By Cade Haak
JOPLIN, Missouri (July 21, 2024) – Texarkana was unable to get anything going on the road in this series against Joplin, and Sunday night was more of the same. Game one ended 6-0 in favor of Joplin, while game two went a similar way, 4-3.
The Rhinos fell behind early in game one when Joplin scored two runs in the first inning, and the Rhinos were not able to get any offense going to respond. Joplin eventually added four more runs total to walk away with a comfortable victory in the first of the two games.
Erik Heiken pitched a gem for Joplin. Heiken went into the sixth inning with a no-hitter still intact before Ian Guanzon got the Rhinos first hit of the game with a single. In the seventh, Sloan Laird also singled for the Rhinos second and final hit of the night. Heiken ended his night with a complete game shutout and allowed just two hits and one walk in his outing.
In Game two, Joplin presented more of the same by taking the lead early. By the start of the fifth inning, the lead was 2-0 for the Outlaws, but Texarkana’s offense inflicted its first damage all day. Jackson Glymph sent a double into deep center field to score Wyatt Cunningham, then scored himself on a sacrifice fly from Tahj Cunningham after Glymph stole third.
In the bottom of the fifth, Joplin took the lead again by adding one run, then the Rhinos tied it back up in the top of the sixth. Texarkana’s third run of the game was scored by Alex DeLeon, who was hit by a pitch, then stole his way into scoring position before Ian Guanzon hit a single to third to bat him in.
Joplin won the game by way of a walk-off walk with the bases loaded in the home half of the seventh frame. Mason Sellers kept the Rhinos within striking distance during his time on the mound, but ultimately, the one run scored on KJ Battles was enough to help the Outlaws win game two.
