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Greyhounds advance to 3A finals
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| Jacob Mason of Marmaduke is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run in the fifth inning against Lincoln. The Greyhounds defeated Lincoln 5-4 in the 3A semifinals Monday at Searcy. Jay Strasner/Paxton Media News Bureau |
MHS edges Lincoln, earns berth in championship game
By Quinton Bagley and Mark Haney
Paxton Media News Bureau
SEARCY — The 3A state baseball championship game is set. The Marmaduke Greyhounds survived a late challenge from the Lincoln Wolves to claim a 5-4 win Monday night at Jerry Moore Field on the campus of Harding University.
After neither team managed a hit in the first inning, Marmaduke scratched across two runs in the top of the second to lead the contest 2-0.
Following a leadoff double by Dexter Jordan, he was moved to third base as Trent Smith reached on a single. Once Smith stole second, Jordan scored and Smith moved to third on a passed ball by the Lincoln pitcher Cody Smith. Despite Josh Upchurch grounding out to the Wolf pitcher, Trent Smith reached safely as the Lincoln pitcher was charged with a throwing error.
Lincoln managed three base runner in the bottom of the second as Justin Carr doubled to start the inning. After Tyler Horton reached on an error by the Greyhound second baseman, Spencer Hulse was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Marmaduke pitcher Trent Smith, after conferring with his catcher, mowed down the next three Wolves, striking out the three to retire the inning with three left on base.
After the third inning saw one base hit by the Greyhounds and no runs come across for either team, the Wolves managed to chip away at the Marmaduke lead in the fourth. After Carr reached on a double, his second of the contest, Patrick Rich reached on a two-out walk. With two on and two out, Jason Rich lined a shot down the left field line scoring Carr and moving Patrick Rich to third base, cutting the Marmaduke lead to 2-1.
That lead would disappear in the fifth inning. After the Wolves allowed only two hits, leaving one on in the top of the inning, Korey Ayers would put himself 90 feet from scoring on a triple to start the inning. Then, with one out, Seth Pitts would score Ayers on a single, tying the game at 2. Despite Pitts stealing to second and moving to third base on a scoring error, the Wolves could not get their freshman baserunner home. That would come back to haunt them in the sixth inning.
In the top of the frame, a double and a walk and a triple by Jacob Mason and Dexter Jordan would lead to two quick runs as Smith picked up two RBIs with no outs to extend the Marmaduke lead to 4-2. After Upchurch and Andrew Dulaney were set down on strikes, Dane Barnum knocked Smith in on a single to give the Greyhounds the 5-2 lead.
The Wolves refused to go away, however. After Spencer Hulse reached on an error by the Marmaduke third baseman to start the Lincoln half of the inning, Trevor Center hit a ground rule double scoring Hulse, leaving Center at second with two outs. Center later scored from third on a scoring error to cut the Marmaduke lead to 5-4.
Unfortunately for the Wolves, the scoring in the game would end there as Marmaduke claimed the one-run win.
According to Marmaduke coach Larry Willis, a close game from the Wolves is what he had been expecting.
“We knew it would be that close,” Willis said. “Lincoln had won 12 games in a row.”
Pleased with the play of his Greyhounds, Willis was complementary to the Lincoln players and staff.
“Both teams played very hard,” Willis said. “I thought our pitcher did a good job tonight. Even though there were errors played behind him, he sucked it up and pitched a good game. I told the kids before the tournament we needed to step it up and they did.”
According to Lincoln coach Jonathan Johnson, the two runs the Wolves gave up early were extremely costly. Johnson said that the Marmaduke pitcher Smith, in his opinion, played very well.
“Marmaduke’s pitcher seemed to bow his neck when he needed to and that was the key,” Johnson said of Smith. “We gave up a couple of unearned runs that really cost us.”
As for the bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the second inning, Johnson said that inability to get runners home was a big momentum shift.
“It was huge,” Johnson said. “We’ve been in situations like that when we were able to blow the game open.”
According to the Lincoln coach, another factor affecting the outcome was team depth with Marmaduke having a clear advantage. One of the Lincoln players had a broken foot, limiting the number of healthy Wolves to 10, another advantage in the Greyhounds’ favor.
