MOUNTAIN HOME - The Texarkana Razorbacks captured their third state championship in four years after they rallied to defeat the Bryant Black Sox 9-6 on Tuesday night in the championship game of the American Legion baseball senior state tournament on Lester White Field at Cooper Park.
Texarkana (36-11) will play in the Mid-South Regional next week at Burns Park in North Little Rock.
The Razorbacks won the state championship in 2010 and 2011 before finishing runner-up to Bryant last season, but Texarkana Coach Dane Peavey said this one was special since it is his last year at the helm of the Razorbacks. He will be an assistant coach at Pleasant Grove (Texas) High School next year.
“The guys battled all year,” Peavey said. “There was one time earlier this season I thought to myself, ‘Man, we are a young crew. There is no way we are going to be ready for [the state tournament].’ But they grew up as the summer went on. I felt more comfortable as we made long road trips for tournaments and the guys started bonding as a team.”
The Razorbacks were trailing 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh when Bryant (37-5) brought in 15-year-old Zach Jackson to relieve starting pitcher Tryce Schaclin. Jackson quickly retired the first two batters, but Kyle Duncan reached on an error and Jackson Murphy was hitby a pitch. Another error allowed Austin Roark to reach first and brought in Duncan to tie the game, 5-5. Then RBI singles by Jake Garrett and Brandon White made it 7-5.
The Razorbacks added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth on two Bryant errors for a 9-5 lead.
Dalton Willige, who relieved Texarkana starter Jonathan Boucher in the eighth, nailed down the save in the top of the ninth after allowing Bryant just one unearned run. He struck out two of the six batters he faced, including the third out that sealed the victory.
Texarkana jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Trever Rucker hit a double and Duncan and Murphy walked to load the bases. A sacrifice fly to right by Roark scored Rucker, then a line drive single to right by Jake Garrett scored Duncan and Murphy.
Bryant got those runs back in the top of the second inning. Hayden Lessenbury led off with a single and Tyler Nelson walked. A sacrifice bunt by Chase Tucker moved the runners up before a single to center field by Hayden Daniel scored Lessenbury and a single by Cody Gogus drove in Nelson. A two-out single by Trevor Ezell sent Daniel home to tie the score 3-3.
Garrett, White and Hayden Phillips had two hits each for Texarkana. Garrett added three RBI.
Daniel and Lessenbury had three hits each to lead Bryant.
Sports, Pages 23 on 07/31/2013