Three losses eliminate LaCoMo East from contention

Home-field advantage didn't turn out to be as much of an advantage as was hoped for the LaCoMo East Minor League all-star baseball team this past weekend.

LaCoMo East dropped each of its three games, thus not be-ing able to play in the championship contest Monday night at the Concordia Sports Com-plex.

The first game, the LaCoMo East all-stars were beaten 15-5 by Campbell, the representative from District 3, Friday.

LaCoMo East's best showing ended in a loss by giving up a run in the bottom of the sixth inning on Saturday to Cole County, the District 4 winner. Cole County won the game 8-7.

Sunday night, the LaCoMo East all-stars lost to Joplin South, the winner of District 2, 12-2.

Carter Singleton was in a zone as far as a hitter, going three-for-three. But LaCoMo East managed only one other hit off of Joplin South's pitching.

Joplin South took control of the game in the bottom of the first inning, knocking out La-CoMo East's starting pitcher Hunter Sims. Joplin South scored four runs.

Joplin South touched up Taiven Thomas, the pitcher who relieved Hunter Sims, for five more tallies in the bottom of the second.

LaCoMo East broke into the scoring column with two runs in the top of the third. But Joplin South responded with another counter for a 10-2 ad-vantage.

Joplin South ended the game via the 10-run rule with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth off the serves of Luke Roepe.

Joplin South's four-run first came courtesy of five walks and a hit batter. There were no hits.

Three singles, a double, a hit batter and a walk produced five second-inning runs for Joplin South.

LaCoMo East missed scoring chances in each of the first two frames, leaving a runner on third base in the first inning and getting a runner to second in the second inning.

LaCoMo East broke through in the top of the third, scoring two runs after two were out.

Singleton singled. That was followed by Hunter Sims be-ing hit by a pitch and Roepe, Alex Edwards and Wyatt Sims each drawing walks.

The rally ended when Tho-mas hit into a fielder's choice.

A single and a walk produced Joplin South's fourth-inning run.

The game-ending two-run rally for Joplin South consisted of three base hits.

Singleton led the LaCoMo East offense with a double and two singles and a run scored. Thomas had the other hit, a single. Hunter Sims scored the other run. Edwards and Wyatt Sims each drove in a run.

In his two-thirds of an in-ning on the hill, Hunter Sims allowed four runs on four walks and struck out one. Tho-mas surrendered six runs on five hits and three walks while fanning five in 3-2/3 innings. Roepe was touched up for two runs on three hits in the fifth frame.

Just after LaCoMo East rallied to score two runs, tying the game 7-7 in the top of the sixth inning, Cole County re-sponded by scoring the winning run in the bottom half.

LaCoMo East grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. But Cole County rattled its bats to score four runs in the bottom half. LaCoMo East tied the game with two runs in the top of the third.

Cole County regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth and led 7-5 through five frames.

Trailing by two in the top of the sixth, LaCoMo East got an RBI ground out off the bat of Thomas and a run-scoring double from Roepe. Roepe stole third, but he was stranded as Edwards struck out.

Drew Doerhoff opened the bottom of the sixth with a double and scored on a one-out single by Taylor Hopkins for the game-winner.

LaCoMo East had six hits, including a single and a double by Roepe and two base hits by Thomas. Singleton and Wyatt Sims each added a base hit.

LaCoMo East's runs in the first inning were due to three walks and seven stolen bases. LaCoMo East's lone hit in the third inning was a single by Thomas.

Singleton singled, stole second and third and scored on a base hit by Thomas in the fifth.

Singleton scored three runs and Nick Ortzian, Roepe, Tho-mas and Peyton Moore one each. Thomas had two RBIs and Roepe one.

Singleton allowed five runs in the first four innings on the hill. He gave them up on nine hits and a walk while striking out four. Roepe surrendered two runs on three hits and struck out one in two-thirds of the fifth inning.

Coming on with two outs in the fifth and suffering the loss was Ortzian. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk and struck out one.

LaCoMo East jumped out to a 4-0 in the top of the first inning. But the rest of the game belonged to Campbell.

Campbell batted around, scoring eight first-inning runs and led 8-5 after two frames. Campbell put away the game with a five-run third inning.

Campbell ended the contest with two runs in the fourth, ending the contest via the 10-run rule.

Ortzian started the four-run first by reaching on an error. He advanced into scoring position on a bunt single by Sin-gleton. Roepe drew a one-out walk to load the bases, which was followed by an RBI walk drawn by Wyatt Sims. Another walk to Austin Droege drove in a run, and Thomas drilled a two-run base hit.

Campbell's pitcher stopped the bleeding by registering two straight strikeouts.

Campbell had six hits and drew three walks in its eight-run first frame. Campbell also benefited from a LaCoMo East error.

Singleton reached on an er-ror with one out in the top of the second. He moved around to third on walks to Hunter Sims and Roepe and scored on a two-out free pass drawn by Droege. But the bases were left jammed when Thomas fanned.

Campbell's five-run third inning consisted of four singles, a hit batter, a walk and a LaCoMo East miscue.

The game-ending two-run rally was the result of two hits, a walk, an error and a fielder's choice.

LaCoMo East had seven hits, including two singles each from Ortzian and Single-ton. Roepe, Thomas and Jacob Dillon each had one base hit. Singleton scored two runs and Ortzian, Roepe and Wyatt Sims one each. Droege and Thomas each knocked in two runs and Wyatt Sims one.

Hunter Sims pitched the first one-third of an inning, al-lowing two walks and three hits. Pitching through the second was Thomas, allowing two hits, one walk and striking out two. Edwards went an in-ning, allowing six hits and two walks and fanning one. Sin-gleton also allowed two hits in his mound stint.

Joplin South throttled Campbell 14-2 to win the championship Monday night.

Joplin South, which had beaten Campbell 17-6 in round-robin play Saturday, finished the tournament 4-0. Campbell wound up 2-2. Cole County was 1-2 and LaCoMo East 0-3.