Tigers open baseball districts with victory

Joplin managed just two base hits against Cole Iles and Republic knocked off Joplin on its home field in the opener of the district tournament Monday, 5-0. Iles struck out four batters and walked two in a complete-game shutout.
Gunner Ellison drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the second inning to give Republic a 2-0 lead. Trace Harrington made it 4-0 when he hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth. Republic added a single run in the fifth on an RBI double by Gavyn Beckner, who barely missed a home run when his fly ball hit about a foot below the top of the left-field fence.
In the second inning, Tyler Burks was hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season. That puts him in a tie for 12th place all-time for most hit-by-pitches in a season, according to the Missouri State High School Activities Association record book.
The win improved Republic’s record to 16-13 and set up a rematch with Nixa in the district semifinals. Nixa beat Republic 4-3 during the last week of the regular season.