The Jefferson City Renegades battled to the end, but the deficit was too big to overcome.
The Joplin Outlaws scored eight runs in the top of the fourth inning Wednesday night on their way to an 11-7 victory against the Renegades in MINK League action at Vivion Field.
The Renegades led 3-0 after three innings, scoring two in the second and one in the third.
In the second, Lincoln Orellana led off with a single that bounced off the bag at first. Carter Mize followed with a double to center to score Orellana with the first run of the game. One out later, Max McCay singled to right to score Mize to make it 2-0.
In the third, Peyton Leeper drew a one-out walk and stole second. Leeper then advanced to third before Tommy Reuther drilled an 0-2 to pitch to right-center for an RBI double.
But the wheels came off in the top of the fourth.
Mike Million, a former Renegade, led off the inning for the Outlaws with a double before Parker Dunn followed with a homer run to right-center to make it 3-2. Jack Hanstad walked and on the next pitch, Renegades starter Dylan Dunbar threw a wild pitch and left the game with an injury as Logan Missal came on in relief.
The Outlaws had their first seven batters reach in the inning, sending 12 to the plate while totaling seven hits and three walks in scoring their eight runs.
The Renegades got a run back in the sixth. Mize hit a one-out single, advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a single by McCay.
The Outlaws scored twice in the top of the seventh to take a 10-4 lead. The Renegades got two runs in the bottom of the eighth when Mize singled home Reuther and Orellana.
Both teams got a run in the ninth. Leeper led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and came around to score on three wild pitches.
Mize and McCay both had three of the Renegades' 11 hits in the game. Reuther and Orellana added two each.
The Outlaws finished with 12 hits and drew 14 walks against six Renegades pitchers.
Dunbar allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in his three-plus innings. Missal allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks in an inning, Alec Kubik pitched a pair of scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Xander Lovin pitched the seventh, giving up two runs (one earned) on a hit and three walks. He struck out one.
Gaven Strobel pitched 11/3 innings, walking one in the eighth before inducing a double play to get out of it. He got one out in the ninth before walking two. Jady Reese got the final two outs, walking one.
The Renegades (12-22) and the Outlaws (19-14) will play the middle of their three-game series tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Renegades, who have dropped four straight, remain 11/2 games out of the final playoff spot in the South Division after the Nevada Griffons fell 14-3 to the Ozark Generals on Wednesday night.