The Siloam Springs baseball team nearly let one six-run lead slip away in Game 1 of Thursday's 5A-West Conference doubleheader before holding on for a 6-5 victory.
Gavin Henson and the Panthers slammed the door on any Badgers uprising in Game 2.
Henson, a sophomore right-hander, took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and gave up just one hit overall, and Siloam Springs finished off the sweep with a 10-0 victory in five innings in Game 2 at James Butts Baseball Complex.
After nearly squandering a 6-0 lead in Game 1, the strong finish in Game 2 was good to see, according to Siloam Springs head coach Alan Hardcastle.
"We were ready to go," Hardcastle said. "Gavin came out and threw really well, and we came out and made some great plays behind him in the outfield and in the infield. The guys were ready to go. They were fired up."
Elijah Coffey made a diving catch in center field in the top of the first inning as Henson set the Badgers down 1-2-3 in the top of the first and second innings, including a pair of looking strikeouts.
Beebe (1-5, 0-2) got a pair of runners on via walk in the third inning, but Henson fanned Lane Cranford to end the threat. He struck out two more batters in the fourth and another in the fifth. He also benefited from a diving stop at shortstop by Reed Willbanks for another out.
Henson pitched five scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
"He consistently threw strikes," Hardcastle said. "He walked a couple, but I tell you, he came back and got outs when we needed to get outs. When the ball was bunted back to him, he made the simple play, gets the guy out at first. We'll take the outs all day up six to nothing."
Siloam Springs (3-5, 2-0 5A-West), meanwhile, scored three runs in the bottom of the first, two more in the second, one in the fourth and finished off the run-rule win with four runs in the fifth.
Taylor Pool reached on an error to open the game and scored on a ringing double by Isaac Price. Price scored on A.J. Serrano's single, and Serrano came around to score on a wild pitch for a 3-0 lead.
Pool had an RBI single in the second inning and Dalton Cook and Coffey each scored runs.
Coffey reached on a infield hit in the fourth, stole second and scored on an error for a 6-0 lead.
Price reached on an error to open the fifth and Serrana doubled to put runners on second and third. Price scored on a wild pitch, Tanner Broyles reached safely on an RBI fielder's choice to score another run. Baron Meek drew an RBI walk to make it 9-0 and Coffey ended the game with an infield hit for the 10-0 win.
Siloam Springs 10, Beebe 0
Beebe^000^00^--^0^1^5
Siloam Springs^320^14^--^10^8^1
Russell, Fitcher (2), Bishop (5), Neal (5), E. Crafton (5) and Jarnigan, Barber (2); Henson and Pool. W - Henson. L - Russell. HR - None.
Game 1
Siloam Springs 6, Beebe 5
Siloam Springs led 6-0 with two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth inning when a wild pitch on a third strike led to a Badger rally.
Beebe scored four unearned runs to cut the lead to 6-4 in the sixth and added another run in the seventh, but Reed Willbanks got the final out for the save as the Panthers held on for the win.
Landon Ellis picked up the win on the mound for the Panthers after pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
Ellis wiggled out of a bases loaded, nobody-out jam in the top of the first inning after giving up a base hit and two walks to Beebe's first three batters.
Ellis struck out Nathan Turner and retired the next two batters to keep the Badgers scoreless.
"Bases loaded no outs and he got out of it," Hardcastle said of Ellis.
Siloam Springs scored single runs in the bottom of the first and second before putting four on the board in the third for a 6-0 lead.
Isaac Price had an RBI hit to score Colin Evers in the first after Evers reached on a double. Coffey's RBI fielder's choice scored Ellis, who reached safely after striking out on a wild pitch.
Another dropped third strike let Price reach to open the third and he scored on an error. Dalton Cook drew a bases loaded walk and Coffey delivered a two-run single to give the Panthers a 6-0 cushion. Coffey, a sophomore, finished the doubleheader with three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored out of the nine-hole in the lineup.
"We moved him to the nine hole," Hardcastle said. "He can lay it down when he wants to. He's been swinging the bat really well. He had a good game. He played center field well. I tell you just all-around great performance by the whole team."
Ellis pitched into the fifth inning before the Badgers loaded the bases with two outs. Ellis was relieved by Tanner Broyles, who struck out Hayden Crafton to end the inning. Ellis finished with five strikeouts and 95 pitches thrown in 4 2/3 innings on a cold windy day.
"Great job," Hardcastle said. "He walked a few more and threw too many balls, but we're still happy with his performance. Just a gritty performance."
Siloam Springs 6, Beebe 5
Beebe^000^004^1^--^5^7^3
Siloam Springs^114^000^X^--^6^6^2
H. Crafton, Barrentine (4), Fitcher (5) and Jarnigan, Barber (2); Ellis, Broyles (5), Willbanks (7) and Pool. W - Ellis. L - H. Crafton. Sv - Willbanks. HR - None.
Up next
Siloam Springs returns to action this week in the Best of the West Tournament in the Memphis, Tenn., area. Siloam Springs will play Memphis University School at 4 p.m. on Monday in Collierville, Tenn. The Panthers will play Father Ryan (Tenn.) at noon Tuesday at USA Baseball Stadium and then take on fellow Arkasnas school Paragould at 2:30. The Panthers will wrap up their play in the tournament against Cabot at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at USA Baseball Stadium.
Sports on 03/17/2019