• Smackover beats McGehee in baseball

SMACKOVER - The first half of the season may not have gone as well as Smackover would’ve liked, but with the start of April, the Bucks have begun to solidify their standing for the 8-3A District Tournament, which they will be hosting later this month.

On Monday, the Bucks extended their winning streak to three straight behind a superb performance by Beau Burson, as Smackover downed McGehee 5-0 in Class 3A-4A District 12 play.

A senior, Burson struck out 12 en route to a twohit shutout. He did not walk a batter and needed just 73 pitches to top the Owls.

“We had a good pitching outing from Beau,” said Smackover assistant coach Cody Cranford. “We played good defense

behind him. Our record doesn’t show what we want it to show, but we’re battling on and we’re right at the top of the conference.”

Against 8-3A foes, the Bucks (8-11) are 4-0, but still have two games apiece against Drew Central, Junction City and Fordyce.

In their first encounter, Burson fired a one-hit shutout to blank the Owls (1-11).

In the rematch, Burson needed to be at his best thanks to Owls starter Kaylon Handley, who limited the Bucks to just three hits over 5 2/3 innings.

The right-hander struck out eight, although he issued six walks and plunked four batters.

It looked like Handley might have a short day early on, as the Bucks gave Burson an early cushion to work with.

Clay Stringer was hit by a pitch and Weston Smith reached on a throwing error after laying a bunt down the third-base line.

Stringer was able to score on the play, and Smith was able to take third on the late throw home to nab Stringer.

One out later, Brennan McKnight rifled Handley’s first pitch to the gap in left-center for a double that scored Smith to make it 2-0.

But after the rocky first, Handley settled down and retired six straight batters before McKnight and Cade Schibler delivered consecutive singles and Tucker Evans walked load the bases in the third.

However, Handley fanned Nick Impson to get out of trouble, but the fourth would be a different story.

Walks to Baylor Brumley and Stringer sandwiched around Nick Jennings reaching on an error on a bunt to third loaded the bases with nobody out.

Smith drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right, but Handley was able to retire Burson on a fly out to center.

Jennings went to third on Burson’s fly out to put runners at the corners with two outs.

McKnight worked Handley for a walk, but on ball four, Jennings aggressively made his way down the third-baseline.

Catcher Carter Hawkins tried to throw out the retreating Smackover center fielder, but the throw sailed down the left-field line for an error that allowed Jennings to score to make it 4-0.

The Bucks scored their final run in the sixth.

As was the case in the first, Stringer was hit by a pitch, and Smith followed with a sacrifice bunt.

With Burson batting, Stringer took third on a wild pitch and scored when the senior’s fly ball to left was dropped for a two-base error.

Overall, the Bucks left nine men on base, and although they never got the big hit to break the game open, Burson made the early runs stand up with his second straight dominant performance against the Owls.

McGehee’s best threat came in the second.

Parker Carter, who had both of the Owls’ hits, led off with a bloop single to left.

Wesley Groves then laid down a bunt, but Burson quickly pounced on it and threw out Carter at second base.

Burson then got Genesis Crift to bounce into a force play before getting Michael Huggins to ground out to second to end the inning.

After the second, the Owls did not have another baserunner until Carter singled to left with two outs in the seventh.

McKnight reached safely in each of his four trips to the plate, finishing 2-for-2 with an RBI.

Parkers Chapel 8, Murfreesboro 1

PARKERS CHAPEL - T.J. Bale struck out nine and went the distance with a three-hitter, as the Trojans topped the Rattlers in their first meeting since last year’s regional tournament when Murfreesboro advanced to the state tournament with an extra-innings victory.

Bale, who walked one, kept the Rattlers at bay while the Trojans methodically pulled away, scoring two runs in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings.

Carson Worthey and Tyler Sanders were each 3-for4 with an RBI to pace the Trojans at the plate.

Thomas Hardy went 2-for3 with an RBI, while Logan Selman, Trace Blaylock and Bale each had one hit in the win.

Parkers Chapel 14, Bearden 0

PARKERS CHAPEL - The Trojans (10-7) finished off a sweep of a doubleheader in rousing fashion, as Tyler Martin and Grayson Hurst combined on a no-hitter.

Martin walked one and struck out eight in three innings of work to pick up the win, and he helped his own cause with a two-run single as part of a six-run third inning.

Hurst walked two and struck out five in two innings.

Bale went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Hardy and Josh Arrington had one hit apiece for Parkers Chapel.