Ozark tops Alma in wood bat event

ALMA WOOD BAT TOURN. OZARK 5, ALMA 4

FORT SMITH — Ozark didn’t technically win the Alma Wood Bat Tournament after more than three inches of rain inundated Alma’s ball field and forced a change in venue and canceled all of Friday’s games along with the bracket-style format.

The Hillbillies were the only team to go 2-0 and finished with a thrilling 5-4 win over Alma on Saturday night at Hunt’s Park in Fort Smith to wrap up the tournament.

Ozark (4-5) scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning with Richdan Case providing the big hit with a single that scored Brayden Combs and Dylan Herriage for the lead.

Case also earned the win on the mound, pitching the final two innings.

Ozark defeated Paris, 2-0, in the first game of the tournament on Thursday.

The wins were a little extra special for Cody Bullard, who is in his first year as baseball coach at Ozark.

Bullard played American Legion baseball for Kerwin’s, which played its games at Hunt’s Park, and played football and baseball at Alma. Bullard played on Frank Vines’ final team before his retirement and played for Kevin Edwards’ first team in baseball.

Thursday was Bullard’s first trip to Alma as a head coach.

“It’s pretty cool,” Bullard said. “I’ve got some great memories out here. Walking through the gates earlier, it’s a great feeling. It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was out here playing. Now, I’m out here coaching and it’s a blessing.”

Bullard is adjusting to being a head coach after six years as an assistant at Ozark.

“It’s been an adjustment for me,” Bullard said. “You see things from a different perspective as the head guy. I’m super honored and blessed. I’ve got an awesome group of kids that come out and compete every day.”

Ozark leaned on a solid pitching staff to go 2-0 over the three days with Herriage and Caleb Lyons combining to allow two hits in the win over Paris. Saturday, Kade Kendrick started and gave up no earned runs in five innings before Case took over.

“They’ll compete,” Bullard said. “Kendrick has done a super job of coming in. He’s our guy to keep teams off balance. He keeps the ball down and throws a lot of strikes. I’m extremely proud of him. Then we’ll bring in Richdan Case and Daxton Shaffer. We’ve got four or five that I feel confident in.”

Ozark is 3-5 after Thursday’s win with a pair of onerun losses, to Waldron, 5-4, and Mansfield, 7-6.

“We’ve had a lot of games that could have gone either way,” Bullard said. “When these guys are on, they can play with anybody.”

Ozark opens conference play on Tuesday at home against Morrilton.

ALMA 6, PANAMA, OKLA., 4

Alma (3-7) scored three unearned runs in the third inning and two more unearned runs in the fourth inning to wipe out a 2-0 deficit.

Brandon Brogan belted a triple into the deepest part of Hunt’s Park to score Axl Spain, who had reached on an error. Derek Hatcher sent Brogan home with a sacrifice fly. Camden Curd singled home Easton Daily, who had doubled off the screen in dead center field for a 3-2 lead.

In the fourth, Spain grounded a single through the infield that scored Jackson Wright, who had reached on an error, and Avery Bowman, who reached on a bunt single, for a 5-2 lead.

Caden Nesbitt, Piercen Howell and Brogan combined on the win for the Airedales.

PARIS 3, HOWE, OKLA., 0

Daxson Baumgartner, Kort Tencleve, and Konnor Edwards combined on a two-hit shutout.

Baumgartner earned the win, going five innings before Tencleve and Edwards each pitched an inning each.

DOVER 7, MANSFIELD 2

Dover scored four runs in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie in the first game of the tournament on Saturday.

Brock Payne and Lane Standridge combined on the win for Dover.

SOFTBALL

FARMINGTON 9, MELBOURNE 7

The Lady Cardinals caught fire late, scoring eight runs in the top of the fifth inning to edge Melbourne in the finals of the Harrison tournament on Saturday.

Farmington (6-0) defeated Harding Academy 9- 5 and McCrory 11- 5 to reach the championship game.

Trailing 5-1, the Lady Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth and Kamryn Uher delivered a tworun single to open the barrage. With two on, Kennedy Griggs drilled a three-run home run to give Farmington a 7-5 lead. Reese Shirey extended the lead to 9-5 with a two-run single.

Melbourne got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth but could not get any closer.