By: Jason Stringer, Nixa Public Schools
Nixa is 16 games into their baseball season so far, sitting at a 12-4 record a little under halfway through the season.
March 21 Nixa opened up the season with two wins against out-of-state teams, picking up a 9-0 victory over Skiatook, Okla., and a 10-8 win over Bentonville, Ark. Adam McKnight, Wyatt Vincent, and Jackson Gamble all hit a home run against Bentonville. Tanner Midyett earned the win by pitching five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and recording seven strikeouts.
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A day later the Eagles played another doubleheader. Nixa suffered its first, falling against Blue Springs South 6-2. In the second game, the Eagles won in walk-off fashion, as McKnight homered on a solo shot to win 9-8 over Savannah.
Following the victory against Savannah, the Eagles ignited a winning streak. On March 24, Nixa hosted Bryant, Ark., and came from behind to oust the visitors 8-7 for victory No. 4 on the year. Down 7-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Eagles rallied with seven runs on five hits, with Caeden Cloud driving in two of the runs.
Nixa then won eight straight games.
Before heading into the Rogers Tournament (March 27 and 29), Nixa traveled to Springfield Catholic where the Eagles exploded for a season-high 14 runs, defeating the host 14-9 win. In a big sixth inning, the first nine Eagles all managed to get on base, followed by the Kentucky signee Cloud smoking a two-run HR to begin the frame. From there Nixa scored nine runs in the inning.Â
In the first game of the Rogers Tournament, Missouri State University signee Wyatt Vincent became Nixa's all-time career hits leader with 136 against Ft. Smith Southside, Ark., picking up three hits against the Mavericks in a 6-inning 10-0 victory. The Eagles followed up with additional wins over. Rogers, Ark. (5-2), Piedmont, Okla. (8-4), and Cabot, Ark (7-6). Tanner Midyett, Jackson Gamble, Cameron Miller, and Grady Eoff eached picked up wins during the tournament.
Carrying a seven-game win streak, Nixa returned to Missouri for a showdown on the home diamond against Logan-Rogersville. The No. 1 and No. 2 hitters in the Eagles line, Vincent and Cloud, both hit HRs and had a combined six hits and five RBIs in a 10-2 victory, pushing its record to 10-1.
Nixa used this momentum in its Central Ozark Conference openers, defeating Webb City (8-3), and mercy-ruling Republic (10-0) in five innings. Gamble picked up the win throwing five shutout innings, striking out 11 of 19 of batters he faced.
The Eagles' 10-game winning streak was halted on April 7, when they faced strong pitching and fell to Marshfield 6-1. They also suffered additional setbacks against Willard (4-1) and Har-Ber, Ark. (4-3).
Nixa has a 12-4 record heading into its COC showdown with Carthage and Joplin on April 15-16. It will then compete in the Columbia Rock Bridge Tournament on April 17-19.
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