers finished the day 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, a stolen base and one RBI, while Heathman finished 3-3 with a triple, one run scored and two RBIs.

Both Regers and Heathman came up big for the Tigers in the seventh inning, as Regers tied the game with an RBI hit in the frame and Heathman won it with a two-out, walk-off single to left.

"Offensively, the bottom of our order carried us today," Penn said. "We put an emphasis on hitting the ball to the opposite field, and Clay Regers and Andy Heathman really put it in effect during the game. Without the efforts of Clay and Andy, we don't win today's ballgame."

Though Penn did say he was pleased with the win, there are still some major issues the Tigers will have to work out, as the season progresses. The most significant of those was one that caused the Tigers problems in a number of games last season -- situational hitting.

"I'm happy with the fact that we won the game, but there are still some big areas where we have to improve," Penn said. "Namely, situational hitting."

With those wins, the Tigers improved to 4-2 on the season and were scheduled to be back in action on Monday, against the Bulldogs of Carl Junction High School, but that contest was called off due to inclement weather. Next on the schedule for the Tigers is Tuesday, when they host the Eagles of Joplin High School, weather and field conditions permitting.

First pitch in that contest is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., at Lyons Stadium.