Dirtbags walk off on Maumelle

BAUXITE – With Maumelle tying it up at 4-apiece in the top of the seventh, the Saline County Dirtbags would come away with a 5-4 walk-off win Monday after Cole Babcock had the game-winning single with two outs. The win improves the Dirtbags to 6-0-1 on the season.

Jackson Regan singled to start the bottom of the seventh with the score tied and went to second on the shortstop’s error. A line out by Caleb Sollars ensued before Dawson Goines was intentionally walked. A fielder’s choice from Jackson Lindsey moved the runners to second and third before Babcock came

through with the big hit, a single to center, to claim victory.

Saline County would get on the board first in this one as Sollars reached on a twoout double and scored on

Dawson Goines’ single for the early 1-0 lead after one.

The Dirtbags pushed their lead to three as Brenden Burks walked to start the second frame, swiped second and went to third on an Austin Hillis single. Hillis stole second and Burks scored on Junior Acosta’s single to right field for the 2-0 advantage. On the same play,

Hillis crossed the plate for the 3-0 lead due to an error by the right fielder.

Maumelle scored its first run in the top of the third when a hit by pitch, two-base error and sacrifice fly made it a 3-1 ballgame, but Goines got that run back in the bottom of the inning with a home run on the first pitch he saw to put the Dirtbags up 4-1. Saline County loaded the bases after that, but could not get another run across.

Maumelle got a little help from SC in the fourth with a two-out wild pitch and RBI single making it a 4-3 game and neither team would score again until the seventh when a wild pitch on a strikeout allowed a run to cross for the 4-4 game before Babcock’s heroics in the bottom of the inning.

Goines finished 2 for 2 with his homer and two RBIS, Babcock went 2 for 4 with an RBI and Regan was 2 for 4 with a run. Acosta went 1 for 3 with an RBI, while Sollars and Hillis added a hit apiece.

On the mound, Sollars started pitching two scoreless innings with four strikeouts,

Regan pitched two scoreless innings, and Grant Cross picked up the win, giving up one run on one hit, striking out three in an inning.

The Dirtbags head to Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday to start a tourney. Saline County plays Fargo 400 at 11:30 a.m.