Lakeside, Hot Springs top county rivals
Sophomore Ethan Bates did a little bit of everything for Lakeside on Friday.
Bates pitched five innings, surrendering just one run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts, adding two singles, two runs scored and two stolen bases to lead the Rams to a 6-2 win over visiting Lake Hamilton in the Ryan White Tournament.
Lakeside struck for three first-inning runs and held a 4-1 lead at the end of the third frame. As Bates held the Wolves off balance, the Rams stretched their lead to 6-1 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Lake Hamilton plated one run in the top of the seventh before Lakeside’s Jesus Minjarez closed the door on the comeback bid.
Minjarez pitched two innings of relief, surrendering one run on one hit with two walks and three strikeouts. Lake Hamilton starter Tanner King allowed five runs on four hits with six walks and four strikeouts in four innings pitched, also finishing with two singles and two RBIs at the plate.
Braden Qualls had two hits and a stolen base in two at-bats for the Wolves. Lakeside’s Justin Scott tripled for the game’s lone extra-base hit.
Lake Hamilton (1-2) will face Malvern (2-1) in the first round of a tournament Monday at Sherdian. The Rams (3-0) open conference play Tuesday at Hot Springs (3-0).
HOT SPRINGS-MOUNTAIN PINE
Despite receiving a quality start from senior Chad Graves, Mountain Pine couldn’t stay out of its own way Friday at Hot Springs.
Graves allowed just one earned run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in five innings pitched, but the Red Devils committed five errors, leading to five unearned runs in a 6-5 loss.
Trailing 5-1 after a four-run third inning by the Trojans, Mountain Pine chipped away at the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth and one in the top of the sixth.
The Red Devils knotted the score with a run in the top of the seventh, but an error in the bottom of the frame led to the game-winning run for Hot Springs.
Starter Ben Slate surrendered two runs on one hit with two walks and three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings for the Trojans. Junior Shawn Lingo pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on two hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.
Lingo, Slate, Bubba Driver and Hayden Weisner each had two hits for Hot Springs, Weisner with a double and a team-high two RBIs.
Junior Josh Walpole had two hits in two at-bats for the Red Devils, finishing with one RBI and one run scored. Graves doubled and had two RBIs in four plate appearances.
Improving to 3-0 on the young season, the Trojans will host rival Lakeside (3-0) on Tuesday. Mountain Pine (0-1) hosts Caddo Hills (0-0) Monday before playing five straight games on the road.