Fayetteville Lindsey & Associates battled all the way back to the championship game in the Senior American Legion State Tournament on Wednesday night.
But it fell just short of bringing home the title from Burns Park in North Little Rock.
The Dodgers rallied to knock off Benton 7-5 to get another shot at Texarkana, which was tagged with its first loss in the double-elimination tournament by Fayetteville on Tuesday.
Fayetteville grabbed a 6-4 seventh-inning lead thanks to Gordon Miller’s two-run homer, but Texarkana scored two in the seventh and another in the eighth to claim the 7-6 victory and the state championship.
Fayetteville coach Ashley Patrick acknowledged being disappointed with the loss, but praised his team’s effort in playing 18 innings on the final day. It was the sixth time in the last 12 years Fayetteville as finished as the state runner-up.
“We had a shot and that’s really all you can ask for,” Patrick said. “We just came up a little short. I was so proud of the boys’ grit. They gave it all they had.”
Miller and Jake Barton led Fayetteville (32-10) with two hits each in the championship game. Miller drove in three runs, including one on a sixth-inning triple.
Texarkana trailed 3-1 in the sixth, but took a 4-3 lead against Fayetteville starter Jalen Beeks with three runs (two unearned).
Fayetteville tied it up in the seventh thanks to an error, and took the lead on Miller’s homer, but couldn’t hold it.
Lindsey trailed 5-3 after five innings in the earlier game, but rallied with one in the sixth and three in the eighth for the win.
Miller again had the key hit with a two-run double in the eighth to snap a 5-5 tie.
Miller, Cole Faulconer, Matt Stelte and Levi Copher had two hits each. Stelte had a solo homer.
Austin Faulconer (1-0) picked up the win with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, while Mike Sisco pitched a scoreless ninth for the save and propel Fayetteville into the title game.