TEXARKANA -- Tyler Allen might have been bothered by Saturday's rain, but he had no trouble with the Hurricane.
Sheridan's senior ace limited the Jonesboro Hurricane to five base runners while his Yellowjacket teammates broke through for 14 hits on their way to a 13-1 victory in the Class 6A semifinals at Razorback Field.
Sheridan (23-8) plays 6A-South rival Benton (24-5) in the championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Allen retired the first nine batters he faced before having to suffer through two 30-minute weather delays.
Jonesboro's Wilson Murff -- the first batter Allen faced after more than an hour of waiting out two lightning delays -- ripped a double off of the Sheridan pitcher to start the fourth inning. Two batters later, Ben Barre singled to give Jonesboro its only run.
"I think if we don't have those rain delays, he may have thrown a no-hitter," Sheridan Coach Mike Moore said. "He was just in that zone today."
Allen used only 66 pitches to send Sheridan to the title game. Allen finished with a three-hitter. He walked no one and struck out three.
Despite the lack of pitches during the game, Allen admitted he could not have lasted much longer.
"All of that rain forced me to warm up four different times," Allen said. "I probably threw 120 pitches."
Sheridan's batters had plenty of offense to back Allen's effort. The Yellowjackets had at least one hit in every inning and scored in every inning except the first.
Seniors Evan Thompson, Tadd Daggett and Reese Lisenbey all drove in two runs for the Yellowjackets. Thompson, the leadoff batter, double and singled twice. Junior Brady Bibb also had three hits -- all singles -- for Sheridan.
Daggett tripled to account for one his two hits. Hunter Strong and Lisenbey also collected two hits.
"Our hitters were in the zone today," Moore said. "They came in confident and, really, I can't explain it other than to say we were in the zone and it was meant to be."
Moore said Allen's performance was typical of what he has given the Yellowjackets all season.
"He's a bulldog," Moore said. "He scraps. When he's on the mound, we feel like we've got a real good shot to win."
BENTON 6, RUSSELLVILLE 0
Drew Harris tossed a two-hitter and the Panthers collected six of their seven hits in a five-run third inning.
Harris struck out five and walked five, but the only hits the Cyclones (10-14) could muster off the senior were a fifth-inning single by Michael Mullen and a sixth-inning single by Andy Campbell.
Colby Johnson drove in a run for Benton with a sacrifice fly in the first inning.
Sports on 05/17/2015