Razorbacks open conference play with 3-2 victory; Tigers win at home
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Arkansas High opened Conference 5A-South baseball action with a 3-2 victory over Hot Springs Lakeside Tuesday.
The Razorbacks (2-0) outhit the host Rams, 7-4, including 3-0 in extra-base hits.
Arkansas High pitcher/shortstop Ty Waid smacked his second home run of the young season, a solo blast. The University of Arkansas signee picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs (none earned). He struck out 13 and walked only 2. Trey White pitched 2/3 of an inning and recorded the save.
Nathan Wall led the Razorbacks with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, and Luke Paxton had a triple and Ryan Wardlaw a double.
Other Arkansas High hits were by Lee Smith and White.
The Hogs and Lakeside will face each other again at 5 p.m. Thursday at Razorback Field. Arkansas High’s biggest conference test will be against Benton next Thursday, also at AHS.
Benton is the two-time defending Class 6A state championship that dropped to 5A this season.
TIGERS GROUND AIRLINE
TEXARKANA, Texas — Texas High returned to its winning ways with a convincing 10-5 victory over the Airline Vikings Tuesday night at Tiger Field.
The Tigers (2-3) ended a two-game losing skid by doubling up on Airline. But teams had six hits, but Texas High had more clutch hits in is home opener.
The Tigers’ hits were spread among seven players, including: Camden Gamble, Brendan Allread, Kam Wrightner, Jacob Yowell, Tanner Ross, Knox Pilgreen and Dalton Raley.
“We handled the bats well today,” said Texas High coach John McClure. “We scored a run in every inning but one and we came up with timely hits, too, especially when we had runners in scoring position.”
McClure said the Tigers “bunted three or four times in a row and we forced them into making some mistakes (3 errors). We played really well overall and it’s nice to not let this one get away from us like the last two games.”
The Tigers had the lead, lost the lead, and regained the lead against Airline.
“We didn’t let anything keep us down and we fought back every time we needed to,” the Tiger coach said. “It was a good win for us, especially being our home opener.”
Worth McMillen was the winning pitcher, going 5 innings and and allowing all five Viking runs in the fourth inning.
“They had the bases loaded with no outs and we got two outs before we had a defensive lapse,” McClure said. “We had an error, a hit batman and two walks. They scored all five of their runs — all unearned — after two were out.”
Weather permitting, Texas High will host the Border Battle invitational baseball tournament Thursday through Saturday. Games will be played Thursday and Friday on both the Texas High and Liberty-Eylau fields, with Saturday’s schedule set for Texas High’s field.
Thursday’s opening-round schedule, at Texas High: Longview vs. Ashdown, 1 p.m.; Longview vs. Camden Fairview, 3:30 p.m.; Camden Fairview vs. Atlanta, 5:30 p.m.; Texas High vs. Ashdown, 7:30 p.m.; at Liberty-Eylau: Liberty-Eylau vs. Fort Smith Northside, 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s schedule includes: at Texas High: Liberty-Eylau vs. Ashdown, 1 p.m.; Atlanta vs. Ashdown, 3:30 p.m.; Longview vs. Fort Smith Northside, 5:30 p.m.; Texas High vs. Fort Smith Northside, 7:30 p.m.; at Liberty-Eylau: Camden Fairview vs. Liberty-Eylau, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule, all at Texas High: Atlanta vs. Fort Smith Northside, 11 a.m.; Texas High vs. Camden Fairview, 1 p.m.; Liberty-Eylau vs. Longview, 3 p.m.
Coach McClure said that schedule could change, especially if it rains Thursday as predicted by the weather forecast.