Siloam Springs' baseball team had opportunities on Thursday in its home opener against Springdale.
But the Panthers were the victim of three double plays to erase scoring chances and stranded seven men on base as the Bulldogs left James Butts Baseball Park with a 4-2 nonconference victory.
The loss completes a 1-2 opening week for the Panthers, who won at Gentry 11-1 in five innings on Tuesday and then lost 6-5 at Bentonville West on Wednesday.
"Like I told them, we're there," said third-year head baseball coach Alan Hardcastle. "We're in games. I told them I hate starting off slow, but we're building. We're getting better each game. Give it to Springdale. Their guy came out and threw strikes. He was in the zone. He threw the curve ball when he needed to and kept us off balance. Our 3-4-5 hitters just need to come through a little bit better in the clutch."
The Panthers fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning when Andrew Roach roped a ringing double off Josh Hunt (0-1) on the first pitch of the game and came around to score on an RBI single by Ben Roberts.
The Bulldogs could have gotten more, but Hunt wiggled out of a bases loaded jam to end the inning with just one run scored.
Siloam Springs tied it up 1-1 in the bottom half when Chandler Cook crushed the first pitch he saw over the left-center field fence and onto the train track bank for a solo home run off Springdale starter Tyler Turner.
The Panthers had opportunities for more in the first. Dawson Armstrong singled but was thrown out at second trying to advance on a wild pitch. Chance Junkermann just missed a home run to left on the next pitch but had to settle for a double, and the Panthers were unable to bring him in as the game remained tied 1-1.
Turner (1-0) settled down after that, pitching five innings and scattering seven hits with five strikeouts.
"Tyler Turner, he battled so much," Springdale head coach Scott Johnson said. "You know, first pitch of the game, he gives up a home run. A lot of times that will rattle young high school kids. It didn't rattle him. He didn't give up another run the rest of his outing. That showed good senior mental composure, and man that's impressive."
Turner was also aided by his defense. The Panthers got the leadoff man on in the second, third and fourth innings but couldn't score. Siloam Springs had men on first and second with one out in the fifth when Hunt hit into a double play.
"We faced some adverse situations and I was impressed with how we overcame them and recovered," Johnson said. "We would make a mistake here or there and we'd bounce back with a double play."
Springdale took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Michael Harrington singled and came around to score on a Dylan Rollins RBI double.
The Bulldogs added two more in the sixth. Andre Munoz reached when Siloam Springs outfielders lost a ball in the twilight sky, and he moved up on a stolen base and wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch. An RBI double by Sabino Nino scored Roach, who reached on a walk later in the inning.
Down 4-1, Siloam Springs got the first two men on in the sixth against reliever J.C. Davis, and Baron Meek scored to make it 4-2 on a strikeout-throw out double play.
Cook reached safely on a bunt single to lead off the seventh, but Eli Hawbaker hit into a double play to clear the bases, and Armstrong popped out to end the game.
Hunt pitched 5 2/3 innings for Siloam Springs (1-2) and was saddled with the loss, while Cook pitched the final 1 1/3 innings.
Cook, Eli Hawbaker and Baron Meek each had two hits for the Panthers, while Dawson Armstrong, Chance Junkermann and Landon Nickell all had base hits.
Springdale 4, Siloam Springs 2
Springdale^100^102^0^--^4^8^1
Siloam Springs^100^001^0^--^2^9^1
Turner, Davis (6) and Roach; Hunt, Cook (6) and Pool. W - Turner, 1-0. L - Hunt, 0-1. Sv - Davis (1). HRs - Siloam Springs, Cook (1).
Bentonville West 6, Siloam Springs 5
CENTERTON -- Bentonville West scored a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 6-5 nonconference win against Siloam Springs on Wednesday.
West led 5-1 after three innings aided by a host of Siloam Springs errors, but the Panthers took advantage of some Wolverines errors in the fourth to tie the game 5-5.
Neither team was able to break the tie until the bottom of the seventh when the Wolverines loaded the bases against Eli Hawbaker. Chandler Cook relieved Hawbaker but his wild pitch allowed Hayes Godsey to score the winning run.
Godsey led off the inning with a walk and raced to third on Will Jarrett's bunt single and Siloam Springs' sixth error. Jaron Jenkins was walked to load the bases before the wild pitch allowed Godsey to score.
Dakota McDonald pitched the seventh in relief of Jenkins and recorded the win, despite the Wolverines making nine errors.
Hawbaker (0-1) took the loss for Siloam Springs despite not allowing an earned run in three innings. Starter Dawson Armstrong pitched the first three innings and allowed five runs (one earned), two hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
Cook led the Panthers at the plate, going 4 for 4 with two RBIs. Hawbaker, Armstrong, Chance Junkermann, Josh Hunt, Baron Meek and Taylor Pool also had base hits for the Panthers. Hawbaker and Landon Nickell had RBIs, while Hunt scored twice and Meek, Nickell and L.T. Ellis all scored one run.
Siloam Springs 11, Gentry 1
GENTRY -- Siloam Springs pounded out 10 hits and Chance Junkermann threw a one-hitter as the Panthers run-ruled Gentry in five innings in the season-opener on Tuesday.
The Panthers fell behind Gentry 1-0 after the first inning, but Siloam Springs answered with five runs in the second, two in the third and four in the fifth.
Dawson Armstrong had three hits, two RBIs and scored two runs, while Junkermann had two hits and two RBIs. Josh Hunt also had two hits and an RBI for the Panthers, while Eli Hawbaker had a hit and two RBIs and scored a run.
Chandler Cook had one hit, drew two walks and scored three runs, while L.T. Ellis also had a hit and scored two runs.
Chance Hilburn, Taylor Pool and Jacob Rowe also scored runs for Siloam Springs.
Junkermann (1-0) pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts and two walks.
Up next
The baseball team is scheduled to play at 5 p.m. at Farmington on Tuesday to open 5A/6A District 1 competition.
Sports on 03/05/2017