Double by McAfee gives Lions walk-off win at regional
Posted on Tuesday, May 6, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/Sports/61547/
PRAIRIE GROVE — One extra-base hit was just enough for the Gravette Lions on Monday.
Junior Hayden McAfee ripped a double down the left-field line to score junior teammate Brett Meek from first for a 1-0 win against Clarksville in the semifinals of the Class 4 A North Regional Baseball Tournament.
The Lions (21-7 ) will play Union Christian (19-11 ) tonight at 6: 30 p. m. at Prairie Grove for the top seed and bye in this weekend’s state tournament.
Gravette beat the Eagles twice this season, the second coming during last week’s district tournament.
The Eagles beat 1-4 A Conference regular-season and tournament champion Farmington 4-3 earlier Monday, snapping the Cardinals ’ 20-game win streak.
The Cardinals (21-2 ) play Clarksville (14-6 ) at 4 p. m. today for third place.
The Class 4 A State Tournament begins Friday at Valley View and Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
Meek, aboard with an error to start the seventh, was just hoping to reach third on the hit but was sent home because the ball rolled all the way to the far corner of the left-field fence.
“ Whenever I was rounding third, I saw the kid digging in the fence and I knew I was going to have to go home, ” Meek said. “ And I got lucky and made it in time. I thought I had it pretty easy when I rounded third but I knew it was going to be close when the catcher set up at the plate to catch the ball. ”
McAfee celebrated at second base after his teammate slid home to beat a close throw.
“ I was just happy he scored, ” McAfee said. “ As soon as he hit the plate, I just went up (in the air ). ”
With just 8 combined hits between the two teams, Gravette was fortunate to follow an error with a big hit.
“ We took advantage of the error and that was big, ” Lions coach Vernon Scott said. “ You have to take what they’ll give you in a game this tight. ”
Solid pitching and defense kept the game scoreless until the seventh.
Clarksville start Trevor Holt allowed 3 hits, struck out 3 and issued 5 free bases in the complete-game loss.
“ Their pitcher took the bat out of our hands, ” Scott said. “ He kept us offbalance. ”
Dillon Pruitt and Travis Eden singled to account for the rest of the Lions’ offense.
The Panther defense limited Gravette’s scoring opportunities. Catcher Matt Hudson threw out two runners trying to steal and the Panthers turned two double plays.
Third baseman Derrick Pledger started both double plays, turning one at the corners in the third inning and a 5-4-3 in the sixth to erase Clarksville’s first error.
Gravette’s defense was just as strong behind junior starting pitcher Manny Rogers. Rogers pitched 5 1 / 3 scoreless innings, scattering 4 hits and striking out 2 for a no-decision.
“ He’s not going to overpower you but he will hit his spots, ” Scott said. “ He took the power away from them and made them hit his pitch. Even though our bats weren’t lively, Rogers kept us in it. ”
Rogers worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second — getting a strikeout after issuing back-to-back two-out walks — and gave up just one extra-base hit.
Pledger recorded the Panthers’ fourth hit with a hard single up the middle in the sixth and a sacrifice bunt moved him over. But junior Ethan McKinzie came in to get back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
McKinize (8-1 ) struck out 4 of the 5 batters he faced and picked off Dustin Jackson at first to end the seventh to set up McAfee’s heroics.
“ McAfee has been coming through for us all year, ” Scott said. “ It seems like when we’ve needed a big hit he’s done it (from his seven-hole spot ). The bottom of the order, they’ve been coming through. ”
Despite two wins against Union Christian this season, Scott knows today’s game will be another tough one.
“ They are the team that concerns me the most of any of them in our conference, ” Scott said. “ I know what to expect out of Farmington. But Union Christian hits the ball so well. They just concern me. I know just because we beat them twice, it’s still anybody’s game. ”