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Wild pitch bails Griffons out in ninth
Nevada Daily Mail
JOPLIN, Mo. -- A wild pitch scored Peter Tountas from third in the top of the ninth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Nevada Griffons won their second straight one-run game after losing eight of their first nine this season.
Nevada topped the Joplin Slashers 3-2 Thursday, forging a modest two-game winning streak going into the NBC qualifying tournament this weekend at Champion Diamonds.
"We've won two straight one-run games," Nevada head coach John Hill III said, his voice tinted with mock surprise and relief.
It was a game that Nevada almost let slip away as they came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie it in the seventh, then squandered a bases loaded opportunity with only one out in the eighth.
Tountas doubled to deep left leading off the ninth, then went to third on a wild pitch by Joplin reliever Matt Frevert.
Another wild pitch allowed Tountas to score, luckily for Nevada since Frevert struck out the side in order.
The run made up for a missed chance in the top of the eighth when Josh Barnett singled leading off.
Barnett stole second and went to third on a passed ball, but Tony Lewis grounded out to second for the first out and Barnett was kept on third base.
Matt Wulfers was intentionally walked and Matt Wagner battled back from an 0-2 hole to walk himself, loading the bases.
Tyler Johnson struck out and Shawn Taylor flew out to right to end the inning.
The Griffons had scored two in the seventh when Wagner singled and Johnson doubled, both with one out.
Taylor grounded into a fielder's choice at third but a wild throw home from Joplin infielder Kolby Tucker allowed Wagner to score and Nevada had their first run of the game.
After Tountas fouled out to right, Scott Dunwoody had his second RBI single in as many games, going up the middle and scoring Johnson from second to tie the game at two.
The Slashers had scored twice in the second inning off Nevada starter Noah Miles.
Mike Hallam doubled down the left-field line and Jacob Julius tripled into the right-field corner for a 1-0 lead.
Julius scored on a ground out by Nate Peterson and the Slashers were up 2-0.
That was the only blemish for Miles, who threw five innings in his first start of the season, allowing six hits and walking none.
"I didn't really feel like I had much on my fastball," Miles said. "It's probably good because I could control it."
The Griffons used four relievers, each throwing an inning.
A.J. Morris, Ryan Anthony and Carter Holt each were impressive, allowing one hit combined and striking out two in three innings.
Holt got the win and John Christian pitched the ninth for the save.
The Griffons improved to 3-8 in one-run games. They're now 9-16 overall, 5-14 in the Jayhawk League.
The Slashers dropped to 15-19, 8-15.
"The best thing about it is it was a team win," Hill said.
The Griffons will play Saturday in the qualifying tournament, with their first game against the MINK League's Topeka Golden Giants at 1:30 p.m.
Notes: Thursday's game was halted for 20 minutes in the sixth inning when Joplin reserve outfielder Kevin Bird was hit in the back of the head by a line drive foul ball. Bird was knocked unconscious for about a minute before coming to. An ambulance was called and Bird was hospitalized overnight for observation. ... the recent bug that took the Griffons by storm at Hays last weekend would make Richard Simmons proud as each of the players involved lost between 10-20 pounds. Griffon first baseman Matt Wagner said, "I can actually see my abs."