FAYETTEVILLE -- Everything was working for Jonesboro senior left-hander Skylar Boyle on Friday morning, especially the Hurricane's defense.
Boyle limited Mountain Home to three hits and sophomore Cameron Poston scored three runs and drove in two more as the Hurricane rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Bombers in the Class 6A state baseball championship game at Baum Stadium.
Mountain Home's batters struck out only three times against Boyle, but the Bombers failed to piece a significant rally together against the lefty. The most batters the Bombers sent up against Boyle in any one inning was five.
"It just felt like I was on today," said Boyle, who hit one batter and walked two more. "But I definitely couldn't have done it without the [defense]. [Mountain Home] hit the ball off of me, for sure. But we clicked today and we have been for quite a while now."
Jonesboro (22-8) earned its second state title and its first since 2013. The Hurricane finished the season by winning their final nine games.
Mountain Home (10-20) ran out of postseason magic on a gray and chilly Northwest Arkansas day. The Bombers entered the postseason with a 7-19 record, qualifying for the state tournament with a 1-5 record in the 6A-East and earning the final berth because they had a better record than Marion against 7A-East teams.
The Bombers knocked off Pine Bluff in the first round of the state tournament, 6A-Central champion Alma in the quarterfinals and 6A-South winner Sheridan in the semifinals, but four errors cost Mountain Home any chance of topping the Hurricane.
"The key to our team is pitching and defense," Mountain Home Coach Jim Tejcek. "When we pitch and play defense, we're a good team."
Jonesboro's defense had it going early. Macllain Edington led off the Mountain Home second with a single to left, but when Carson Yarbrough followed with a line drive that seemed to be tailing away from junior left fielder Sam Edwards, the Jonesboro outfielder came up with a diving catch.
"That catch was awesome, no doubt," Boyle said. "That was a big play because that dude hit that ball really hard."
Boyle did not give up another hit until the fifth and again he was helped out by its defense.
Mountain Home's Cord Smith drew a walk to start the fifth, and Payton Parker doubled to right with one out. Smith attempted to score but was thrown out at the plate on second baseman Mac Warner's relay throw.
"The lefty just kept us off balanced," Tejcek said. "He did that ... when he pitched against us at Jonesboro [a 7-2 victory for Jonesboro]. We kept being out on our front foot. Give credit to him."
Boyle induced 10 fly-ball outs and four ground-ball outs. Mountain Home hit only one line drive against the Jonesboro left-hander.
"Skyler is an amazing pitcher," Poston said. "He puts a lot of work in. ... Skyler is a fly-ball pitcher. We're extremely proud of how he pitched today."
Mountain Home senior Ryan Czanstkowski held Jonesboro to 1 hit during the first 2 innings, but Jonesboro scratched out 4 runs in the next 3 innings against Bombers starter.
Mac Wagner scored in the third when senior Luke Hinson lined a two-strike single to right-center field to give the Hurricane a 1-0 advantage.
Jonesboro increased its lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Poston scored from second when Mountain Home attempted to complete a double play that turned into the first of four Mountain Home errors.
Poston and Boyle both drove in runs in the fifth to increase Jonesboro's lead to 4-0.
Mountain Home scored its lone run in the sixth. Czanstkowski led off the inning with a double, moved to second on a ground out from Matt Robbins and Edington's fly ball to Wagner at second base was deep enough for a sacrifice fly.
Poston's second RBI single, a wild pitch and an error accounted for Jonesboro's three-run sixth inning.
Sports on 05/21/2016