Texarkana's bats fell silent in an 11-0 loss to Pontotoc, Miss., in the opening day of play in the American Legion Mid-South Regional at Gary Hogan Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Pontotoc pitcher Kaleb Barnes limited the Razorbacks to five hits in the game-shortened seven-inning contest.
Texarkana (34-4), which plays Reserve, La., in an elimination game today, survived a shutout loss to Bryant 11 days ago to bounce back and win the Arkansas State Tournament.
"I don't think one loss details anything," Texarkana Manager Dane Peavy said. "It's all about our mental approach. One day you can go out there and look like kickers and the next day you look like world-beaters. I don't think too much about one loss."
Barnes had Texarkana guessing on Wednesday. The 6-2 right-hander struck out four and walked four.
The Mississippi champions had 10 of their 14 hits during the first and fourth innings. Eight of Pontotoc's 11 runs were unearned. Nine of the runs came with two outs.
"Kaleb threw strikes and we made plays for him," Pontotoc Manager Nickey Browning said. "We took advantage of a few things today, but that's what you've got to do if you're going to win."
Third baseman Kelton Hall went 4 for 4, including a three-run double during Pontotoc's seven-run fourth inning. The Mississippi team also got a two-run home run from TyreQue Reed and a sixth-inning leadoff home run from Caleb Todd. Five of the Pontotoc batters had two or more hits.
Texarkana starter Patrick Flanagan lasted only 32/3 innings. He allowed 11 hits, walked 2 and struck out 1. All seven runs scored against him in the fourth inning were unearned.
"They had good hitters," Peavey said. "Ain't no doubt about that. But we left some balls up there in that fourth inning and they got ahold of them. That's what happens when you've got a good team that can hit."
Right fielder Chance Witt, who had a two-out, two-run double in the first inning, drew a walk from Flanagan to start the fourth. The Razorbacks had a chance to turn a double play when designated hitter Anthony Lipsey hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Logan Vidrine, but second baseman Nick Myers dropped Vidrine's throw for an error.
Two-out hits by Todd, Hall and Reed later in the inning put the game away.
"You can call it what you want, but we just didn't come to play," Peavy said. "I think we were shellshocked.
Myers gave Texarkana its best chance to score, hitting a one-out triple to deep center field in the second inning, but the Razorbacks left him stranded. Right fielder Beau Burson had two of Texarkana's five hits.
BRYANT 3, OTTAWA, Kan. 2
Right fielder Austin Kelly stroked a two-out, two-run single, and Alex Shurtleff and Boston Heil combined on a five-hitter as the BlackSox (29-8) held off the Arrows (35-8).
Bryant advances to tonight's semifinal game against Ada, Okla. Ottawa will play League City, Texas, in an elimination game.
Shurtleff held Ottawa to 1 hit through 6 innings before allowing 4 hits and 2 runs in the seventh. Shurtleff struck out 11 and did not walk a batter. Heil retired all six batters he faced -- three on strikeouts -- to pick up the save.
"Alex was really good tonight. That's what he does," Bryant Manager Darren Hurt said. "He had all of his pitches working. And Boston is used to coming in in tight spots. When he comes in, the game is in the balance."
Jake East was 2 for 5 with a run-scoring single in the third inning. Aaron Orender went 3 for 5.
Bryant left 17 runners stranded. Ottawa left only four runners on base.
"That's not a good stat," Hurt said. "And most of that happened in the first five innings. We did such a good job of getting people on base. We laid down a few good bunts. We got men on. We just couldn't get the hit."
Pinch hitter Owen Lamar had a two-run single for Kansas.
ADA, Okla. 8,LEAGUE CITY, Texas 2
Gage Allen came within three outs of a no-hitter in Oklahoma's victory over Texas.
Allen, a 6-0 left-hander who will play for Connors State this fall, allowed only one batter to reach base through the first eight innings before giving up a leadoff bloop single to Drew Shavers in the ninth. Allen struck out four and walked one as Oklahoma built an 8-0 lead heading into the final inning.
SEDALIA, Mo. 3,RESERVE, La. 0
Consecutive doubles by Gavin Jones, Chase Plymell and Dom Zerilli in the eighth inning allowed Missouri to turn back Louisiana in a game that took 1 hour and 57 minutes to complete.
Pitchers Gehrig Taylor and Tristen Jackson combined on a four-hitter. Taylor, who picked up the victory, went 7 innings, giving up 3 hits and walking 2. Jackson collected the save, allowing a walk and a single in two innings.
Louisiana starter Zach Roussel got the first out of the eighth inning, but Missouri broke the scoreless tie when Jones doubled to the gap in left-center field and Plymell doubled to right-center on back-to-back pitches. Reliever Connor Poche gave up Zerilli's double.
Missouri added an unearned run in the ninth on Steven Bradbury's sacrifice fly.
Rousell took the loss, giving up nine hits, the first seven of which were singles. He walked two. Poche gave up one hit and walked two.
There were only two strikeouts, one by each team.
Zerilli, Gavin Jones and Jake Kindle all had two hits for Missouri.
Sports on 08/04/2016