By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Shaking off a rough defensive outing in the series opener Thursday wasn’t really a factor as Benton’s baseball team rallied to reach the state semifinals for the second straight season with a 4-3, 1-0 sweep of a Saturday doubleheader against visiting Sulphur.
Getting back to the Tigers’ homefield made all the difference – along with some shutdown pitching, said Benton coach Dane Peavy.
“Some people thought we regrouped (with the unexpected day off), but the biggest thing for us was getting back home. The comfort of our own field … it’s hard to beat Benton at The Pond. You’ve got a thousand people there blowing the horns, ringing the bells,” said Peavy. “We’ve created an atmosphere that I’d think is second to none in north Louisiana, and it does a lot of good for us to play there.”
Thursday’s best-of-three series-opening 10-4 loss was played on the artificial turf playing field at Bossier Parish Community College. Although rains postponed Friday’s Game 2 and forced the remainder of the series to be played Saturday, the games shifted back to The Pond and the hometown support was pivotal as the third-seeded Tigers nipped the upstart No. 20 Tors.
Griffin Sibley cracked a three-run homer in Benton’s first at-bat Saturday, culminating a four-run first inning started by Jackson Jones’ RBI double, and that was enough. Kade Bryant threw the first three innings and Jax Prewitt finished the last four, allowing only one hit.
“KB gutted out the first three innings, didn’t have his best stuff but competed. I can’t say enough about Jax Prewitt coming in and doing what he normally does, throwing strikes and holding firm. To come in that situation when your season’s on the line, that’s huge,” said Peavy.
Sibley added a double and single later in the game.
Given a chance to complete the comeback, Benton got a brilliant outing from Tanner Webb, who was on the verge of a complete-game no-hitter. Webb needed only 67 pitches, throwing 52 for strikes, fanning five and walking none while he faced the minimum. After allowing a one-out single in the seventh, he got a double play grounder from the Tors’ next batter to end it.
“In a winner-takes-all game, to get an outing like that speaks for itself,” said Peavy.
Hayden Miller’s sacrifice fly in the first inning plated leadoff hitter Case Jordan, who walked and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches.
“It’s all about toughness,” said Peavy. “We got two tough outings from our guys on the hill, and you can’t expect much more from our offense and especially our defense.”
The Tigers (35-4) nearly got to host the Non-Select Division I semifinal round, but will travel to No. 1-seeded Live Oak, which rallied for the series win on a two-out, bottom of the seven two-run homer to survive.
FLYERS FALL: Third-seeded Loyola was denied its first state semifinal appearance since 1999 when Archbishop Hannan came to Cicero Field and took two straight in the Select Division II series.
Ater an error-filled 8-0 loss Thursday night, Loyola (24-12) battled sixth-seeded Hannan (23-14) down to the last pitch Saturday in Game 2. Flyers’ pitcher Gavin Brint allowed just three hits but the last one was a two-out, game-winning RBI single by Sammy Loeb in the bottom of the seventh.
CALVARY BOWS: The Cavaliers (26-12) struggled defensively and ran into a powerful University Lab squad and the second-seeded Cubs dumped Calvary 11-1 Saturday in the second games of the Select Division III series at U-High in Baton Rouge after an opening 10-2 victory Friday night.
Ten errors, six in the opening loss, undercut the Cavs’ chances. The Cubs scored 11 runs on just seven hits Friday night, but rapped 13 hits Saturday.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com