Kruse delivers win for Mountain Home

MOUNTAIN HOME 4, RUSSELLVILLE 2

GREENWOOD — Mountain Home junior Luke Kruse picked up his first hit of the game at just the right moment Thursday at Bulldog Field.

Kruse hit a game-ending two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Mountain Home a 4-2 victory against Russellville in a first-round matchup at the 6A baseball state tournament.

Kruse was 0 for 2 with a walk entering his final at-bat, but he delivered when he was needed most.

“That was an exciting finish,” Mountain Home Coach Tim Carver said. “That’s a kid that puts in a lot of extra time after practice and works hard. It was a struggle early. But with all the hard work, you kind of had a feeling he would do something.”

Mountain Home senior starter Gage McClain pitched three perfect innings to open the game. McClain helped his own cause in the fourth inning, giving the Bombers a 2-0 lead with a two-run double.

Russellville then got runners on base to start the inning in the fourth, fifth and sixth. The Cyclones were able to score a run in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 2-2.

Craig Defransico picked up an RBI single in the fifth, while Cole Hathcote drove in another with a sacrifice fly for Russellville in the sixth.

“I’m very proud of our guys,” Russellville Coach Will McCrotty said. “Our guys this year have gone through a lot of adversity and growing pains. I could not be more proud of how they came to work each day and grinding. They did that again today.”

McClain picked up the win, throwing a complete game and allowing eight base runners and striking out six for the Bombers.

“He has done a great job all year,” Carver said of McClain. “He has located all three pitches all season. He is a senior. I wish we could have him longer. He is unsigned, so I hope somebody picks him up.”

Russellville (12-19) stranded six runners in the final four innings of the game with McClain pitching out of the jams.