Cardinals, Beverlin defeat Carthage 11-1
Apr. 16—WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Webb City Cardinals baseball team rode the strength of strong pitching augmented by plenty of run support in an 11-1 run-rule win over the Carthage Tigers on Tuesday at Webb City.
Cardinals southpaw Luke Beverlin exerted control early, striking out the first three batters he faced, and added two more strikeouts in the top of the second inning.
Webb City (14-4) got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Andrew Young's line-drive triple to center field plated Hunter Shull and Sam Weber. The Redbirds made it a 3-0 game when Young scored on a sacrifice grounder off the bat of Mason Williams.
Beverlin tallied three more strikeouts, including an inning-ending bases-loaded strikeout of Carthage's Blayne Lilienkamp in the top of the third inning.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the frame when Drew Vonder Haar scored on a wild pitch.
Beverlin's strike total swelled to 10 after fanning two hitters in the top of the fourth inning. Webb City plated a run in the bottom of the inning when Shaun Hunt drove in Young with a double to right field to make it 5-0. Young reached second base earlier on his third stolen base of the game.
Carthage (11-9) avoided the shutout in the top of the fifth inning when Cooper Lilienkamp scored on a Landon West triple to right field.
The Cardinals stretched their lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Christian Brock scored on a passed ball. Andrew Young made it 8-0 with a single that plated Brett Korth and Shull. The lead ballooned to 10-1 on a Hunt double that brought Brody Eggleston across the plate.
Vonder Haar secured the 11-1 run-rule win when he doubled and plated Andrew Elwell.
Beverlin fanned 11 batters while giving up five hits and walking one in five innings of work.
Young led the Cardinals offensively, going 3 for 3 with four RBIs, three runs and three stolen bags. Hunt finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Vonder Harr went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI.
Bland shouldered the loss for Carthage after giving up five earned runs on five hits in four innings of work; he struck out six and walked five.
West led Carthage after going 1 for 3 with an RBI. Cooper Lilienkamp finished 1 for 3 with a run.
The Cardinals host Nixa (13-8) on Thursday, while Carthage will entertain Republic (11-9) on Friday.