4A-NORTH REGIONAL BASEBALL
DOVER -- Seth Brumley used his bat and glove to help Pea Ridge complete a three-game sweep of the 4A-North Regional baseball tournament.
Brumley delivered a two-run single to break open Tuesday's championship game as the Blackhawks rolled over Ozark 5-3 to earn the regional title and a first-round bye in the Class 4A state baseball tournament, which starts Thursday in Gosnell.
4A-North Regional Baseball Tournament
At Dover
Pea Ridge 5, Ozark 3
Ozark^100^010^1^—^3^6^1
Pea Ridge^000^140^x^—^5^8^0
Yell, McClellen (5) and Gresham; Holley, Paryzek (7) and Cotton. W-Holley. L-Yell. Sv-Paryzek. HRs-None.
The Blackhaws (23-4) won all three games to claim the regional title, and Brumley was instrumental in all three wins, pitching the opener and putting down a key sacrifice bunt to spur Pea Ridge's late comeback 3-2 win over Prairie Grove on Monday. On Tuesday, he was 2 for 3 with a double and a two-RBI single in the four-run fifth inning that paved the way for the Blackhawks.
"That was huge for us," Pea Ridge coach John King said of Brumley's key base hit. "We had some trouble getting some momentum going, but we were able to get a couple of guys on and he was able to deliver. That was awesome."
Ozark, playing in the school's first regional championship game, took an early lead. The Hillbillies (20-6) got a lead-off walk from Jay McClellan, who worked his way around to score the game's first run.
King said sophomore starter Zaine Holley was a little nervous to start the game, but was able to get out of a big first-inning jam by allowing just the one run.
"He did a good job," King said. "We threw him right out there in the fire of the championship game. He was a little shaky at first, but he battled. He's been there before and he pitched the way we thought he would."
Ozark starter Cole Yell held the Blackhawks off the scoreboard until the fourth inning when Dakota Canaday reached on an error and moved to third on Brumley's booming double. Canaday scored on Tristan Trundle's sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.
The Hillbillies bounced back to retake the lead in the fifth when Yell worked a one-out walk and scored when McClellan crushed a triple down the right-field line for a 2-1 lead.
It didn't last long. Pea Ridge finally broke through in the fifth. Cole Wright hit a one-out single, and Zach Davis hit an opposite field double. Nick Hardy singled to drive in Wright, and Garrett Easterling followed with another base-knock to score Davis, moving Hardy to third and Easterling to second. Brumley brought both home with a two-run single and a 5-2 lead.
Ozark scored a run in the seventh after Coleman McClure walked and scored. Jarrin Paryzek replaced Holley and gave up a bunt single to McClellan that sent McClure home on a high throw to first. But Paryzek dodged any more trouble when JaRon Harris scorched a line drive that Wright snared at first base and easily doubled McClellan off for the game-ending double play.
Ozark coach Matt Coleman said Harris' hit was very close to turning the momentum back to the Hillbillies.
"If you hit a double down the line and your three and four coming up ... but that's baseball," Coleman said. "We've had plenty of times where we had a flare fall in and this time we had a line drive and their kid made a good play."
The Hillbillies will take on Ashdown at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the state tournament.
Prairie Grove 5, Shiloh Christian 3
Logan Gragg's two-run double in the sixth inning was the difference as the Tigers claimed third place and the No. 3 seed for this week's state tournament.
Prairie Grove's Nick Ellis earned the complete-game win, allowing seven hits with six strikeouts. Gragg had three RBIs on the day for the Tigers and Reed Orr had two hits.
The Saints, who lost 2-1 to Ozark late Monday, got two hits each from Josh Lantzsch and Austin Connolly.
Prairie Grove will take on Arkadelphia at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the state tournament.
Softball
Pottsville 11, Gravette 0
Savannah Gosnell pitched a one-hitter to lead Pottsville past Gravette in the championship game of the 4A-North Regional Tournament.
The Lady Apaches took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and that was all the run support Gosnell needed. Jaye Chalk collected Gravette's only hit.
The Lady Lions (17-6) are the No. 2 seed for the 4A state tournament in Mena, and Pottsville will be the No. 1 seed.
Dardanelle 2, Pea Ridge 0
The Lady Sand Lizards made a two-run first inning stand up to claim third place.
Leslie Hudgins and Amanda Weaver singled in the first inning and scored on Shayna Marple's single for the game's only runs.
Sports on 05/13/2015