Arkansas High trumps Ashdown, 8-5

TEXARKANA, Ark. — Gaining the first win of the season is an accomplishment, but doing it in front of the home crowd is even more special.

Arkansas High (1-3) defeated the Ashdown Panthers Monday night at Razorback Field in a nonconference game, 8-5.

“We finally got in the win column,” Arkansas High head coach Layne Berry said. “We know we’re a lot better than the teams we played this past weekend. We made a ton of mistakes.

“Not to make excuses but it was our first time out. We don’t have a easy road from here on out.”

Graydon Martin started on the bump for the Hogs. Martin went two innings, gave up one run and one hit.

AHS took their first lead of the game in the second inning, scoring three runs on the Panthers, 4-1.

Braylon Bishop hit a 2-run homerun in the second inning and teammate Ryan Wardlaw added a RBI-double.

Bishop ended the night going 2 for 2 with a triple and home with two RBI, while teammate Wardlaw went 1 for 4 with a RBI.

“We go to Little Rock this weekend and we play Conway, Jonesboro and Bryant in a tournament,” Berry said. “Hopefully, we can get all the jitters out the way. We’re playing some big schools and we’re in for a battle.”

Ashdown answered back at the top of the third inning, scattering two runs of their own.

Kain McWhorter drove in Jaxon Jester and Alex Keilbach for the Panthers.

McWhorter went 3 for 4 with two singles and a triple, with 2 RBI for Ashdown on the night.

Martin drove in Danny McWilliams in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving AHS a two-run edge, 5-3.

Martin went 1 for 2 with a RBI.

Ty Waid scored AHS’ sixth run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Ashdown wild pitch, 6-3.

Jackson Harris scored for the Hogs in the sixth inning, after the bases were loaded and Danny McWilliams was hit by a pitch.

On the following batter, Luke Paxton scored for the Razorbacks on a wild pitch strikeout.

Jaylen Betts came in relief for the Hogs and went five innings, gave up two runs and struck out three batters.

Ashdown started the scoring in the top of the first inning when Jester drove in Landon Rowe for the Panthers.

Jester finished with 1 for 2 with a RBI.

The Hogs were able to answer back in the bottom of the first inning, after Luke Paxton drove in Braylon Bishop, after Bishop’s triple.

Paxton went 1 for 2 with a RBI.