File this one away under extraordinary effort by a starting pitcher.

Josh Mason, backed by a potent offense, tossed eight innings Wednesday, limiting Cassville to six hits in a 13-6 win during the American Legion District 15 playoffs at McDonald County High School.

“I knew in the bullpen (before the game) my fastball was sliding out, and I knew if I kept it low I wouldn’t have to throw exceptionally hard,” Mason explained after the game. “I didn’t throw that much junk, I mainly threw a tailing fastball, and they were too far ahead of it.”

Mason’s effort help put the Merchants into unfamiliar territory — a chance to claim a district championship.

Carthage has not won a district title since 2002.

“You can’t say enough about Josh’s performance,” said coach James Kinder. “The thing that really makes Josh effective is when he can get his two-seam (fastball) over.”

The Merchants await the winner of this afternoon’s tilt between Cassville and Neosho.

The winner then will turn right back around and play the Merchants at 7:30 p.m. this evening.

The ball, to say the least, is in Carthage’s court.

The Merchants have an unblemished record, 3-0, thus far in the tournament, and would have to lose today and tomorrow to be eliminated.

For now, the Merchants are feeling upbeat.

“That was probably the most complete game we have played all summer,” Kinder exclaimed.

Feelings aside, the Merchants, who continue to find a way to pull off the impossible, know anything is possible.

“With (pitcher Kyle Wicklund) leaving because of vacation, we’re not going to have very much pitching,” said Caleb Fierro. “We’re going to have to hit the ball.”

  All nine starters had at least one hit in a balanced 15-hit attack.

 Fierro gave the Merchants a 3-0 lead in the first with his fourth home run of the season and the second of the tournament.

“I went up and wanted to help get my team going,” Fierro said. “We have to come out (today) and play our best baseball.”

Fierro’s blast was part of a six-run first inning that set the tone for the Merchants, and gave Mason plenty of breathing room on the mound.

“I tried to keep them off balanced,” said Mason who pitched to contact.

“They were an aggressive team and swung at strikes. Fortunately, they didn’t hit the ball exceptionally hard.”

In fact, Kason Koelsch was the only batter to put a charge into one of Mason’s pitches.

Koelsch hit a towering three-run homer in the seventh to cut the Merchants lead in half, 10-5, but it never got any closer.

Carthage collected two hits, including an RBI single by Stephen Poston, in its half of the seventh and scored three runs to put the brakes on a Cassville comeback.

“I think that really knocked the wind out of their sails,” Kinder said of the Merchants three-run seventh.

In all, the Merchants hit three long balls against Cassville as they continue to take advantage of McDonald County’s inviting small ballpark.

Josh Collins and Dalton Cossey got in on the act with a pair of homers.

Collins hit a two-run shot in the fourth, while Cossey hit a solo homer in the fifth.