SPRINGDALE -- Gravette led Springdale High 4-0 by the time Cody Fields stepped to the plate for a second time in the top of the first inning Friday.
Fields was drilled by a pitch moments later, sending Brandon Shaw home for a 5-0 Lions lead.
How They Scored
Gravette 8, Springdale High 3
Gravette^500^300^0^—^8^10^2
Springdale^002^000^1^—^3^6^2
Means, Gibbons (7) and Soule; J. Castanon, Johnson (1), Davis (4), Been (4) and Poulos. W - Means, 2-0. L - J. Castanon, 0-2. HRs - None.
Gravette never looked back, using the big opening frame to spark an 8-3 win in second-day action at the McDonald's Bulldog Classic at the Tyson Complex.
"We came out in preparation on Wednesday and Thursday for that mindset of jumping out of the gate in that first inning and really putting on some pressure," Gravette coach Randall Hunt said. "I commend the guys to get out there and execute, hitting fastballs where they're placed. We had some good aggressive baserunning that got us those five runs. Really good job setting the tone early."
The Lions (4-2) jumped on Springdale starter Jonathan Castanon as their first five batters reached base on three singles, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Boston Daniels and Brandon Shaw had RBI singles, while Mathew Stelting had a two-run double before Fields got hit to push across the final run of the first frame.
"You can't give up big innings," Springdale coach Billy Ray Rutledge said. "It makes it difficult when you go out and throw up a five spot in the first inning. Our kids did a good job of fighting back and trying to get in the game."
That was as much run support as Gravette's Aaron Means needed as the Class 4A Lions earned their third win this year against a 6A or higher program.
The right-hander struck out eight and gave up just two unearned runs on five hits and five walks in six innings to earn the win for the Lions. He also got out of a few jams, stranding two runners in scoring position in the second inning and two in the sixth.
"He competed," Hunt said. "From the get-go, it wasn't his best stuff of the night. But he's a battler, a bulldog on the bump. That's what I expect out of a leader, a senior vet that's playing at the next level next year. He competed for six tough innings tonight against a good 7A club at their house."
Springdale got on the board when it struck for two runs to cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third inning. The Bulldogs (2-6) took advantage of a throwing error to score Carson Johnson, then Brandon Castanon's RBI groundout scored Matt Sherry.
But Gravette answered by scoring three runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by Ethan Vanderpool's two-run single looped into shallow left-center. Springdale didn't get closer until tacking on a lone run on a Gravette throwing error in the bottom of the seventh.
Gravette will face Shiloh Christian in the semifinals at 1 p.m. today. Springdale will play Carthage, Mo., in the consolation bracket at 8 a.m.
Sports on 03/22/2014