CLASS 6A : Texarkana hangs on with Warner’s heads-up play
Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008
TEXARKANA — Texarkana pitcher Matt Warner picked off a pinch-runner for the final out, preserving the Razorbacks’ 3-2 victory over El Dorado in the Class 6 A state tournament Saturday. Texarkana held a 3-1 lead going into the seventh inning, but El Dorado threatened. Luke Lansdell’s one-out single started a late rally, and an infield error allowed Derrick Henry to reach base, putting runners at first and second.
El Dorado took advantage of a second error to set up runners on first and third and cut the deficit to one run on Daniel Hostetter’s fielder’s choice. But Warner’s heads-up play then ended the game.
“Style points aren’t a necessity in this tournament,” Texarkana Coach Mike Lloyd said. “El Dorado’s a good ball club; they are going to battle to the end. We were fortunate to get the pickoff at the end.” The Razorbacks broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run third inning. D. D. Bigham singled to right and moved to second on Tyler Weir’s sacrifice bunt. Bigham went to third on Garrett Underwood’s single, scoring on a wild pitch.
Underwood came around on Josh Stringfellow’s oppositefield single, making the score 3-1.
Bigham and Underwood each went 2 for 3.
El Dorado jumped out to an early lead, pushing across a run in the first. Nic Cole drove in Reece Moore with a single up the middle.
Texarkana tied the game in the second. Underwood reached base with a lead-off double and scored on a throwing error. The Razorbacks (23-10 ) take on the No. 1 seed from the East, Sylvan Hills, at 6: 30 p.m. Monday at Razorback Field.
“Sylvan Hills has a good club, and we have a good club,” Lloyd said. “It’s going to come down to who eliminates the bad plays and whose pitching has a better game.” El Dorado................................. 100 000 1 — 2 4 1 Texarkana................................. 012 000 x — 3 7 1 Hostettor and Pitard; Wagner and Galloway. W — Wagner. L — Hostettor. SYLVAN HILLS 5, SEARCY 0 Sylvan Hills’ D. J. Baxendale threw four innings of two-hit ball before being relived by Nathan Ellis. Ellis finished the game, allowing just one hit to finish the Bears ’ shutout victory.
Hunter Miller staked Sylvan Hills to an early advantage with a home run in the first, and the next batter, Baxendale, doubled to left-center. Baxendale scored one batter later on Justin Treece’s single to right. The Bears added a run in each of their final three plate appearances. The Lions’ best scoring opportunity came in the second. Zac Langley reached on a two-out walk, and Anthony Dillon followed with a single to right.
Baxendale ended the threat with one of his four strikeouts. Searcy stranded four runners on base. Searcy.................................... 000 000 0 — 0 3 0 Sylvan Hills............................... 200 111 x — 5 7 0 Howard, Bailey (5 ), Tarkington (7 ) and Ellis; Baxendale, Ellis (5 ) and Spears. W — Baxendale. L — Howard. HR: HR — Baxendale. WATSON CHAPEL 6, JACKSONVILLE 5, 13 INNINGS Jacksonville nearly pulled off the upset of the tournament, but the South’s No. 1 seed, Watson Chapel, managed to survive the 13-inning marathon.
Nick Cox led off the 13 th with a single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Tyler Massanelli drove Cox in with a single.
Jacksonville, the fourth seed from the East, held a 5-2 lead and was one out away from winning in the 12 th. The Red Devils committed an error on Cameron Moss ’ ground ball, extending the inning, and Chase Smith and Moss came around to score on a double from Chance Cleveland, tying the game 5-5.
The Red Devils pushed three runs across in the top of the 12 th with the help of a fielding error.
Jacksonville erased a 2-0 deficit in the seventh when Patrick Castleberry and Cameron Hood scored on Caleb Mitchell’s single. Watson Chapel plays Jonesboro at 4 p.m. Monday at Razorback Field. Jacksonville................ 000 000 200 003 0 — 5 14 1 Watson Chapel............. 000 002 000 003 1 — 6 12 3 Harmon, Regnas (9 ) and Castleberry. Newby, Cleveland (7 ) and Cox. W — Cleveland. L — Regnas. JONESBORO 10, BENTON 5 The No. 2 seed from the East, Jonesboro, used two big innings to cruise past Benton.
The Hurricane pushed across five runs in the second with Conair Kreis hitting a two-out double. Kreis and Kody Pinson each finished 1 for 3 with 2 RBI. Jonesboro took advantage of an infield error to add three insurance runs in the sixth. Danny Salazar led off with a single, and Jacob Abrahamson hit a routine ground ball that the Panthers failed to field cleanly.
Jacob Lee loaded the bases with a bunt single, and Salazar scored on Brant Arendar’s sacrifice fly to center. Kody Pinson cleared the bases with a double down the right-field line.
Benton was led by two hits each from Ashton Wilson, Lee Richardson and Luke Kordsmeier. Benton.................................... 110 111 0 — 5 8 3 Jonesboro............................... 050 203 x — 10 7 0 Jester, Wilson (2 ) and Simpson. Lee, Willis (7 ) and Kreis. W — Lee. L — Jester.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
