Rally in 5th inning takes down Marion
COLLIERVILLE, TENN. 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 single.
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, issuing just one walk and surrendering no hits to keep the Pats in the game.