Double plays pile up on Panthers in loss
The Siloam Springs baseball team dropped its home opener to Springdale 4-2 on Thursday.
Siloam Springs’ baseball team had opportunities on Thursday in its home opener against Springdale.
But the Panthers were the victim of three double plays to erase scoring chances and stranded seven men on base as the Bulldogs left James Butts Baseball Park with a 4-2 nonconference victory.
The loss completes a 1-2 opening week for the Panthers, who won at Gentry 11-1 in five innings on Tuesday and then lost 6-5 at Bentonville West on Wednesday.
“Like I told them, we’re there,” said third-year head baseball coach Alan Hardcastle. “We’re in games. I told them I hate starting off slow, but we’re building. We’re getting better each game. Give it to Springdale. Their guy came out and threw strikes. He was in the zone. He threw the curve ball when he needed to and kept us off balance. Our 3-4-5 hitters just need to come through a little bit better in the clutch.”
The Panthers fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning when Andrew Roach roped a ringing double off Josh Hunt ( 0- 1) on the first pitch of the game and came around to score on an RBI single by Ben Roberts.
The Bulldogs could have gotten more, but Hunt wiggled out of a bases loaded jam to end the inning with just one run scored.
Siloam Springs tied it up 1-1 in the bottom half when Chandler Cook crushed the first pitch he saw over the left- center field fence and onto the train track bank for a solo home run off Springdale starter Tyler Turner.
The Panthers had opportunities for more in the first. Dawson Armstrong singled but was thrown out at second trying to advance on a wild pitch. Chance Junkermann just missed a home run to left on the next pitch but had to settle for a double, and the Panthers were unable to bring him in as the game remained tied 1-1.
Turner ( 1- 0) settled down after that, pitching five innings and scattering seven hits with five strikeouts.
Turner was also aided by his defense. The Panthers got the leadoff man on in the second, third and fourth innings but couldn’t score. Siloam Springs had men on first and second with one out in the fifth when Hunt hit into a double play.
Springdale took a 2- 1 lead in the fourth when Michael Harrington singled and came around to score on a Dylan Rollins RBI double.
The Bulldogs added two more in the sixth. Andre Munoz reached when Siloam Springs outfielders lost a ball in the twilight sky, and he moved up on a stolen base and wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch. An RBI double by Sabino Nino scored Roach, who reached on a walk later in the inning.
Down 4- 1, Siloam Springs got the first two men on in the sixth against reliever J. C. Davis, and Baron Meek scored to make it 4- 2 on a strikeout- throw out double play.
Cook reached safely on a bunt single to lead off the seventh, but Eli Hawbaker hit into a double play to clear the bases, and Armstrong popped out to end the game.
Hunt pitched 5 2/3 innings for Siloam Springs (1-2) and was saddled with the loss, while Cook pitched the final 1 1/3 innings.
Cook, Eli Hawbaker and Baron Meek each had two hits for the Panthers, while Dawson Armstrong, Chance Junkermann and Landon Nickell all had base hits.