Saints down Lions in final season outing

SPRINGDALE — In their final appearance of the 2022 regular baseball season, the Gravette Lions traveled to Springdale Friday afternoon to take on the Shiloh Christian Saints at Saints Ballpark. A few simple mistakes in ball handling in the bottom of the fifth inning cost the Lions the win.

The game got off to a slow start when, in the bottom of the first, a Saint runner managed to make it across home plate for the first run of the contest, giving Shiloh a 1-0 lead.

For the next three innings neither team posted any runs. That changed in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Saints went on a batting spree that brought home four runs and extended Shiloh’s lead to five.

Then, in the top of the sixth, the Lions went on a short streak of their own. Isaiah Larson led off for the Lions and singled to center field for a base hit. With two outs and Larson still on first base, McCoy Kildow was up to bat.

Kildow was struck in the leg by a wild pitch, sending him to first base and advancing Larson to second. Haden Bates stepped into the batter’s box and managed to hit a ground ball into center field, loading up the bases for Gravette. Rhett Hilger, like Bates, managed to hit the ball deep into center field and bring home Larson and Kildow for two Lion runs.

But these were the only two runs for the Lions and the Shiloh Christian Saints walked away with the conference win, 5-2, over the Gravette Lions.

In games played earlier in the week, the Gravette Lions fell to the Huntsville Eagles on the road April 19 by a score of 9-2. They also lost to the Grove (Okla.) Ridgerunners on the road April 21 by a score of 12-1.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lion McCoy Kildow makes a diving catch as the Saints base runner slides toward second base during the Shiloh Christian-Gravette conference contest in Springdale Friday night. The Saints runner was called safe at second base by the infield umpire.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS The intensity shows in his face as Rhett Hilger, reaching the top of his windup, gets ready to release the ball toward home during the Shiloh Christian-Gravette baseball game at Saints Ballpark in Springdale Friday night. This contest marked the end of the regular season for the Lions, who came up short, losing to the Saints, 5-2.