Collierville, TN. 5, Marion 4
MARION -- Collierville, Tenn., scored four times in the fifth inning to take a 5-1 lead before holding on for a 5-4 baseball victory over Marion on Friday night at First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium.
Collierville (13-6) rapped out seven hits, including two from Ari Bethea, who also scored a run. Jack Bogenreif, A.J. Greene, Brody Winemiller, and Ayden Jacobs drove in runs for the Dragons, while J.D. Whitworth, Greene, Cael Allen and Winemiller scored.
Left-hander Tyler Robinson earned the victory for after working 2 1/3 innings and striking out three Patriots.
Marion (13-6) got a pair of hits, a run and a walk from senior outfielder Tray Fleming. Matthew Kearney added a hit, a walk and a run, and Davis York logged an RBI single. Freshman Max Molloy walked and drove in a run, while Cohen Bumbaugh picked up a hit and scored a run. Freshman second baseman Myles Holt also scored.
Marion took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Fleming singled and scored on York's singl.
Collierville tied it in the top of the second when Winemiller crushed a home run to left-center field.
The score remained tied until the top of the fifth when the first seven Dragons reached in succession.
Bethea sparked the rally with a double that reached the fence, and he scored on Bogenreif's single for a 2-1 lead.
Whitworth reached on a fielder's choice and he came down on a throwing error that allowed Greene to reach.
With the bases loaded, Tanner Wages walked and Jacobs hit a sacrifice fly that gave the Dragons a 5-1 advantage heading to the home half of the fifth.
But that's when the first four Patriots reached as Bumbaugh singled, Holt was hit by a pitch, Kearney walked and when Fleming drew a base on balls to score Bumbaugh, Marion was within 5-2.
A Landon Miller sac fly drove in Holt to make the score 5-3, and Molloy capped the rally by reaching on a fielder's choice to drive in Kearney to get the Patriots within 5-4.
Marion relievers Coleman Barnett and Parker Nash worked the final 2 2/3 innings against Collierville, issuing just one walk and surrendering no hits to keep the Pats in the game.
Fleming singled with one out in the seventh but the last two Patriots went down in order to clinch victory for Collierville.