Nixa bats erupt for 12 runs in win over Pleasant Hope

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By Dana Harding

Nixa — 24 hours after falling prey to a late-inning comeback at Reeds Spring, Thursday’s home opener was NIxa’s turn to rally.

Down 1-0 to Pleasant Hope, the Lady Eagles poured in 12 runs in two innings for a 12-1 run-rule decision.

With his team out to a slow start, Nixa head coach Matt Walker wanted to ensure any lingering doubts from the previous game’s collapse were erased.

“We had a little conversation between the second and third,” Walker said. “I think we were still having a little hangover from last night, getting beat late, but we started squaring up the ball and hitting it hard.”

Pleasant Hope starter Jaydin Lee was able to keeping the Nixa bats quiet for the first two innings; however, the sophomore pitcher found trouble in the third with six straight hits allowed.

Following back-to-back RBIs from Rylie Bennet and Shelby Ritz, Morgan Jones broke the game open with a 3-run bomb over the left center wall to give the Lady Eagles a 5-1 lead.

“[Lee] threw one up in the zone which, normally, I don’t hit,” Jones said. “We’d worked on it in practice, and I just got my hands on it a little early. I thought it was going to be a fly-out to the left fielder.”

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME

Not to be outdone, Payton Ward followed up Jones’ home run blast on the game’s very next pitch with one of her own to make it a 6-run inning for the Lady Eagles.

Nixa’s lineup is riding a recent power surge, with six home runs in the last three games.

“We’ve got quite a bit of power,” Walker said. “I don’t like relying on it, but it can definitely spark something like it did tonight.”

That spark proved to be more than enough for Bennet in the circle.

The senior pitcher notched three strikeouts, zero walks and scattered five hits in as many innings. While Jones gives the Lady Eagles more velocity, Bennet shows a different look with spin and control.

With both pitchers off to good starts this season, Nixa finds itself with plenty of options moving forward.

“It’s nice not having to rely on one,” Walker said. “Rylie did a great job. She kept the ball around the zone, I don’t think she had a walk, which is what we preach, and the defense made plays.”

Despite the loss, Pleasant Hope head coach Kevin McVey has no regrets playing Nixa each season in order to prepare for the Class 2 postseason. Since 2009, the Lady Pirates have more than held their own, too, with a 4-4 mark heading into the 2017 season.

“It’s always been a lot closer than that was,” McVey said. “My pitcher was keeping the ball down, but then it just got elevated. Hitting is contagious. Once one of them starts roping it, the next one’s going to hit it, and it’s going to be like that.”

After moving players around and swapping others in and out in an effort to improve defensive play, McVey noted his team took some good steps forward on the evening.

“I think we did made some really good defensive plays,” McVey said. “And we’ve really been looking for our defense. That’s something to build on.”

Nixa (3-3) travels to Bolivar on Friday, Aug. 25, for its third game in as many nights, while Pleasant Hope (3-2) visits Iberia on Monday, Aug. 28.

Varsity Final: Nixa – 12, Pleasant Hope – 1

Pleasant Hope  1 0 0 0 0 — 1
Nixa                   0 0 6 6 x — 12

Hits:  Pleasant Hope – 5, Nixa – 12

Errors:   Pleasant Hope – 1, Nixa – 1

LOB:   Pleasant Hope – 3, Nixa – 3

RBI:  Pleasant Hope – 0, Nixa – 10 (Jones – 3, Ritz – 2, Maya Herman – 2, Bennet – 1, Ward – 1, Sam Airing – 1)

WP – Rylie Bennet, LP – Jaydin Lee

Time of game: 1:14

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