GRAVETTE - Gravette players high-fived and traded hugs as the Lions’ baseball team broke away from their team huddle.

A 3-1 win in the second game of the season may not seem like a reason to celebrate but, for a program that won just three games last season, any win is big.

But Tuesday’s non-conference victory was made even more special, considering it was the team’s first game in a sparkling new stadium. During pre-game festivities, the school band played the national anthem, school dignitaries lined the home side of the field, and a former star player from the 1950s threw out the first pitch.

“This was a huge win,”Lions coach Dustin Dean said. “This will be a springboard into our season. It’s good to get these boys feeling good about their season.”

Judge Jimm Larry Hendren threw out the ceremonial first pitch, a one-hopper to the catcher. It was one of just a few Gravette pitches that did not hit the target on Tuesday, as starting pitcher Ethan Vanderpool limited Huntsville (0-1) to just two hits and struck out 9 in a complete-game effort.

The ball Hendren used for the occasion was one he hit more than 400 feet for a home run in 1958, when he starred for the Lions before signing a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He played two seasons in the minor leagues.

The Lions (1-1) put together just enough offense in the second inning to give Vanderpool (1-0) all the run support he needed. The lanky right-hander gave up just two hits - one was an infield dribbler - and faced just three batters in five of the seven innings.

“My fastball was working well today,” Vanderpool said. “I was hitting my spots. My curve was also working good at the end of the game.”

Huntsville used two errors and a run-scoring ground out to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Gravette answered back in the bottom of the frame, using four walks, an infield single and two Huntsville errors to put three runs on the board, leaving the bases loaded.

Twice the Lions had a runner reach third with less than two outs, but could not advance the runner home. Those are the kinds of opportunities Dean said the team must work on moving forward.

“Those are things we talked about last year,” Dean said. “You’ve got to capitalize when you have the opportunity. This year we’ve been working on trying to get that big hit. And as long as we can execute down the line, going into conference, I think we have a chance to be very successful.”

On Tuesday the Lions found a way to win despite leaving runs on the field. And that was reason to celebrate on a special day all the way around.

Huntsville 010 000 0 - 1 2 2 Gravette 030 000 x - 3 2 2 Whelchel, Harris (3) and C.

Yates; Vanderpool and Soule’.

W - Vanderpool, 1-0. L - Whelchel, 0-1. HRs - None.

Sports, Pages 9 on 03/13/2013