Baum Bummer: Jackets sting Panthers for 5A title
FAYETTEVILLE — The Benton Panthers made the state finals game for two straight years. And for two straight years their opposing pitcher has been lights-out. After falling
4-0 last season to current Arkansas Razorback Connor Noland and the Greenwood Bulldogs, Benton lost 2-0 to future Hog Tyler Cacciatori and the Sheridan Yellowjackets Friday at Baumwalker Stadium in Fayetteville.
A junior and 5A State Tournament champion MVP, Cacciatori struck out 10 vs. just one walk and four hits in 6.1 scoreless innings.
“I felt like he’s kind of not been included in the talk about some of the best pitchers in the state,” Sheridan Coach Michael Moore said of the MVP. “He’s committed to Arkansas as well and I think he came up here to show everybody, ‘I’m coming to Arkansas, too, guys.’ He was on a mission. I wish he could have finished, but (reliever Brandon) Arledge came in there and he’s been good for us all year too. Cacciatori was just a warrior. He’s been a warrior all season, offensively and defensively.”
But it wasn’t just Cacciatori on the mound as it was a pitcher’s duel all game.
The Panthers had some scoring chances and senior aces Jesse Barker and Peyton Pallette, also a future Razorback, held Sheridan at bay for the most part, but the Benton offense couldn’t capitalize as Cacciatori would throw good pitches to get out of minor jams. “It was kind of a pitcher’s duel,” Benton Coach Mark Balisterri said. “Both our pitchers did a heck of a job and he
(Cacciatori) was just wild enough to be hard enough to hit. We couldn’t ever get anything going against him. My hats off to him.”
A scoreless game after one inning, the Jackets (265) got on the board in the bottom of the second when Jackson Sorey singled with one out and Ruston Johnson doubled to put runners at second and third before 9-hole hitter Hayden Hicks singled to left field to plate Sorey for the 1-0 lead.
The only other run that was scored in the contest came off the bat of Sheridan’s Cooper Oliphant, who took the first pitch he saw from Barker in the third inning over the left-field fence for the 2-0 final. The Panthers would give up just two more hits the rest of the way.
Offensively, Benton senior catcher Logan Easterling, who threw out two would-be base stealers at second base, walked to lead off the second, but consecutive strikeouts from Cacciatori before a hit-bypitch to sophomore Tristan Hawkins put runners at first and second. But Cacciatori struck out senior Jackson Huskey to get out of the inning.
“You go up here and you want to play your best baseball, and we did everything we could do to win that game except hit the ball,” Balisterri said. “We pitched well and played good defense. We just never could get to Cacciatori. It took too long for us to get him out of the game.
“When you get to this stage, you’ve got to play great baseball and do all three things – pitch, play defense and hit. We did two of those things. They got a couple of big hits and that was the difference in the game.”
Senior Michael Allison reached on an error to lead off the third, but three consecutive outs followed. Benton (23-6) went in order in the fourth before Huskey hit a one-out single in the fifth. Allison struck out before Pallette singled to put two on, but a 4-6 fielder’s choice got Sheridan out of it once again.
Huskey, who finished 2 for 3, again hit a one-out single in the seventh, but the Panthers couldn’t get anything going. Pallette and Easterling added the other two hits for the Panthers.
Barker got the toughluck loss giving up two runs on six hits and a walk, striking out four in four innings. Pallette pitched two scoreless innings of relief, giving up a hit and striking out three.
“We just had a great year all year long,” Balisterri said. “Our seniors stepped up all year long. Credit to our seniors. They did a great job of leading this group. They left a legacy to our younger guys. We just have to figure out a way to finish when we get here.
Arledge threw the final two outs in the seventh for the save, while Sorey was 2 for 3 with a run at the plate. Oliphant was 1 for 2 with his homer and Montana Korte, Trace Watkins, Johnson and Hicks all added a hit apiece.