Republic baseball wins two in six-game week

Republic went 2-4 over a six-game stretch last week, winning a road blowout and a pitchers' duel, but dropping three straight to end the week. The Tigers routed Waynesville 10-2 on Monday, lost a wild 16-12 contest to Ray-Pec on Thursday and rebounding with a 1-0 shutout victory over Warrensburg in the nightcap. They lost to Smith-Cotton and Liberty North to close the weekend road trip.

Nolan Lashley provided the highlight of Monday's win at Waynesville with an inside-the-park home run that capped a four-run second inning. Preston McCracken went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases and two RBIs as Republic scored in five of seven innings.

The Tigers took control early, plating two runs in the first when Cooper Thomas walked and scored on an error, followed by McCracken's RBI single. Republic added three more in the second, with Brennan Overstreet doubling to center and scoring on a Fisher Moore fielder's choice before Lashley's two-run inside-the-park homer made it 5-1.

Overstreet earned the win with five innings of work, allowing one unearned run on two hits while striking out four. McCracken, Thomas, Overstreet and Chase Connell each had multiple hits.

Thursday's doubleheader at Warrensburg featured two games that couldn't have been more different. Republic fell behind 6-1 after one inning in the opener against Ray-Pec. The Tigers battled back with four runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 10-8, then scored four more in the seventh to pull within 16-12. Overstreet led the comeback with three hits and two RBIs, including a triple. Landon Perkins went 2-for-3 with two walks, and McCracken doubled home two runs.

The nightcap featured a pitchers' duel between Republic's Kyler Tate and Warrensburg's Braiden Schmitt. Tate threw a complete-game two-hit shutout, striking out eight and never allowing a runner past second base. Overstreet's RBI single in the fifth inning provided the only run of the game.

McCracken reached base twice and scored the winning run. Shortstop Zayden Danielson made a sliding stop and throw in the seventh inning to help preserve the victory.

Friday at Sedalia, Smith-Cotton pitchers combined on a one-hitter in a 5-0 victory. Brennan Overstreet had the only hit for Republic. Cooper Thomas held Smith-Cotton scoreless through three innings before the hosts broke through with three runs in the fourth and added two more in the fifth. Drake Dishman worked a scoreless sixth in relief.

Republic closed the road trip Saturday with a 7-1 loss to Liberty North in Sedalia. The Eagles erupted for six runs in the second inning to take control and coasted the rest of the way. Maddox West absorbed the loss, pitching all six innings on 79 pitches and allowing seven runs on seven hits. Troy Fisher and Ben Highley each homered for Liberty North. The Tigers collected six hits but could not bunch them until the sixth, when Landon Blankenship scored on Preston McCracken's RBI single for Republic's lone run. Greg Hicks added a pinch-hit double in the seventh, Republic's only extra-base hit of the game.

Republic fell to 6-10 overall.