Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Gragg, All You Want
TIGERS’ HURLER FANS 11 AGAINST SILOAM SPRINGS
Senior right-hander Logan Gragg struck out 11 in six innings to power Prairie Grove’s nonconference victory against Siloam Springs on Saturday.
In the middle innings, Gragg (1-1), a Connors State signee, retired eight consecutive batters by mixing in a breaking ball with his fastball and sinking change up.
“(Gragg) was as advertised — he’s a good one,” said Prairie Grove coach Chris Mileham. “That’s what we expect from him every time he takes the bump and you can tell the players really responded by playing well behind him because they kind of know what they’re going to get, too.”
Gragg pitched his way out of jams three times to complete six scoreless innings.
In the second, Chance Junkerman and Logan Hamilton hit backto-back, two-out singles for Siloam Springs before Gragg struck out Nate Free on a high fastball with an 0-2 pitch count to end the inning.
In the third, back- to- back, one-out singles by Chandler Cook and Zac Bolstad and a passed ball move the runners into scoring position. But Gragg escaped by striking out the next two batters, which began his streak of retiring eight in a row.
Bolstad led off the sixth with a single up the middle and stole second base, but that was as far as he would get as Gragg fanned the
next two batters and got a groundout to wrap up his outing.
“About halfway through the game (Gragg) was able to spot up with (his breaking ball), and that made him even better,” Mileham said. “He came to me before the game and we decided to just stay with the fastball and changeup early, but I encouraged him to stick with (his breaking ball) and work on it between innings.
“When it was time to break out that pitch, it was perfect timing.”
Reed Orr’s three- run, Texas League single to right-center field helped the Tigers (3-1) take control in the fifth inning after scoring their first run on a basesloaded error in the second inning.
Prairie Grove’s offense didn’t get a hit against Siloam Springs starting pitcher Chandler Cook until DJ Strong’s one-out single up the middle in the fifth inning.
Other than Orr’s Texas Leaguer, the Tigers only other hit was a looping single to centerfield by Gavin Heltemes to lead off the sixth inning.
“It’s early and pitching always seems to be ahead of hitting at this time of the year,” Mileham said. “I’m not concerned. I think everything will find itself and works its way out as we see more pitches throughout this early part of the year.”
Prairie Grove 6, Stilwell, Okla. 1
The Tigers earned a nonconference victory on March 5 as Gavin Heltemes was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and earned the win on the mound.
Prairie Grove managed just four hits, but took advantage of four Stilwell errors. Heltemes (1-0) allowed just one hit and struck out 10 in 5 innings of a 79-pitch outing.
Reed Orr earned the save for the Tigers.