NEOSHO, Mo. — The Carthage Tigers fell 9-2 to the Neosho Wildcats on Saturday in the third place game of the Roy B Shaver Classic despite out-hitting them six to five.
Walks and errors plagued the Tigers on the afternoon as the pitching staff issued eight walks and committed five errors as a team.
Blayne Lilienkamp (1-1, 3.00 ERA) started for the Tigers going three innings and allowing seven runs (three earned) on three hits. Lilienkamp issued five walks and struck out five.
Neosho took a 1-0 lead in their half of the first inning on a leadoff walk, an errant pick-off throw and a single to center plated one run.
Carthage tied it up 1-1 in the second inning. With two outs, Lilienkamp singled to right field. Bradyn Tate pinch ran for Lilienkamp and stole second. Mason Adams then delivered a single to right to score Tate.
In the Neosho second, Lilienkamp had a tough time finding the strike zone, walking four batters – including two with the bases loaded. The Tigers also had two errors in the inning and trailed 5-1 after two innings.
In the fourth inning, Neosho would tack on another four runs.
With nobody out, a run already in and two on, Brady Carlton replaced Lilienkamp and faced similar struggles finding the strike zone. Carlton gave up a single, issued two bases-loaded walks and hit another batter with the bases loaded to push the score to 9-1 before getting a fly out to end the inning. Carlton finished with one strikeout.
Ty Perry took over for Carlton in the fifth and pitched two innings of shutout baseball, allowing one hit and striking out one.
The Tigers got their second run of the game in the seventh when Lilienkamp hit a ground rule double to left and Adams followed with a ground ball under the second baseman’s glove to score Lilienkamp.
Adams and Lilienkamp each had two hits for the Tigers. Langston Morgan and Perry had a hit apiece. Morgan also stole two bases to lead the Tigers.
The Tigers (6-2) travel to Mt. Vernon (3-1) to face the Mountaineers Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
