An eight-run first inning took the pressure off the Beebe Badgers and sophomore pitcher Hayden Crafton on Monday afternoon.
Crafton struck out six and walked none as the Badgers downed Little Rock Parkview 10-0 in the opening round of the 5A-Central District Tournament at Sherwood.
Monday's winners advanced to today's semifinals and qualified for next week's Class 5A state tournament, which will also be held at Sherwood.
"I could not be more proud of him as a player or as a son," Beebe Coach Mark Crafton said of Hayden. "He's been doing that all year. He's been putting us in positions to win ... and when we keep it under three or four [errors] with him on the mound, we've won our ballgames."
Beebe (9-20) will play top-seeded Sylvan Hills (27-6) tonight. Little Rock Christian and Pulaski Academy will play in the other semifinal.
Beebe banged out 11 hits against Parkview (10-16) and all of the Badgers' batters had at least one hit. Sophomore Noah Jolly drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly and a double. Seniors Carson McNeill and Alec Matlock each went 2 for 3.
Beebe took advantage of eight singles, an error, two wild pitches and an overrun ball in left field that fell for a hit in the Badgers' eight-run first inning.
"It's helpful when you get good pitching and you play solid defense behind that pitching," Mark Crafton said. "It's a plus when you get offensive production. It's the first time we've been in this position where you have to win that first conference game to get into the state tournament. Parkview can put the ball in play, field it and throw it. It just happened they didn't tonight."
Parkview managed to place runners on base in every inning, but only one of the Patriots' runners managed to advance past second base.
Sophomores Geary Allmon and Josh Evans each looped two-out singles in the first and second innings, respectively.
Parkview had its best chance to score in the third inning when junior Zach Smith reached on a one-out error and freshman Tyler De Vries followed with a single. But the rally died with an infield ground out and a ball hit back to the mound.
Crafton worked around a lead-off single to senior Ed Johnson in the fourth and a one-out error in the fifth.
Sports on 05/02/2017