Searcy squeaks past Texarkana West, 3-2

Contributing Writer

After being tied at 2-2 after the regulation six innings, Searcy’s Peyton Rogers doubled home the winning run for a 3-2 victory over Texarkana West in the Arkansas Dixie Youth Baseball AA State Tournament on Sunday evening at Ed Worrell Parks’ A.P. Cox Field.

Heavy rains delayed Sunday’s championship game until 5 p.m.

Searcy defeated Texarkana West earlier in the coachpitch tournament, but Texarkana evened the score with a 4-0 victory Saturday evening to force the championship game.

Both Searcy and Texarkana move on to the Regionals next week at Ruston, La.

Searcy will be in a coachpitch tournament, while Texarkana will have machine pitch in the upcoming tournaments.

Seven teams participated in the tournament this week.

Texarkana jumped on top early with two runs in the top of the first inning with Landry Smith and Tristen Engledawl scoring after opening the game with singles.

The local team missed scoring more when a runner was doubled off second, and the team later left runners on second and third.

Searcy got its first run in the second on singles by Payne Howell and Archer Johnson.

Searcy had a chance to tie the game in the fourth when Rogers singled, but the runner from second was tossed out at home.

Texarkana wasted an opportunity in the fifth when Carter Henderson doubled to lead off the inning,

The visitors tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when Trey Davis reached on a throwing error and reached second. He later scored when Jace Neal’s line-drive single went off the pitcher’s glove to score Davis.

In the seventh, McClayn Schmitz singled to right-center. After an out, Rogers doubled home the winning run.

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