Making his first start of the season, Webb City senior Kyle Hicks made some key pitches at key times and his defense came through numerous times.

Hicks ran into problems in the top of the seventh inning, but freshman Tyler Burgess got out of a bases loaded jam with little damage and Webb City held on for a 6-4 victory over visiting Neosho Friday afternoon at Barnes Field.

The victory by the Cardinals, who jumped up from No. 8 to No. 5 in the latest Missouri State High School Baseball Coaches Association Poll, allows for no worse than a share of the final Southwest Conference championship.

The Cardinals have one game left in league play, against Carthage, the only team to have defeated them in league play. The two play Tuesday and if Webb City wins, it locks up its eighth straight SWC title.

The latest win in league play for the Cardinals was a lot more difficult then the 14-0 setback they handed Neosho the previous Saturday.

Despite jumping out to a 5-0 lead, Webb City held on with everything it had to secure the win as a valiant rally by the Wildcats (7-13, 2-5) came up just short.

Webb City (16-5, 6-1) came up with a big insurance run in the sixth inning and then held on as a four-run lead dwindled to two runs.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Mack Kyle ended a mini-slump with a single to left field. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Lepper, Kyle trotted to third base when an errant pickoff throw sailed into center field. A double by Patrick Drake made it 6-2.

Hicks, who was very efficient with his pitches, ran into trouble in the seventh inning after getting a groundout to open the inning. The next four batters reached safely to spark the Wildcat rally.

Pinch hitter Anthony Hendrix walked and moved to second when Austin Paul reached on an infield single. Koty Dowell then singled to bring home Hendrix, making it 6-3. A fielding error on Anthony Westfield’s ground ball loaded the bases.

Burgess then came in to pitch in relief of Hicks.

Neosho got a flyball to right field, but with the second out recorded, the runner from third didn’t tag up to score. Ty Anderson then came through with a two-run single to make it 6-4, scoring Paul.

A long flyball went to right field to end the game, as Cameron Beaver made the catch for the final out.

Burgess got the save, while Hicks got his first win of the season and his first victory of the year.

“It wouldn’t have shocked me if he threw a complete game,” said Webb City coach Shawn Mayes of his starter. “He threw the ball. He kept the ball down and competed.”
The Cardinals provided all the offense that Hicks needed for the win in the second inning.

Neosho’s Scooter Lewis got a line drive out to start the bottom of the second inning. A dropped popfly allowed Austin Lepper to reach base safely. Drake then singled to put two runners on base. Jordan Hickman reached safely on a fielder’s choice, as Drake slid in safely at second base what could’ve been a force out.

Jerick Swarens then grounded out to shortstop, but it allowed Lepper to score, making it 1-0. Braxton Perry then reached on an infield single, driving in Drake, making it 2-0.

The wind, blowing in excess of 20 miles per hour from left field towards right field, played a factor on the next play.

Darren Aggus hit a flyball to right field and the wind pushed the ball beyond the reach of the right fielder. The ball bounced on the warning track and the Webb City leadoff hitter was dashing around the bases. A relay throw home was a tad late and Aggus slid safely underneath a tag for an inside-the-park three-run homer.

Neosho broke up the shutout in the fourth inning, but it was also the start of Hicks getting a big lift from his defense in three consecutive innings.

Carter Marion drew a leadoff walk and scored when Drew Miller tripled to right field, a hit that was also blown by the strong winds. Miller then scored when Kyle Dickens provided a sacrifice fly.

Scott Wilson was hit by a pitch with one out, but Hicks got the next batter to hit into a 6-4-3 (shortstop to second baseman to first baseman) double play to end the scoring threat.

It was a harbinger of things to come for the Wildcats.

Dowell singled to open the fifth inning, before Hicks coaxed another 6-4-3 double play.
In the sixth inning, Marion had a one-out single, before Hicks got his third straight 6-4-3 double play to escape the inning.

“I felt that we would score more runs than we did,” said Neosho coach Eddie Crupper. “But they turned three double plays on hard hit ground balls. If they are in the hole instead of to them, it’s a completely different game.

“I think we responded well after the second inning.”

Neosho turned one double play in the game, but it was a rather unusual one.
In the fifth inning Marion fielded a ground ball and caught a Webb City base runner in a rundown. After getting the runner out at second base, Marion chased down the second base runner and threw to Austin Paul to complete the double play.

And for those scoring at home, it went 6-4-5-6-3, from Marion to Dowell to Miller back to Marion to Paul.

Neosho returns to action Monday, playing at McDonald County, in what will be the team’s final Southwest Conference game ever, starting at 4:30 p.m. in Anderson.