Junction City and Smackover meet in battle of Union County rivals.
JUNCTION CITY - With two outs, Smackover was at their best.
The Bucks scored six two-out runs and Beau Burson came within an out of a complete game to lead Smackover to a 7-3 win over Junction City on Thursday.
The win muddles the race for the top two spots in the 8-3A conference and the automatic trips to the regional tournament they provide with less than two weeks left in the regular season.
The Bucks (11-12) remain undefeated against 8-3A foes, and they host Fordyce today in another pivotal clash.
The loss for the Dragons (17-9) is their first against 8-3A competition, and the Redbugs have suffered two losses at the hands of Junction City.
The Bucks got a huge contribution from the ninth spot in their lineup, as Tucker Evans went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, including an RBI single that started a fourrun fourth that proved to be the decisive frame.
Burson struck out 12 over 6 2/3 innings. He scattered seven hits, allowed three runs and walked three.
"I can't say how proud I am of our kids," said Smackover coach B.J. Greene. "Beau came out and threw a great game, and he's done that every outing this year. He's had two tough losses against Magnolia and Monticello where he didn't give up an earned run and we lost. He wants the baseball in big-time situations."
With the game tied at 2-all, the Bucks took the lead for good in the fourth, chasing Junction City starter Logan Disotell in the process.
Cody Smith worked Disotell for a leadoff walk, and one out later, Evans ripped a double down the left-field line, scoring Smith from first with the go-ahead run.
Evans was cut down trying to stretch his double into a triple, but with two outs, the Bucks began their rally anew.
Clay Stringer reached after his grounder to third was mishandled for an error, and he took second on a wild pitch.
Weston Smith then drove in a run with an opposite-field single to right to make it 4-2.
Burson followed with a ground ball that was earmarked for center field, but shortstop Keelan Hodge went far to his left to corral it.
Having no play at first base, Hodge turned towards third to try and throw out Smith.
The freshman threw a strike, but Smith was safe after the throw was dropped.
Trailing the play, Burson was able to advance to second to put a pair of runners in scoring position.
With Brennan McKnight at the plate, Disotell balked home a run, and a wild pitch moments later scored Burson to push the lead to 6-2.
The wild pitch prompted a pitching change, and Hodge came on and struck out McKnight to end the inning.
Evans delivered another big two-out hit in the fifth with an RBI single that made it 7-2.
After the Dragons took advantage of two errors to score single runs in the first and third innings, they were held in check by Burson.
The senior pitched around a leadoff walk in the fourth, and a one-out double to Joe Lowe in the fifth.
In the sixth, the Dragons had runners at first and second with one out, but Burson got Jack Smith to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
However, the Dragons didn't go down without a fight.
Robbie Roberson and Lowe
delivered consecutive singles with one out to put runners at first and second.
Burson got Hodge to hit into a force play to put runners at the corners with two outs, but Kristian Hodge lined an RBI single to center to cut the Bucks' lead to 7-3 and end Burson's day on the mound.
Smith took over and was given a rude welcome by Brock McGoogan, who lined a base hit to left to load the bases.
With the tying run now at the plate, Smith was able to get Bryce Ware to hit a grounder to third that resulted in a force play to end the game.
"Our kids competed. This was a big win for us," Greene said. "Junction City had some things that didn't go their way that made it a little better for us.
"It's baseball. You never know how the ball is going to roll. It's a great team, and we're going to have to play them again next week."
The Dragons took their lone lead of the game with a run in the first.
With one out, Lowe struck out, but the third strike was dropped and a wild throw to first allowed the senior to advance to second.
Lowe later took third on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single by Disotell.
The Bucks claimed their first lead with a two-out hit from Nick Jennings in the third.
With one out, Stringer walked, but was erased at second on a force play at second after Smith's popped-up bunt was dropped.
The inning was extended when Burson’s grounder to second was misplayed for an error to put runners at the corners, and the senior stole second base to get into scoring position.
McKnight walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Jennings, who laced Disotell’s 0-1 offering into left field for a two-run single to give the Bucks a 2-1 lead.
The Dragons tied the game thanks to some aggressive baserunning by Lowe, who went 3-for-4 and scored two runs.
The senior led off the inning with a single to left.
Lowe then stole second, but the throw caromed away just far enough from second base for Lowe to take third.
Burson then struck out Keelan Hodge and Disotell, but a wild pitch on the first offering to McGoogan allowed Lowe to score the tying run.
However, the game wouldn't stay tied for long thanks to the Bucks' rally in the fourth.
Disotell took the loss after allowing six runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked six and struck out six.
Walks were a major issue for the Dragons, who issued 10 free passes in the game.
"For some reason, we just weren't very sharp in the field," said Junction City coach Joe Paul Hammett. "It had been over a week since he's (Disotell) pitched. It's just the way the schedule fell.
"We had two or three errors that gave them extra outs, and they made us pay for it, but we knew had to keep it down with Burson on the mound. He's a good pitcher. We just gave them too many. That's the way baseball goes sometimes. We just didn't play well enough today."
After picking up a crucial road win, the Bucks have no time to sit on their laurels with the Redbugs coming to town today.
"I made that point to our guys," Greene said. "You've got to love the fact that you won this game. On top of that, it makes it even better because Junction is now in conference and it means so much more. Any time you play these guys, you're going to war.
"Every time Fordyce and Smackover come together, it's going to be a dogfight, and I expect that. I told our kids to enjoy it for a minute, but we've got to come back and play tomorrow and be ready to go."
Lake Hamilton 2, El Dorado 1
PEARCY - Connor Cates turned in an outstanding pitching performance, but the Wildcats (8-12) never could get the big hit, stranding 11 men on base in falling to the Wolves in Class 5A-6A District 6 play.
Cates allowed six hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings of work. He walked three and struck out six.
The Wildcats tied the game in the third when Leighton Turbeville scored on a wild pitch, but the Wolves answered with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third.
Noah Gaul had three singles for the Wildcats, who had six hits in the game.
Turbeville, Jacob Boshears and Micah Haney also had singles for the Wildcats.