Badgers start fast for win over P-W
The Beebe Badgers held Palestine-Wheatley to just one run over the first four innings and went on to cruise to an 8-3 nonconference win over the patriots Thursday in a game played at Palestine's Sports Complex.
Beebe opened a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, before the Patriots cut into the Badgers' lead in the bottom of the first inning to trail 2-1.
The Patriots did not score again until the fifth inning, while Beebe put up single runs in the second and third innings to push their lead to 41.
The Badgers added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fourth and tacked on two more in the top of the seventh.
Beebe starting pitcher Grant Haller picked up the win going six innings, giving up three P-W runs on five hits while striking out 10 P-W hitters. Brock Edmonson came out of the bullpen to throw one inning in relief.
Austin Varner took the loss for Palestine-Wheatley starting on the mound and going three innings, allowing five runs on six hits, while striking out five and walking one.
Jacob Hickman came on to throw the final four innings in relief giving up three final runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.
Beebe's Chris Benton helped put the final touch on the Badgers' win, connecting for a seventh inning home run.
Beebe scored their eight runs on 10 hits, while the Patriots were held to three runs on six hits and three errors.
Conner Teal led the Patriots scoring one run on two hits in three at-bats while Jared Cook scored a single run and Riley Parson had a base hit to drive in a pair of P-W runs. Jacob Hickman had one hit and one RBI, while Varner scored a single run.
••••• Thursday's nonconference varsity softball game for Forrest City blew up early in what head coach Deysha Gibson referred to as a meltdown.
Facing Cross County at the Wynne Sports Complex, the Lady Thunderbirds exploded for a 20-5 win over the Lady Mustangs in four innings.
The Lady Mustangs plated two runs in the top of the first inning, added a single run in the second and scored twice in the third, while Cross County put up 11 runs in the first inning, a single run in the second and four runs each in the third and fourth innings.
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The Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots, wearing green jerseys to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day made quick work of Clarendon, rolling past the Lady Lions 15-0 in three innings. The P-W JV girls also won, behind a 4-0 shutout over the JV Lady Lions.