Lions come up just short in 3A final

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— Somebody’s streak was going to end.

In a battle of the last two Class 3A state champions for the current title, it was Harding Academy that emerged victorious on Friday at the University of Arkansas’ Baum Stadium, defeating Horatio 4-3.

The Lions (27-8) came into the contest riding a 9-game winning streak, while the Wildcats had one of the 8-game variety.

“They’re a really good team,” Horatio coach Lance Spigner said.

“We didn’t really play clean enough to beat a team as good as them. They’re really well coached and they’re a very deserving champion.”

A misplayed grounder and wild pitch allowed Harding Academy to score the go-ahead run and it held on for its second consecutive state crown.

Wade Beasley, who was playing on the field where he will spend his collegiate career, was the hard-luck loser, allowing only three hits. Only one of the four runs he surrendered was earned and he struck out eight.

“Wade did everything we could ask of him,” Spigner said. “He settled in after the first inning and he just got stronger as the game went along.”

Beasley walked the first two batters of the game and the lead runner scored on a throwing error to give Harding Academy the early 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats (30-7) tacked on another run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly, but Horatio cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning on Ryan Vaught’s RBI single.

Neither team crossed the plate again until the fifth when Parker Golden reached on a walk, was bunted over and eventually scored on another throwing error.

Down 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Horatio’s Dakota Frachiseur delivered a 2-strike, 2-out, 2-run single to shallow right center to knot it at 3.

“That was a big inning for us,” Spigner said. “Dakota’s hit kind of swung the momentum back in our favor.”

The game took exactly two hours to complete and did not have a single extra base hit. Beasley threw 110 pitches in going the distance.

Dalton Koch took home Most Valuable Player honors following the game.

“We try to win the battle of the freebies and we just gave them too many,” Spigner said. “That’s just the way baseball goes. We didn’t score enough to overcome it, but take nothing away from what this senior class has accomplished, with the district titles and making the finals twice and winning one.”