CARTHAGE, Mo. — Coming into Tuesday's COC softball matchup, the Carthage Tigers held a 16-9 record as they welcomed the Neosho Wildcats, who were 13-13 on the year. After a hard fought defensive pitching duel, Neosho came out on top, defeating Carthage, 1-0.
The Wildcats improved to 14-13 on the season. Starting the game, Neosho was able to get two runners on, but Carthage junior pitcher Lottie Youngblood struck out two batters to get out of the inning. On the opposite side, Carthage also managed to get two runners on base, but Neosho senior pitcher Carleigh Kinnaird finished with a couple of strikeouts to make it a scoreless game after one inning of play.
In the second inning, Youngblood settled into the game as she went through the Neosho batters in 1-2-3 fashion. Kinnaird also found her rhythm as she struck out the side in the second with the game remaining scoreless after two innings of play. Both of the batting lineups were quiet to start the game as Kinnaird picked up two more strikeouts in the third inning to keep the game a scoreless affair.
Defensive efforts behind Youngblood and Kinnaird was a big reason this game remained scoreless for most of the contest. While both teams were able to get a runner or two on base here and there, it was the fielding and pitching of both squads that made this rivalry one that kept fans on the edge of their seats. In the fifth inning, the story was much the same with Kinnaird picking up more strikeouts against a tough Carthage batti.