Pioneers Claim 9th Conference Title

Sweep Badgers to End Conference Play

published Wednesday, April 27, 2005

The Pioneers ended conference play last night in a grand fashion. They swept the Beebe Badgers, ended their conference play at 12-2, claiming their second consecutive and ninth total 4A East championship for Pioneer baseball. The sweep also gives them the #1 seed from the East in the state championship bracket matching them against the #4 seed from the West. Not bad for a nights work. My personal congratulations to Coaches Mark Rush and Gary Rhodes and all the Pioneers. With a new Head Coach, all Junior starters with very limited varsity High School experience, it would have been easy to set back and let this be a "building" year. However, the hard work, dedication and desire of the 2005 Pioneers has lead to another Championship and another winning season. It was a building year in one sense. The Pioneers efforts this year have contributed to the continuation of one of the best winning traditions in Arkansas High School baseball. Last night the 2005 Pioneers joined the long line of Champions that have gone before them, they should take pride in this, but recognize that much is left undone, this year and next, before their legacy is passed on.

Both games last night were shortened, the first was run ruled after 5 1/2 innings, the second ended after 4 1/2 due to worstening field conditions when a cool spring rain settled in over the field. The Badgers came into the night needing to sweep the Pioneers and follow up with a sweep of the Paragould Rams to stay in the race for the State Tournament. The Pioneers lead by Pitcher Evan Eary were not going to allow this to happen. Eary quickly took control of the Badgers in the first inning setting them down in order and gathering the first 2 of his 9 strikeouts of the evening in the process. The Pioneers put up 2 runs in the bottom of the first when lead off batter Hunter Platt gets hit by a pitch and eventually scores when Eary triples. Eary is scored when Chris Milum hits a sacrifice fly. The Badgers score their only runs of the game in the top of the second when an HP, 2 hits and a double score 3 Badgers to put them ahead 3-2. There visions of gaining a first ever victory over the Pioneers are quickly dashed in the bottom of the third when the Pioneers add 6 runs to their total. Nick Davidson reaches base first with a single, Eary has a base hit to left field but runs for extra bases when the fielder allows the ball to roll past him. When the dust settles Davidson has scored and Eary is on third. Milum grounds out scoring Eary. Angel reaches when an infielder tries to backhand a Texas leaguer and drops it. Clint Walls joins him on an HP. Addison Rayford singles scoring Angel. Kelly Davis reaches second on an error by the second baseman that allows Walls to score and Rayford to settle in at third. Both are scored by Casey Aycock who hits safely. The Pioneers add a run in the fourth when Davidson doubles, advances on a passed ball and is scored by Milum on his own double. Two more in the fifth will bring the score to 11-3 when Rayford singles, steals second and is scored by Hunter Platt who reaches safely on a base hit. Platt steals second and advances to third on a passed ball from where a Davidson hit will score him. In the sixth inning the Pioneers push the margin to 10 to end the game when Milum singles and is relieved by courtesy runner Kyle McMullin. McMullin steals second and and is joined by Angel who walks. Angel is relieved by courtesy runner Travis Garner and the bases are loaded when Walls also walks. Rayford hits on scoring McMullin and Garner to put the Pioneers up 13-3 and end the game. Leading the Pioneers on offense were Davidson 3 for 4 with a double and 3 rbi's, Rayford 3 for 4, Milum double and single with 3 rbi's and Eary with a triple and a single.

In the second game with their tournament hopes dashed the Badgers just wanted some payback. But again they were to be denied. Pitcher Addison Rayford takes the mound and again sets them down in order with 1 strikeout, in fact the Badgers won't see their first hit until the fourth inning. The Pioneers get on the board in the bottom of the second when lead off batter Milum doubles. Milum is relieved on the bases by Kelly Davis who advances to third when Angel picks up his first double of 2 doubles for the game. The rattled Badger pitcher cracks when Davis breaks for home as he begins his delivery and balks giving Davis a ticket to the plated and advancing Angel to third. Rayford hits scoring Angel and eventually scores himself on a Badger error to bring the score to 3-0 Pioneers after two. The Pioneers tack on 2 in the bottom of the third when Davidson who had reached on a fielders choice scores when the right fielder commits an error on Eary's hit allowing him to reach third. Milum gathers an rbi with a single to bring the score to 5-0 Pioneers. In the top of the fourth the Badgers gain their first run when a walk combined with a Pioneer error results in a score. In the bottom of the inning the Pioneers answer with 2 when Rayford reaches on a dropped third strike steals second and advances to third when Jeff Whitener singles. Casey Aycock lays down the bunt for the squeeze play to score Rayford. Whitener advances to third on a passed ball and is scored by a Platt hit. The Badgers rally in the worsening rain with a 3 rbi double. The Pioneers rally back in the bottom of the inning with 2 when lead off batter Eary singles and is joined by Milum with a base hit. Davis relieved Milum and both are scored by Angels second double. With 2 outs and the bases loaded the umpires delay and eventually end the game in the bottom of the fifth with the final score 9-4 Pioneers. Milum and Angel lead the Pioneer offense. Milum went 3 for 3 at the plate with a double and Angel went 2 for 2 with 2 doubles and 2 rbi's.