By Don Abernathy (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After Nixa couldn’t capitalize early scoring opportunities against visiting Ozark on Tuesday, senior Collin Ussery strolled to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth inning, focused on not wasting his chance to break the game open.
Ussery’s triple to right drove in three runs and sparked a 5-run 6th inning, which was all Nixa needed to win the baseball version of Christian County’s Backyard Brawl, 6-0.
“I felt like early on we were putting the bat on the ball, it was just going right at people,” Ussery said.
“I was looking for a fastball and that was what I got. I was trying to hit the ball to the opposite field. I was just trying to break the game open.”
Nixa threatened but missed chances to score in each of the first three innings, and failed to push any runs across, but Ussery knew persistence would eventually pay off.
“It just took until the 6th inning for us to get it done,” Ussery said.
“It felt amazing. I caught a barrel and three RBIs.”
The Eagles got a stellar pitching performance from sophomore starter Jackson Gamble, who gave up just three hits, struck out eight, and didn’t issue a walk in the victory.
“I just basically threw fastballs and then played my curveball off of that,” Gamble said.
“I was throwing it hard and making it look like a fastball until the last second, and that was keeping them off balance and getting some swings and misses.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
In the decisive sixth inning, Jack Edwards walked and Tanner Grant reached on an error, before Gehrig Eoff’s infield single drove in Edwards for a 2-0 lead.
“That was nice to get some runs support,” Gamble said “We have a very powerful offense and I was just hoping we would break through and we came alive that inning.”
Nixa (13-1 overall, 2-0 in the Central Ozark Conference) got a pair of runners on base with a couple of hits in the first inning, but Ozark senior starting pitcher Brady Dodd got out of the jam with a double play.
The Eagles threatened to score again in the second inning thanks to a pair of walks, but Dodd again wriggled off the hook to keep the game scoreless after two innings.
“Everything was hard to come by early in the game,” Nixa coach Logan Hughes said. “We had base runners on early, but we just couldn’t get the key hit with two outs to scratch any across.
“We continued to battle, and we played great defense. When we get good pitching like Jackson pitched today, it gives you confidence at the plate that you don’t have to score 20 runs.”
Ozark (6-5 overall, 0-1 COC) had a runner in scoring position in the top of the first and again in the seventh, but Gamble never allowed any runner past second base.
“I feel like they had better at bats than us,” Ozark coach Justin Sundlie said.
“It was a well-pitched game by both guys, but he just outlasted us. We just have to tip our hat to him.”
Nixa junior Rylan Michel led the Eagles going 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple and an RBI. Eoff went 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and Grant finished with a double and two runs scored.
Dodd gave up seven hits but had only given up 1 run before the bottom half of the sixth inning.
“I was proud of him,” Sundlie said. “He competed and gave us a chance to win, but we just didn’t help him offensively.”
