Fain, SSHS baseball dismantles Prairie Grove
The Siloam Springs baseball team bounced back from a tough doubleheader loss at Greenbrier with a 9-3 nonconference win at Prairie Grove on Friday.
The Panthers (12-8) were originally scheduled to host Farmington on Friday, but Farmington called to cancel the game on Friday morning and Alma canceled on Prairie Grove, leaving the Tigers and Panthers with open afternoons.
The two teams decided to play for the second time this season. Prairie Grove defeated Siloam Springs 6-2 on March 27.
On Friday, however, junior right-hander Brayden Fain delivered his second straight solid pitching performance, pitching four innings and allowing only one run to get the win. Fain also got a complete game win against Morrilton on the previous Monday.
“(Fain) pitched Monday against Morrilton and did an amazing job and came out and said, ‘Coach, I need new innings,’” said Siloam Springs coach Alan Hardcastle. “He had about 40 to 50 (pitches) left in him. He threw about 52 pitches and then we brought in a couple of other guys. He was around the strike zone. He didn’t walk anybody, didn’t hit anybody, offspeed was spot on and Prairie Grove really struggled with Fain.”
After two shutout losses (8-0 and 3-0) at Greenbrier on April 6, the Panthers’ offense came alive with a five-run third inning to take a 5-0 lead on Prairie Grove.
The Panthers (12-8) added single runs in the fourth and fifth and two in the sixth.
“It was another great outing,” Hardcastle said. “Being able to come back and play on Friday and get that bad taste out of your mouth, kids were excited.”
Eight different Panthers each had a base hit for Siloam Springs. Elijah Coffey had a hit, RBI and two runs scored. J.P. Wills had a hit and two RBI, while Jacob Gilbert and Christian Ledeker each had a hit and scored two runs.
Andrew Pilcher had a hit and RBI, while Lucas Junkermann and Nathan Lee each had a hit, RBI and run scored. Fain had an RBI, wihle Gavin Henson had a hit and Nolan Wills scored a run.
Coffey worked 2 1/3 innings in relief of Fain, including scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth.
When Prairie Grove threatened with a pair of runs in the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out, Spencer Stephenson retired the final two batters to end the game.
Siloam Springs was scheduled to return to 5A-West Conference action on Tuesday at home against Greenwood. Results were not available at presstime.
The Panthers are scheduled to host Gravette on Thursday before playing at Rogers Heritage on Friday.