Tigers Honor Senior Baseball Players

PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove honored Sloan Smith, shortstop/catcher; Jackson Sorters, infielder/pitcher; and Casey Shipley, catcher/ pitcher; during Senior Night baseball festivities held on April 22.

The Tigers were not able to hold onto a late lead and lost, 8- 3, to Farmington. April turned into a tough month for the Tigers, but they managed a winning 5-4 record going into district tournament play.

Prairie Grove 4, Gravette 1

The Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to break away from a 1-1 deadlock at home against Gravette on April 19. With two out and two on, Prairie Grove made a stand in the top of the sixth with Sorters getting an out at third when Hayden Bates hit a grounder to Ryder Orr on the mound. McCoy Kildow popped up to first base to end the inning.

On offense, Ty Estepp belted a stand- up double and Layton Hesgard turned a single into a double on a dropped throw at third setting up Davis Stephens, who brought both runners in with a double.

The Lions opted to let Connor Hubbs aboard with an intentional walk. Then Smith took strike two on an 0-1 pitch to allow a double steal posturing runners into scoring position. He eventually hit into a fielder’s choice with Gravette getting an out at the plate. Shipley singled to drive in the fourth Tiger run. He also recorded the final out by catching a pop-up behind the plate.

Prairie Grove 9, Gentry 1

Shipley’s two-run home run gave Prairie Grove the lead for good en route to a 4A-1 Conference victory at Gentry on April 6. Gentry took a 1- 0 lead in the first after Dawson Wright singled and scored on Isaak Crittenden’s groundout before Shipley hit his home run in the third. The Tigers added a solo run in the fifth before they erupted for six runs in the seventh, with Shipley adding an RBI single and Caston Flumm belting a two-run double.

Orr held Gentry to six hits and struck out five in a winning performance and helped his cause with two hits. Wright and Riggs Harper had two hits apiece for Gentry.

SHELLEY WILLIAMS SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER Prairie Grove baseball seniors (from left): Sloan Smith, shortstop/catcher; Jackson Sorters, infielder/pitcher; and Casey Shipley, catcher/pitcher; were honored during Senior Night festivities held on April 22.