By Jason Peake
Cade Beason came up big inside the batter's box and on the pitcher's mound for the Webb City Cardinals.
A senior hurler who bats in the No. 3 spot, Beasonplayed a key role as Webb City earned a 5-4 come from- behind victory over Branson on Thursday night in Central Ozark Conference baseball action at historic Joe Becker Stadium.
It was a much-needed win for the Cardinals (10-7, 3-2 COC), who suffered an 11-1 run-rule setback to Willard on Tuesday.
"After how Tuesday's game went, it was nice to get out here and get back at it," Beason said. "Hopefully we can keep it going."
"Anytime you play a game like Tuesday, getting beat like we got beat, it's a challenge to come back with your head up," Cardinals coach Garry Highfill said. "We needed to stay focused and do the small things right. It was a good win. We needed this one."
A hard-throwing righthander, Beason earned the complete-game victory, limiting the Pirates to two earned runs on six hits while striking out seven.
"He really found his groove in the later innings," Highfill said. "His velocity picked up and it was good to see."
Beason also delivered the biggest hit of the game as his fourth inning two-run single gave the Cardinals the lead for good.
"It's always nice to see Cade in the box when we need a big hit," Highfill said.
Beason got into some trouble early, surrendering a pair of runs in the opening frame before settling in nicely. By the middle innings, he appeared to be in a nice rhythm, working quickly and pumping in strike after strike.
"The first inning was a little rough, but I was finally able to find what I needed and it worked out well," Beason said. "My coaches were helping me in the dugout in between innings."
Down 2-0, Webb City got on the board in the second, as Cale McCallister singled and scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Kade Hicks.
Taking advantage of a free pass and an error, the Pirates added a single tally in the third to take a 3-1 lead. But the Cardinals got a run back in the bottom half, as Devrin Weathers and Treghan Parker both singled before Bryson Matthews lifted a sacrifice fly to left, trimming Webb City's deficit to 3-2.
The hosts used a threerun fourth to pull ahead.
Jacob Monroe reached on an error and scored on Manny Peskar's sacrifice fly to center before Zach Biastock doubled, Weathers walked and Parker reached on an infield single to load the bases.
That's when Beason helped his own cause by lining a two-run single up the middle, giving the Cards a 5-3 advantage.
"I thought I was going to get pitched around and that I might not get anything solid to hit, but he threw me something over the plate and I saw it and hit it," Beasonsaid. "That was a big inning for us." The Pirates made things interesting in the seventh.
With a runner on and two out, Kelly Henson lifted a pop up to shallow right field. The ball dropped, a run scored and Henson advanced all the way to third.
With the tying run 90 feet away, Beason induced a fly ball off the bat of Zeb Miller. Webb City's speedy center fielder Weathers charged in and made a sliding catch to end the game.
"It was awesome to see that," Beason said. "We needed a playmaker in that moment and he made the play."
"Nothing's coming easy for us this year," Highfill said. "We had that ball drop in right field and it turns into a triple. But Devrin comes in on a diving ball and makes a great play. That was a really good play by him."
Weathers and Parker had two hits apiece for the Cardinals, while Henson and Sam Lemley had two hits apiece for the Pirates (5-14, 0-5 COC).
Webb City has a pair of nonconference contests on Saturday, as the Cardinals host Francis Howell at 11 a.m. and Columbia Rock Bridge at 3 p.m.
Joplin Globe 04/19/19 (Used by permission)