By ALEX AGUEROS (WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) – After besting Harrisonville in a 20-12 slugfest Saturday morning, Warrensburg managed just two runs in their second game of the day, a 2-4 loss to the Moberly Sixers. Despite the sultry weather and out-muscling a team five hours earlier, head coach Jim Sales says fatigue was not a factor.
“They just played better than we did today,” Sales said. “I can’t say they made more plays than we did, we just didn’t get a couple things done.”
The first inning showed promise for Warrensburg after the first Isotope batters reached base. The team had only one run to show for the inning, after a fly ball and 4-6-3 double play bailed Moberly out of a dangerous scenario. Warrensburg would have few other scoring opportunities to waste.
Jaxon Janvrin started the game pitching for Post 131 and battled some control issues. Janvrin allowed a walk in each inning he started, but found the ground ball or strikeout when necessary to limit the damage. Moberly took the lead in the fourth inning when the leadoff batter walked, reached second on a wild pitch, stole third and finally scored on a sacrifice fly. Warrensburg fell behind 3-2 and could not recover. Janvrin would allow one more run in the sixth inning before being pulled in favor of Brett Marr.
Warrensburg’s aggressive offense, which had exploded for 20 runs just hours before, worked against them when facing Moberly. The Isotopes fell into 12 straight outs from the fourth through sixth innings, a streak where Warrensburg batters saw just seven pitches per inning. With a free-swinging offense, Warrensburg may have to live with a streaky offense.
“We had a good start,” Sales said. “After the first inning, we just couldn’t put anything together.”
Brett Marr, who closed out the game pitching and accounted for one of Warrensburg’s two runs, mirrors coach Sale’s calmness when faced with a tough loss.
“We played good today, we’ll be fine,” Marr said. “We just need a good night’s rest.”
The loss puts Warrensburg at 2-1 on the Warrensburg-Sedalia tournament, and after allowing 12 runs in the morning game, likely puts a championship bid out of reach. Warrensburg’s final game, hosted at Liberty Park in Sedalia, will be determined by other team’s results, such as Boonville and Moberly.