“It really limited our playing time,” Johnson said. “We were kind of limited as to what we were able to do out there.”
The Greyhounds (16-9) will face the Harding Academy Wildcats in Saturday’s championship final at Baum Stadium on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Wildcats defeated Corning, 10-4 in the other semifinal contest. The first pitch in the championship game is set for 12:30 p.m.
After neither team managed a hit in the first inning, Marmaduke scratched across two runs in the top of the second to lead the contest 2-0.
Following a leadoff double by Dexter Jordan, he was moved to third base as Trent Smith reached on a single. Once Smith stole second, Jordan scored and Smith moved to third on a passed ball by the Lincoln pitcher Cody Smith. Despite Josh Upchurch grounding out to the Wolf pitcher, Trent Smith reached safely as the Lincoln pitcher was charged with a throwing error.
Lincoln managed three base runner in the bottom of the second as Justin Carr doubled to start the inning. After Tyler Horton reached on an error by the Greyhound second baseman, Spencer Hulse was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Marmaduke pitcher Trent Smith, after conferring with his catcher, mowed down the next three Wolves, striking out the three to retire the inning with three left on base.
After the third inning saw one base hit by the Greyhounds and no runs come across for either team, the Wolves managed to chip away at the Marmaduke lead in the fourth. After Carr reached on a double, his second of the contest, Patrick Rich reached on a two-out walk. With two on and two out, Jason Rich lined a shot down the left field line scoring Carr and moving Patrick Rich to third base, cutting the Marmaduke lead to 2-1.
That lead would disappear in the fifth inning. After the Wolves allowed only two hits, leaving one on in the top of the inning, Korey Ayers would put himself 90 feet from scoring on a triple to start the inning. Then, with one out, Seth Pitts would score Ayers on a single, tying the game at 2. Despite Pitts stealing to second and moving to third base on a scoring error, the Wolves could not get their freshman baserunner home. That would come back to haunt them in the sixth inning.
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The Wolves refused to go away, however. After Spencer Hulse reached on an error by the Marmaduke third baseman to start the Lincoln half of the inning, Trevor Center hit a ground rule double scoring Hulse, leaving Center at second with two outs. Center later scored from third on a scoring error to cut the Marmaduke lead to 5-4.
Unfortunately for the Wolves, the scoring in the game would end there as Marmaduke claimed the one-run win.
According to Marmaduke coach Larry Willis, a close game from the Wolves is what he had been expecting.
“We knew it would be that close,” Willis said. “Lincoln had won 12 games in a row.”
Pleased with the play of his Greyhounds, Willis was complementary to the Lincoln players and staff.
“Both teams played very hard,” Willis said. “I thought our pitcher did a good job tonight. Even though there were errors played behind him, he sucked it up and pitched a good game. I told the kids before the tournament we needed to step it up and they did.”
According to Lincoln coach Jonathan Johnson, the two runs the Wolves gave up early were extremely costly. Johnson said that the Marmaduke pitcher Smith, in his opinion, played very well.
“Marmaduke’s pitcher seemed to bow his neck when he needed to and that was the key,” Johnson said of Smith. “We gave up a couple of unearned runs that really cost us.”
As for the bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the second inning, Johnson said that inability to get runners home was a big momentum shift.
“It was huge,” Johnson said. “We’ve been in situations like that when we were able to blow the game open.”
According to the Lincoln coach, another factor affecting the outcome was team depth with Marmaduke having a clear advantage. One of the Lincoln players had a broken foot, limiting the number of healthy Wolves to 10, another advantage in the Greyhounds’ favor.
“It really limited our playing time,” Johnson said. “We were kind of limited as to what we were able to do out there.”
The Greyhounds (16-9) will face the Harding Academy Wildcats in Saturday’s championship final at Baum Stadium on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Wildcats defeated Corning, 10-4 in the other semifinal contest. The first pitch in the championship game is set for 12:30 p.m.
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Rick Roberts wrote on May 13, 2008 10:40 PM: