The Branson Pirates used a 10 run sixth inning to rally at Nixa and clinch at least a share of the Central Ozark Conference Baseball Championship on Thursday.

The Pirates 18-11 win gives them no worse than a tie for the conference title which they can clinch outright with a home win against Willard next Tuesday.

The Pirates started the game strong with a three run first but Nixa answered with a four run bottom of the inning and kept ahead of the Pirates thorugh the next few innings. When Matt Schleisman hit a two run homer for the Eagles in the fifth, Nixa had the lead at 9-5.

The Pirates proceeded to send 14 men to the plate in the sixth inning. Tyler Whiteis, who had five hits on the day,hit a single that tied the game with a ground out by Alex Stephens knocking in the go ahead run from third. Gabe Dickinson, Parker O'Dell, Daniel Batt, and Lake Keller all had RBI in the inning that was aided by three Nixa errors.

Whiteis wins the game on the mound in relief with Sam Perez pitching the final two innings to break the Pirates three game losing streak.