Joplin ends Neosho’s season at C5D6 tourney

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Propelled by a four-run third inning, the fifth-seeded Joplin Eagles beat the fourth-seeded Neosho Wildcats 6-4 in their Class 5 District 6 quarterfinal Wednesday at Lee’s Summit.Joplin (19-14) got on the board in the top of the third when Mariah Hagans hit a single to center field that drove in Jessica Diaz. Taylor Love later drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Bella Munn.Raegan Diaz made it a 3-0 game when she plated Hagans with a single to left field. Jessica Madl scored the final run of the inning when she sprinted home on a passed ball.The Eagles increased their lead to 5-0 in the top of the fourth inning when Jessica Diaz scored on a wild pitch.In the bottom of the frame, Neosho’s Amelia Stephens hit a two-run homer over the right field fence that plated Daidin Marshall and pulled the Wildcats (18-16) closer at 5-2.The Eagles got one of those runs back in the top of the fifth when Jessica Diaz scored on a Neosho error and extended Joplin’s lead to 6-2.Neosho’s career home run leader, Sadee Leach, hit a one-out two-run bomb to center that scored Kylie Tomlinson and made it a 6-4 game but the Wildcats' rally fell short as Joplin hung on for the win.Three Eagles recorded multiple hits. Hagans finished 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI, Madl was 2 for 3 with a run and Raegan Diaz went 2 for 4 with one run and an RBI.Ella Watts went the distance for Joplin, giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking two.Stephens was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run for Neosho. Tomlinson was 2 for 3 with a run and Leach went 1 for 3 with a run and one RBI.Neosho starter Harper Wheeler gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits. She struck out 11 and walked nine in seven innings.Joplin now advances to the C5D6 semifinal game against top-seeded Raymore-Peculiar (17-16-1) at 4 p.m. Thursday.No. 3 Webb City and No. 6 Lee’s Summit West were scheduled to play at 4 p.m. Wednesday, and No. 7 Carthage and No. 2 Lee’s Summit were slated to play at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Results of those two games were not available at press time.