FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Joplin Outlaws held off a late rally by the Fort Smith Marshals to secure a 10-8 win at Crowder Field last night.
The Outlaws struck first in the second inning when Anthony Mazza scored on a throwing error by Marshals’ catcher Cayden Treibt.
Fort Smith responded swiftly, taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom half as Matthew Schilling’s single and Michael Speck’s bases-loaded walk drove in Kooper McCoy and Seth Hubbard.
Joplin regained the lead in the third, capitalizing on another Fort Smith error as Ravaughn Morgan’s double and Murchael Turner’s sacrifice fly plated two runs. They extended their advantage in the fourth with RBI singles from Andre Jackson II and Jace Midgett, making it 5-2.
The Marshals fought back in the fourth when Schilling crushed a two-run homer, scoring Austin Deal to narrow the gap to 5-4.
Joplin answered in the fifth with RBI singles from Jackson Mervosh and Mark Ross II, pushing their lead to 7-4. After a quiet sixth, the Outlaws added a run in the seventh via Mazza’s sacrifice fly.
Fort Smith mounted a comeback in the bottom half, scoring three runs on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Cayden Treibt and Hubbard’s two-RBI single, cutting the deficit to 8-7.
Joplin sealed the game in the eighth with Turner’s two-RBI double, scoring Morgan and Luke Graham.
Turner led Joplin’s offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and three RBI. Mervosh and Ross II each had two hits, while Jackson II and Mazza contributed key RBI. For Fort Smith, Schilling shone, going 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI, and Callahan went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.
Joplin’s Braden Blundell earned the win, pitching five innings and allowing four runs on five hits. Beau Pasteur struggled in relief, giving up three runs, but Jackson II’s clutch pitching secured the save.
Fort Smith’s Ty Jones took the loss, surrendering five runs (three earned) over 3.2 innings, while Austin Deal allowed five runs in relief.