Pioneers finish 3rd at Pioneer Classic

Watson Chapel wins Championship

published Monday, April 11, 2005

The Pioneers faced some tough competition at home in the annual 1st Community Bank - Pioneer Classic held this Friday and Saturday. Not only were there great teams from North Little Rock, Watson Chapel, White Hall, Russellville, Searcy, Van Buren and Greene County Tech, but due to the weather the Pioneers were forced to play all three of their games in 1 day at 9:00, 11:00 and 4:00. A tough schedule by any standard. But the Pioneers had a good outing, falling short of the Championship, but finishing in the money at third place. Along the way the Pioneers defeated the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats and their 4A East conference rivals the Greene County Tech Eagles, but fell to the Searcy Lions who they had defeated earlier in the year. The tournament champions would be the Watson Chapel Wildcats.

The Pioneers opened the tournament at 9:00 AM in a fog that a few minutes earlier had been so thick that you couldn't see past the infield. Their opponents the NLR Wildcats came into the contest at 13-6 having just dropped a double header to Conway the night before. Starting on the mound for the Pioneers sophomore Cody Aycock had a rocky first inning. A bases loaded single scores 2 Wildcats and while the Wildcats load the bases again, Aycock gets out of the inning with no additional runs. The Pioneers gain their first run when Hunter Platt walks and is eventually scored by Chris Milum on a double. The second inning is scoreless with Aycock facing only 3 NLR batters and the Pioneers batting the same number. In the third a Wildcat lead off double adds another run to their tally and with the Pioneers unable to answer the third will end with the score in NLR's favor 3-1. In the fourth the Wildcat add a run when an infield error allows a Wildcat runner to score from second. While the Pioneers start the inning well with a Nick Davidson double the Wildcats turn a double play with a 4-3 to catch Milum advancing to first and a relay to the third baseman who catches Davidson trying to advance leaving the Pioneers scoreless for the inning. The Wildcats pick up 2 runs in the fifth on three hits and the Pioneers are set down in order to bring the score to 6-1 Wildcats. In the top of the sixth Coach Rush relieves Aycock and brings in Jeff Whitener to close. Whitener faces 4 Wildcats allowing only 1 to reach base on a walk. The Pioneers rally in the bottom of the inning as the Wildcat pitcher begins to tire, allowing Platt and Davidson to reach base on walks. Milum doubles to score Platt and Jason Angel hits an infield ground ball scoring Davidson. Courtesy Runner Kyle McMullin running for Milum scores on a Wildcat error to bring the score to 6-4 NLR. Whitener sets them down in order with 2 infield outs and a strikeout. The Pioneers take advantage of 2 Wildcat errors with Trent Weeks and Casey Aycock both reaching base safely. Weeks is relieved by Courtesy Runner Cody Aycock who is scored when Platt grounds out. With 2 outs Davidson singles scoring Casey Aycock to tie the score. Davidson advances to second on a wild pitch and gains the winning run when Milum singles. Final score 7-6 Pioneers.

After a short break the Pioneers face the Searcy Lions. Pitcher Cameron Ward takes the mound for the Pioneers and the games seems in control with the score 2-1 Lions after the top of the 3rd. At that point four consecutive Lion battters reach base on 3 hits and an error, all will score to bring the score to 6-1 Searcy. The Pioneers are unable to score in the top of the fourth and Ward is relieved by Clint Walls. The Lions quickly gain the upper hand on Walls and score 6 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk to bring the score to 12-1 Lions. While the Pioneers will add a second run in the 5th it will be too little, too late and the game ends in five inning with a 10 run loss for the Pioneers.

After a few hours off for the Pioneers (not for us poor workers though) the Pioneers lose the toss with the Eagles and are again the visiting team. They start out batting strongly with 2 hits and a double from Platt, Davidson and Evan Eary. Platt scores on an error and Davidson on Eary's double. The Eagles take Milum to 3-0 before intentionally walking him. Walls singles to load the bases. Addison Rayford hits, scoring Eary. Kelly Davis follows suit scoring Cody Aycock who is running for Milum. Casey Aycock lays down the sac bunt, scoring Walls on the squeeze play. Rayford crosses the plate on a passed ball and Davis scores the capping run when the Eagles pitcher balks, giving the Pioneers 7 runs for the inning. Tech answers with 4 runs of their own against Pioneer Pitcher Kelly Davis making his first appearance of the year. The Eagles scored 4 runs on 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 HP to bring the score after 1 to 7-4 Pioneers. The Pioneers are unable to score in the second despite hits by Walls and Angel and a double from Walls. Davis is relieved on the mound by Whitener, making his second appearance of the day and the Eagles also are scoreless in the inning. The Pioneers go down in order in the third inning and the Eagles narrow the margin to 2 when 2 consecutive hits add a run in the bottom of the inning. The Pioneers come out strong in the top of the fourth with an Eary lead off double. He scores when Milum puts the ball in play in the infield but rather than make the play at first they attempt a play on Eary and miss both. Milum is relieved by courtesy runner Cody Aycock at first. Jason Angel hits the very long ball, well over the one-time green (now black) monster for a 2 rbi Home Run. Walls walks and Rayford hits to put runners at first and second. Davis hits scoring Walls and advancing Rayford to third. Rayford scores on an Eagle error leaving Davis alone on the bases at third. Casey Aycock bunts for the squeeze scoring Davis but leaving Aycock out at first. With 2 outs Davidson doubles and Eary is intentionally walked. Milum doubles driving in both runs to bring the score to 15-5 Pioneers. The Eagles were unable to score in the bottom of the fourth with Whitener giving up only a solo hit. It appears that the Eagles had had enough at this point and the game ended after 4 innings to give the Pioneers 3rd Place in the Classic. Batting Stats for the series: Davidson - 3 singles, 2 doubles; Milum - single, 3 doubles & 6 rbi's; Platt - 2 singles; Eary - single, 3 doubles; Rayford - 2 singles; Davis - 2 singles; Angel - single, home run; Walls - single, double. The game scheduled for today with the Wildcats has been cancelled.

All photos from the Classic courtesy of and copyrighted by Selectshots.com