Magnet Cove earns No. 3 seed from 2A-South Regional

POYEN — A loss to 2A-South champion Parkers Chapel on Friday put Magnet Cove in the third-place game on Saturday. The Panthers responded by scoring nine runs in one inning to defeat the Wildcats, 12-8.

The third-place game featured a nervy start for Magnet Cove (15-14) as Rison (10-11) scored three runs in the first inning. Senior Hunter Dickey walked three of the first four batters he faced, including one which forced in the first run before the first out.

The next batter lined out to shortstop, but another single put Rison ahead, 2-0. A fielder’s choice allowed the third run before Dickey forced the next batter into a flyout.

Magnet Cove went down 1-2-3 in the first inning, but Rison followed suit. J.T. Higdon was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the second inning and eventually scored on a two-out fielder’s choice with the RBI attributed to junior Clay Spadoni.

Dickey walked the opposing starting pitcher, Chandler Knowles, to start the third inning. Knowles eventually scored on an error by Dickey as the Wildcats took a 4-1 lead.

The senior helped his own cause with a double in the bottom of the frame. He was able to score on an error with one out. Junior Cade Asher made the score 4-3 by reaching home on a passed ball.

Dickey started the next inning with a strikeout before allowing a single. Freshman Lucas Smeltzer doubled off the runner at first base after a flyout.

The Panthers punished Knowles and Brock Culpepper for nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Their first four batters reached base on an error, a single and a pair of walks.

They had four hits in the inning and three walks. Two batters were hit by pitches and they took advantage of two errors in the field. Smeltzer scored the final run of the inning on a groundout as Magnet Cove took a commanding 12-4 lead.

Dickey got one out in the fifth before sophomore Jaryd McJunkins entered in relief. The Wildcats scored two runs in the inning, one in the sixth and another in the seventh to cut into the lead, but they were never able to draw level. Asher’s double in the third inning was recorded as the only hit of the game, but he was thrown out at third base trying to make it into a triple.

The two teams only combined for 13 errors, but they made 10 errors and 13 additional batters reached base on walks. Another four batters were hit by pitches. Seven different Panthers had one hit apiece.

The result gave Magnet Cove the No. 3 seed from the 2A-South. The Panthers will face Pangburn (20-10), the fourth seed from the 2A-West/Central, at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday in Pangburn.

Magnet Cove was held to one run on three hits and the Panthers committed six errors in the 9-1 semifinal loss to Parkers Chapel (25-7), the top seed from the 2A-7 East. The Trojans defeated defending state champion Spring Hill (24-3), 14-4, in the regional final on Saturday.

The Panthers entered the tournament as the second seed from the 2A-7 West district tournament. They lost, 5-3, on their home field in the tournament final on April 27. The top-seeded Red Devils (11-10) lost, 3-1, in the first round of the regional to Rison.

A no-hitter by junior Justin McKim allowed the Panthers to eke out a 1-0 win in their first regional game against Camden Harmony Grove (12-10). McKim struck out three batters and walked two in seven innings.

Magnet Cove led almost the entire game after four walks in the first inning forced in the only run. McKim led off the game with a flyout before Dickey reached base on a walk. He scored four batters later on a two-out walk to sophomore Brennan Koller.