Smackover baseball versus Magnolia.
SMACKOVER - Free passes in late innings can be a death knell.
Smackover found that out firsthand on Tuesday, as Magnolia used four walks and three hit batsmen to explode for nine runs in the eighth inning en route to an 11-2 win over the Bucks in eight innings.
Dayton Dickson’s RBI single that was preceded by a walk to Matt Goodheart and Parker Ribble getting hit a by a pitch gave the Panthers their first lead of the day.
It only went downhill from there, as the Bucks (0-2) needed three pitchers to complete the frame that saw the Panthers (1-0) collect only three hits in their rally.
Dickson added a tworun single in his second at-bat of the inning, and Jay French added an RBI single in the eighth.
Although the ending certainly left a sour taste in the Bucks' mouths, coach B.J. Greene was pleased with his team's growth from a tough loss at Taylor in their season opener on Monday.
One other important note he added was that Cody Smith and later Baylor Brumley, the first two pitchers who worked the eighth, are a sophomore and a freshman respectively.
"I'm proud of my kids," Greene said. "Our bullpen was a sophomore and a freshman and the last guy was a junior, so it's good to get those freshmen and sophomores in innings like this. I think they walked five and hit three in that eighth inning, but I'm proud of our kids because they grew up."
Runs were difficult to come by thanks to Goodheart, Magnolia's starter, and Beau Burson, who pitched to a 2-2 stalemate.
Last summer, the two were teammates in aiding the Texarkana Razorbacks to the American Legion World Series title, and they both were sharp sans one pitch each.
The Bucks drew first blood with a two-out rally in the second against Goodheart.
After Cade Schibler singled to right, Nick Impson clubbed a Goodheart offering over the fence in left for a two-run homer to give the Bucks an early 2-0 lead.
Burson cruised early on, retiring the first eight batters of the game before Brooks Lynch reached on an infield single with two outs in the third.
However, the fourth would be a different story.
French greeted Burson with a double to center, and Goodheart helped his own cause in a big way by blasting Burson’s 1-2 pitch for a two-run homer to right to tie the game at 2-all.
Both teams had golden opportunities to take the
lead in the fifth before the Panthers' eruption in the eighth.
With two outs and nobody on, Burson was seemingly on his way to a 1-2-3 inning, but the right-hander sandwiched a walk around two hit batsmen to load the bases before getting Goodheart to fly out to center to end the threat.
The Bucks also mounted a two-out rally in the bottom half of the inning.
Tucker Evans laced a single to right and Nick Jennings reached after his grounder to shortstop was mishandled for an error.
With runners at first and second, Clay Stringer lined a single to right, but right fielder Kurt Pletcher gunned down Evans at the plate to keep the game tied.
"We're a stumble away from winning it in seven innings, but we got thrown at the plate," Greene said. "We grew from yesterday to today."
It was then the Bucks’ defense turn to make an outstanding play to preserve the tie.
Ribble led off the sixth with a double off the top of the fence in center, but Burson retired the next two batters to keep the Magnolia shortstop at second base.
A wild pitch with Payton Campbell batting allowed Ribble to take third.
Campbell then hit a ground ball that Stringer ranged far to his left to snare before throwing out Magnolia's third baseman on a close play to keep the game tied at 2-2.
The Panthers stranded a runner in the seventh, and the Bucks failed to cash in on a one-out single by Schibler in the bottom of the seventh before the Panthers won the game in the eighth.
Burson allowed four hits and two runs over six innings of work. He walked one, hit two and struck out six.
Goodheart was the winner after allowing five hits and two runs in seven innings of work. He walked two and struck out seven.
After working a scoreless seventh, Smith took the loss after running into trouble in the eighth.
Schibler was 2-for-2 with a walk for the Bucks. French and Dickson had two hits apiece with the latter adding three RBIs in the win for Magnolia.
Junction City 6,
Taylor 3
TAYLOR - Keelan Hodge and Joe Lowe combined on a two-hitter for the Dragons (1-0), who won their season opener.
Leading 4-3 in the fifth, Logan Disotell, who had two RBIs in the win, belted a solo homer to give the Dragons some breathing room.
Robbie Roberson had three hits for the Dragons, including two singles and a double along with a run scored in the win.
Bryce Ware had a single, a double and a run scored, while Jack Smith added a single and two RBIs and Brock McGoogan had a single and an RBI for Junction City.
Hodge and Clay Jolley each had doubles for the Dragons.
On the mound, Hodge was the winner after allowing three runs and two hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out three.
Lowe picked up the save by firing 3 1/3 scoreless innings. He walked four, struck out six and didn't allow any hits.
Ryan Downs took the loss after scattering 10 hits and five runs over six innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Parkers Chapel 12,
Hampton 2
PARKERS CHAPEL - A trio of pitchers collaborated on a one-hitter for the Trojans (2-0), who rolled to their second straight win.
Reece Griffin tossed three hitless innings to pick up the win. He walked one and struck out six.
T.J. Bale, Logan Selman, Jacob Hobbs and Carson Worthey each had two hits in the win with Worthey driving in four runs.
A junior, Worthey has driven in seven runs in the Trojans' first two games.