GRAVETTE -- The Gravette Lions Baseball team finished up a long week March 9 with a game at Arvest Ball Park in Springdale after taking on the Grove, Okla., Ridgerunners and Bentonville West Wolverines earlier in the week.
The week got off to a rocky start March 4 when the conference ballgame with the Shiloh Christian Saints was canceled due to the extreme weather. But cold weather March 7 never stopped Lions fans from filling the stands at Lions Ball Park for the second in a series of games against the Grove Ridgerunners.
On the mound for the Lions was veteran pitcher Hunter Cole.
Grove scored the first run in the top of the first inning, but the Lions came back with two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead, 2-1. Grove tied the game at two each in the top of the second. Cole Hunter hit an infield home run in the bottom of the fifth, driving in three runners and giving the Lions a one-run lead going into the top of the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, the Ridgerunners scored another run, tying the game at five each. Grove was unable to bring home any more runners in the top of the seventh inning, leaving the Lions a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh.
A double halfway through the inning brought Mason Dagley (who scored the opening run) home for the winning run. The Lions claimed the victory, 6-5, over the Grove Ridgerunners.
Gravette had 25 at-bats with six runs on seven hits and six runs batted in. The Lions had eight strikeouts and four walks.
Hunter Cole pitched 5.2 innings, delivering 104 pitches to home plate. He had three hits, five runs, two earned runs, six strikeouts and four walks. He was relieved in the middle of the sixth inning by Thomas Tryon, who finished the game throwing 11 pitches with only two hits.
Gravette traveled to Centerton March 8 to face the Bentonville West Wolverines. The Wolverines dominated the game, scoring one run in the first, two in the third and one in the fifth, while the Lions scored in the fourth, giving the Wolverines the lead 4-2. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Wolverines scored seven runs to cinch the game, 11-2.
Brodie Parson was on the mound for the Lions. He lasted 5.1 innings, delivering 91 pitches to home plate. He allowed 10 hits, eight runs, four earned runs, striking out one and walking three. Tryon relieved Parson, pitching .2 innings, throwing 20 pitches and allowing four hits and three runs.
In the final game of the week, Gravette found itself at Arvest Park in Springdale, home of the Arkansas Naturals, March 8 for an exhibition game with the Dewitt Dragons. The Dragons' 10 runs in the top of the seventh inning sealed the victory for Dewitt, 10-6.
Jake Carver took the mound for the Lions. He completed six innings, delivering 106 to home plate. He allowed four hits, two runs and two earned runs, striking out eight and walking four.
Three pitchers threw during the top of the seventh inning. Mason Dagley pitched 13 times, while teammates Ty Frakes threw 28 times and Noah Tawney delivered two.
Sports on 03/13/2019