Tarini steps up during East win
BASEBALL EAST 5-6, WEST 5-4
CONWAY — His future has nothing to do with the way he handles a bat, but former Little Rock Christian standout Reece Tarini showed his hitting ability for one final time Friday night in the annual Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star baseball game Friday night at the University of Central Arkansas.
Tanari, who was named the game’s outstanding player, had two RBI singles as the East won the nightcap over the West 6-4. The teams tied 5-5 in the first game. Tarini was the starting pitcher in the first game.
“He is a winner,’’ said Brandon Eller, an East assistant who was Tanari’s coach for Little Rock Christian, the 5A state champion this season. “He had 70-plus innings for us and did everything we asked of him. He went out every day and he was Mr. Consistent and we knew what he was going to give us and went out every day and he won. And on the plus side of that, he had some really big hits especially against some good teams in the state tournament.
“I was very excited that he was chosen and a great opportunity for him to showcase what he has done for us all season against the best players in the state. I was really proud of him. He went out the first two innings, six hitters, six outs and it’s like he missed no time.
“He is going to be a pitcher at Louisiana Tech and for him to get basically, in his last opportunity to hit, to get two big RBI singles was awesome.”
In two innings, Tarini had 2 strikeouts, 2 ground outs and 2 fly outs in retiring 6 batters.
“I approached it like a normal game,’’ Tanari said. “My approach is to always throw as many strikes as I can. Even if I get strikeouts that is great, but if they put it in play my defense will make some plays.”
Tanari pitched seven plus-innings in the Warriors’ state title game victory over Valley View.
“My senior year has been great,’’ he said. ‘“It was great to win the award. There are a lot of guys out here, 21 on each team, who could win.”
Tanari also had the East’s lone hit, an RBI single, as the team took a 5-0 lead in the first inning of the opener. In that inning, the West walked five batters and hit another.
The West chipped back in the third, Paxton had an RBI double and in the fourth they tied with a bases loaded walk to Jeff Zachary, sacrifice fly by Dalen Blanchard of Magnolia and a two-run double by Drew Grumbles of Episcopal Collegiate.
In the nightcap, Jonesboro’s Maddox Morrison ripped a two-run double in the seventh to break a 4-4 tie.