Texarkana Gazette

Spring Hill stands atop Class 2A

- By Derek Oxford

FAYETTEVIL­LE, Ark.—Spring Hill saved its best for last and won the Class 2A state baseball championsh­ip with a 5-0 victory over St. Joseph on Saturday in a light drizzle at the University of Arkansas' Baum Stadium.

The Bears (25-9) scored runs in each of the first, second and third innings, then tallied two in the fourth and rode the arms of Kaleb Blair and Wesley Feathersto­n to the school's first state baseball title.

Spring Hill catcher Josh Winfield's steady leadership behind the plate earned him Most Valuable Player honors, and he doubles as the son of head coach Rusty Winfield.

“We'd been scouting them all week and we'd watched them play against one of our conference opponents,” Winfield said. “The pitcher out there on the mound was pretty good and we got a few good hits early. When our pitchers get a lead, they get more confidence out there.”

Will Phillips was a spark plug from his leadoff position, going 3 for 4 with a pair of runs batted in and a run scored.

Feathersto­n also scored a run, along with centerfiel­der Blake Waller and Blair, as well as left fielder Lewis Chambers.

Blair worked the first five innings, throwing a four-hit shutout and striking out six while walking only two.

He gave the ball up to Feathersto­n from there, who entered and worked the final two innings, giving up no runs and no hits despite walking three.

St. Joseph's Dawson Schrekenho­fer struck out to set off the celebratio­n.

The Bears will lose three seniors off this team, but expect to be in the hunt again in 2018 if all goes according to plan.

“We did have a good core of juniors on the field and we had two freshmen and a sophomore that played today,” Winfield said.

The game only took 2 hours and 7 minutes to complete, despite the rainy conditions. St. Joseph 000 000 0 — 0 4 2 Spring Hill 111 200 x — 5 7 0

David Beck, Daniel Kordsmeier (6) and Jack Briggler; Kaleb Blair, Wesley Feathersto­n and Josh Winfield. WP-Blair. LP-Beck.

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