Hence pitches Cardinals over Travs

Watson Chapel High School graduate Tink Hence retired his first 14 batters and threw 5 hitless innings in a season-opening start to help give the Springfield (Mo.) Cardinals a 6-1 win over the Arkansas Travelers on Friday in North Little Rock.

Hence, 21, began his fourth year in the pros and second year in Double-A baseball by striking out 3 and allowing no runs and no hits in 5 innings. He joined Springfield last summer after moving up from the Advanced-A Peoria (Ill.) Chiefs and finished the season 4-6 with a 4.31 ERA in 23 starts across both teams.

Springfield won an Opening Day game for the first time since 2017. Arkansas, of the Seattle Mariners system, was 73-65 last season.

SHARKS RESPOND WITH BLOWOUT OF NORTHARK

In Harrison, following a 14-9 loss to North Arkansas College on Friday, Southeast Arkansas College rebounded with a 12-1 win to open a Saturday doubleheader.

The rubber match was ongoing at the deadline.

SEARK (18-25) erupted with a 10-0 lead through the top of the third inning before NorthArk (23-12) could score its lone run. The Sharks, who had 7 hits, plated 2 more runs in the fifth.

Drake Lee launched a 2-run homer and finished with 3 runs batted in and 3 runs scored. Camden Carver drove in 3 runs, and Wyatt Darby hit 2 for 2 with a 2-run double and 4 runs scored.

Garrett Folmar struck out 7 Pioneers and allowed 3 hits in 4 innings for the win.

Four Pioneers pitchers combined to strike out 7 and allow 7 hits.

WEEVILS TAKE SERIES FROM REDDIES

In Monticello, the University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team got its offense going late but right on time to secure a Great American Conference series victory with a 4-2 win over Henderson State University on Saturday.

UAM started the series with an 11-4 win on Friday. The third game was ongoing.

Henderson State (1918, 13-10 Great American) scored in the fourth and fifth innings, but Kirk Woolf started the Boll Weevils’ comeback with a sacrifice grounder in the sixth. The seventh resulted in 3 Weevils runs, as Chaz Poppy flied out to bring in a run, and both Woolf and Aidan Garrett were hit by pitches with bases loaded.

Nelson Mercado followed up a 6-strikeout, 6-inning effort by started Maxim Markovcic and struck out 3 Reddies in the last 3 innings to pick up the win.

Delta State University will visit UAM for a 3 p.m. first pitch Tuesday.

BLOSSOMS SECURE SERIES AGAINST REDDIES

In Arkadelphia, UAM won Friday’s Great American series opener with Henderson State, 3-2, and took the series with a 10-8, 8-inning win to open a Saturday doubleheader.

Saturday’s game featured 30 combined hits by both teams, with Henderson State (16-25, 7-15 Great American) lining 16 of them. After UAM (19-21, 11-11) tied the game at 8-8 in the seventh on a Ronnie Johnson single, Bailey Camp drove in a run on a fielder’s choice for the goahead run, followed by a sac fly by Courtnee Sensibaugh.

Grace Neal homered in the fourth inning for the Cotton Blossoms. Adrianna Erichsen, Kennedy Cox, Sensibaugh and Neal each had 2 hits, while Jadyn Hart finished 3 for 5 with a triple.

Kayla Olthouse (2 earned runs on 6 hits and 1 strikeout in 5 innings) picked up the win.