Lions drop game to Black Diamonds, take conference win over Pioneers

WESTSIDE — The Gravette Lions split a pair of games on the road March 16 in Sallisaw and in Gentry Friday night.

Up first was the Sallisaw Black Diamonds. The Black Diamonds took command of the contest from the start with a four-run series in the first inning, two in the second and six in the third to grab a 12-0 lead going into the top of the fourth inning. Gravette’s only run came in this inning when Isaiah Larson crossed home plate.

The Sallisaw Black Diamonds took the nonconference ball game, 12-1.

The Lions had 18 at-bats with only one run on five hits and an RBI by Larson. The Lions had two walks and seven strikeouts.

On the mound for the Lions was Holden Betz who completed one inning, delivering 33 pitches. Betz allowed four runs on four hits with three walks. He was replaced by Noah Tawney who completed 1.2 innings, throwing 50 pitches. He allowed six runs on two hits with six walks. McCoy Kildow finished the two remaining innings, throwing 26 pitches. Kildow allowed two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.

Gravette traveled down the Arkansas 59 corridor to take on the rival Gentry Pioneers in a conference showdown at the Merrill Reynolds Memorial Complex in Gentry Friday night.

Jake Carver kicked things off for the Lions when he singled on a three-ball, one-strike count to bring home the first run of the night.

But the Pioneers had other ideas and Gentry scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead going into the top of the third. Gravette added a single run in the top of the third to close the gap to 3-2.

Led by Keegan Bulza, Gravette surged ahead of the Pioneers with six runs, regaining the lead, 9-3. One more in the fifth extended the lead to seven.

Gentry went on a four-run series in the bottom of the sixth, coming to within two. But the Lions put the game away for good in the top of the seventh with seven runs to claim the conference win, 16-7, over the Gentry Pioneers.