STATE CHAMPS
Scrappers take down Shiloh for 4A state title
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.—Even a rain delay couldn’t slow down the tear that the Nashville baseball team has been on.
The Scrappers (30-7) won their second state championship on Friday at the University of Arkansas’ Baum Stadium, defeating Shiloh Christian, 4-1.
“It’s been a Cinderella season,” Nashville coach Kyle Slayton said. “We’ve gone 23-1 since Spring Break. The kids just got rolling and it’s the first time we’ve ever won 30 games in my tenure. It was just a super effort from them.”
Both teams had to endure a 1 hour, 33-minute rain delay that began in the bottom of the first inning with the Scrappers having a runner on third base with two outs.
Nashville got on the board first when Chris Willard drew a leadoff walk and eventually scored on an error.
Tyler Hanson drew the start for Nashville and went four innings, giving up the only run the Saints scored on a sacrifice fly.
He surrendered the ball to Zach Jamison, who had been playing second base. Jamison went the final three innings, didn’t give up any runs and only allowed three hits, garnering Most Valuable Player honors.
Shiloh threw its No. 1 ace, Landon Brown, and he struggled with control all day, walking six batters despite only giving up one hit and no earned runs. Connor Clark relieved him and it was where Nashville did most of its damage, piling on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Saints were the defending state champions, defeating Ashdown last season 1-0 in the title game.
“I don’t care who we beat, but it does feel good to beat those guys, especially since they were defending state champions,” Slayton said. “I thought Zach did a great job coming in and how about Chris Willard making plays at shortstop.”
It was the 10-year anniversary of Nashville’s last state championship, a win over Farmington that saw current Scrapper assistants D.J. Graham and A.J. Whitmore as players on that team.
“It’s been special being with those guys,” Slayton said. “They were two of my favorite players of all time here and I think it’s been special for them being around these kids and seeing it from a different perspective.”