JOURNAL SPORTS
North DeSoto clinched a at least a tie for the District 1-4A baseball championship Tuesday, finishing a 7-5 defeat of Northwood in a game that was suspended after 4 ½ innings last Wednesday due to rain.
The Griffins remain undefeated in the district at 6-0 while Northwood (5-1) and Evangel (5-1) are just a game behind. North DeSoto is scheduled to host Minden (4-2) today and Northwood plays at Evangel Thursday.
Both teams scored three runs in the first inning before the Falcons took a 5-3 lead in the second inning on a Tucker McCabe ground out and Cayne Little’s RBI single. Little finished the game with two hits in four at bats for Northwood (22-7, 5-1).
North DeSoto (23-5, 6-0) surged back ahead on a Braden Richardson grand slam in the fourth inning. Richardson got the win on the mound as well, going the full seven innings as he allowed six hits, walked two and struck out eight.
BENTON 9, HAUGHTON 4: The Tigers maintained a two-game lead in District 1-5A with the win at Haughton. Benton (18-13, 10-2) broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the fourth inning and added two more runs in each the sixth and seventh for some insurance. Griffin Sibley led the nine-hit attack for Benton with a 3-for-4 night. Hudson Brignac was 2-for-3 while Bryson Pierce had a triple and walked three times. Pierce got the win with five innings on the mound. He allowed three hits, three runs, walked three and struck out nine.
Colin Rains was 2-for-3 with a triple for Haughton (17-11, 4-8).
PARKWAY 2, BYRD 1: The Panthers remained in second place in 1-5A (19-7, 8-4) as Colton Smith and Brandon Levy combined to limit the Yellow Jackets to four hits and one unearned run. Parkway scored both runs in the sixth after Byrd took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. Zach Schoenborn led off the decisive frame with a single and Barrett Newman followed with a double. A Sean Waits ground out scored Maddox Cockerham, who pinch ran for Schoenborn and Abel Thetford hit into a fielder’s choice to score Newman with the game-winner.
Schoenborn and Newman were both 2-for-3 for Parkway and Trenton Lape had a double.
Dawson Meeks suffered the loss for Byrd (19-12, 6-6) working five innings, allowing six hits and two runs. He walked three and struck out three. Dakota Futch had a double and KD Harris scored the Yellow Jackets’ only run.
NATCHITOCHES CENTRAL 6, AIRLINE 4: The Chiefs struck for four first-inning runs and two in the third to get past the Vikings at Airline. Collin Wiggins led Airline with a double, triple and two singles in four at bats. Evan Wendrock took the loss after working 5 2-3 innings, allowing seven hits, six runs (three earned). He walked three and struck out seven for Airline (13-15, 7-5).
CAPTAIN SHREVE 5, SOUTHWOOD 0: At Captain Shreve, the Gators used five pitchers to blank the Cowboys on five hits. Walker Wicklund was 2-for-3 with two RBI as Shreve (19-11, 7-4) had five total hits and walked nine times.
