Griffons romp past Joplin

Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail Nevada Griffons shortstop Tommy Fitzgerald tags out the Joplin Slashers' Robert Knight tryng to steal second base during the fifth inning of Wednesday night's game at Lyons Stadium. Catcher Kreed Kurtz's throw was right on the money, and the Griffons rolled to a 10-1 victory. [Click to enlarge]

A pair of late-season acquisitions had a big hand in the Nevada Griffons' 10-1 drubbing of the Joplin Slashers on Wednesday night at Lyons Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Griffons' top hitter, flirting with the .400 plateau all season, also had a hand in sparking Nevada to its eighth win in nine games against the Slashers this season.

Nevada right-hander Nathan Fritz scattered five hits over seven innings to capture the win, while first baseman Walker Moore doubled twice, hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and finished 3-for-4 with a trio of runs batted in.

And, to top it all off, Griffons designated hitter Greg Lagreid belted a two-run homer, his team-leading ninth in the first, and finished 1-for-4 on the night, It leaves his batting average at .399 entering tonight's regular-season home finale. The Griffons entertain Joplin at 7, and it's Fan Appreciation Night at the ballpark as there is free admission.

Despite the win, the Griffons (25-20) will finish in fourth place in the Jayhawk League standings, with tonight's game being the league finale. The El Dorado (Kan.) Broncos (26-19) closed out the league portion of their schedule by splitting with the Liberal (Kan.) BeeJays Wednesday night. Nevada and El Dorado were battling it out for the third automatic berth from the league for the upcoming National Baseball Congress World Series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita. Derby and Hays already have locked up berths.

El Dorado wrapped up the No. 3 slot as it defeated the visiting Liberal (Kan.) BeeJays 7-6 before losing the nightcap, 6-2. Even if the Broncos and Griffons had finished in a tie for third, El Dorado would have the No. 3 spot because it won six of eight games against the Griffons during the regular season.

Nevada is left eyeing an at-large berth for the World Series, something that could very well happen.

"I think they're good," Nevada head coach John Hill III said of the Griffons' at-large chances. "I'll put it this way. The NBC isn't exactly expanding. If anything, the NBC is getting smaller, and they need teams. There's teams from far away and it's a different cost investment for teams from California, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia than it is for us.

"We can drive there and back ... (the faraway teams) have to drive there and be prepared to stay for two weeks and spend thousands upon thousands of dollars. You have the entry fees, motels and food, and its tough. There's always some teams that qualify, but they just can't financially make the commitment to do it. Hopefully, we'll be one of the first teams that are invited."

Fritz, a senior-to-be at Milligan (Tenn.) College, kept the Slashers off-stride throughout in winning his first game in three decisions. After yielding a lead-off walk to Tim Winslow to start the second, Fritz retired 10 of the next 11 batters he faced, capped by getting a called third strike on T.J. Franklin to start the fifth.

By then, the Griffons were in control, leading 7-1.

"He came late," Hill said of Fritz going to a summer school session at Milligan. "He joined us on June 25, and he's gotten a little bit better every single start and we just hope he continues that.

"That's what he's capable of doing. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to get him another start in the NBC World Series. He led the nation for ERA (1.01 earned run average at Milligan) for NAIA schools. "

The lone run Joplin scored was unearned as lead-off hitter Robert Knight, who finished 3-for-4, including 3-for-3 against Fritz, doubled to start the third. He moved to third on Derek Coleman's groundout and scored on a passed ball.

"I've felt good about every time out," Fritz, a native of Kingsport, Tenn., drawled. "It's good to get some runs. The guys really swung the bat well (totaling 13 hits) and they played good defense behind me, too.

"I was throwing about 80 percent fastballs, especially when you've got a lead. You just try not to walk anybody, and the fastball is the best pitch. I just try to pound the strike zone and make them put it in play. I had a good feel of the strike zone."

Moore, a graduate of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, who was a redshirt freshman at the University of Arizona last spring, said he started hitting his stride when the Griffons returned home from a 10-game road trip that concluded on Sunday.

"I got back home here, and the ball kind of looks like a watermelon up there," said the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Liberal BeeJays castaway. "It looks pretty good, so I'm just trying to be ready to hit and not miss my pitch."

Moore also had a double to right-center in the second game of a doubleheader with Joplin on Tuesday, a 12-4 victory, meaning he has four extra-base hits in his last two games.

"As long as he stays away from being pull-happy, he's going to continue to keep swinging his bat better," Hill said of the right-handed-hitting Moore, who pulled both of his doubles, along with his homer. "What got him to be successful was when he started going the other way.

"He hit the big bomb to left field and that was nice to see. He's shown some power like that in batting practice. We hadn't seen it in a game."

Undoubtedly, Lagreid would like nothing better than finishing the regular season above .400.

"Everyone has personal goals that they shoot for," Hill said of Lagreid's quest. "Greg just wants to hit the ball and get RBIs for our team and do his job.

"That's what makes him such a good hitter. His job is to drive in runs, and he's in the No. 4 hole for a reason, and that's not to hit .400.

"We're not going to complain if he hits .400. He just goes up there and he stays in the moment, which is his at-bat, and he takes care of his at-bat. He doesn't worry about what he's done in the past or what will happen in the future, and that's what makes a good ballplayer."

Lagreid says he tries to put the .400 talk aside.

"I try not to worry about that too much," Lagreid said. "If I get a good pitch to hit, I try to hit it. I try not to think about numbers. It's hard, with everybody saying this and that, but ..."

And then there's Lagreid's penchant for coming up with the key hit with two out this season. Of his team-leading 55 runs batted in, 32 have come with two outs.

"I think there's a subconscious thing going on that it's like you have to clutch up, especially in tight situations. It's definitely important to drive in those two-out runs."

Anthony Ottrando finished 2-for-4 for the Griffons, including a solo homer with one out in the fifth.

Griffons center fielder Nick Adams was 3-for-4 on the night as the left-handed-hitting South Dakota State player was driving the ball to the opposite field. Adams' .349 average ranks second to Lagreid among everyday players.

In the last three games, Adams is 7-for-11 with four runs scored and four RBI.