Taylor keeps lead this time, takes title over Nemo Vista

BENTON — The last time Taylor made it to the state baseball finals the memory it left wasn’t good.

That was 2019 when the Tigers blew 5-1 lead and lost to Viola 6-5 in Fayetteville.

The pains of that memory weren’t erased Friday afternoon at Everett Field, but a 10-4 victory over Nemo Vista in the Class 1A title game sure helps.

“That one stuck with me for a while,’’ said Coach Brian Fowler, who was in his second year at the school in 2019. “So this one feels pretty good.”

It also helped that two of the stars on Friday were freshmen starters on that team. Shortstop Rayne Crawford had 4hits, drove in 2 runs and scored 3runs and, pitcher Josh Lindsey worked 5 innings, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, and striking out 7.

“We have had guys pick us up all year from the bottom of the lineup but the guys at the top have been solid all season,’’ said Fowler.

Lead-off man Peyton Smith was 2 for 2 and scored 3 runs. Lindsey had an RBI and scored once, and cleanup hitter Preston Smith was 1 for 2 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and 2 walks.

“We felt like we needed to start fast and we were able to scratch out a couple in the first,’’ said Fowler.

Peyton Smith opened the first with a single, Cranford’s bunt single put two on, and after a pair of outs, Preston Smith tripled home the first run and scored on Waylon Woodell’s single.

The Tigers (19-5-2) never lost the lead and had Nemo Vista swimming upstream the rest of the game.

The Red Hawks cut it to 2-1 in the second when Logan Harper scored on an error after he hit a leadoff double.

But Taylor answered with two more in the third on an error and a squeeze bunt by Lindsey.

Nemo Vista’s Christian Rodelo drove in a run to make it 4-2 in the third.

The Tigers added another pair in the third – Cranford an RBI single and Preston Smith an RBI sacrifice fly – and busted it open with four in the sixth. Crawford had the only RBI while two runs scored on passed balls and another on an error.

“These things never go like you plan them,” said Fowler. “I have an assistant coach who is the positive guy, but I always imagine every scenario that can go wrong. But we jumped on them early and that is what we wanted to do.”

“We liked the matchup with Josh on the mound and we felt we matched up OK with either of their pitchers.”

Patrick Perry, Cash McLelland and Christian Rodelo drove in runs for Nemo Vista. Wesley Honeycutt worked five innings and took the loss.