SEARCY -- Harding Academy made the most of its five hits in defeating Mayflower 7-0 in the Class 3A Region 2 championship game Monday afternoon.
Junior Peydon Harlow struck out 8, walked 1 and limited the Eagles to 3 singles in 6 1/3 innings in a performance that Wildcats Coach Shane Fullerton said was "one of best outings" in the program's history.
"I just haven't seen a better one," Fullerton said. "I think it was the best outing of his career and one of the best our program has ever had."
Harlow had only 72 pitches before being relieved with one out in the seventh inning. Stewart struck out the only two batters he faced to close out the contest.
Dalton Koch, a junior center fielder, belted a two-run home run and sophomore first baseman Timmy Stewart drove in a run in each of his three plate appearances as the Wildcats (28-5) claimed a No. 1 seed in the Class 3A state tournament, which starts Thursday in Harrison. Harding Academy will play Clinton in the first round. Mayflower (22-11) will play Riverside in its first-round game.
On Monday, Harding Academy took advantage of a dropped third strike, two walks and four wild pitches to score three runs in the first inning.
Koch hammered a 1-2 pitch from Mayflower reliever Cameron Patterson in the fifth inning over the left-field fence that pushed the Wildcats' lead to 6-0.
Stewart produced RBI singles in both the first and third innings. He also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Stewart, who was also 2 for 2 in Saturday's victory over Benton Harmony Grove, has four hits and five RBI in his past two games.
"Timmy has come to play," Fullerton said. "He's the prototypical kid who you want to see develop, and he has. We knew coming into this season that we had to have Timmy to be the team we wanted to be. He's gotten so much better [in the field]. He's a solid first baseman. He doesn't make the mistakes he was making at the start of the year."
Sophomore Dalton Muse collected two of Mayflower's three hits. Senior Davis Gaffney also singled for Mayflower, who had only one baserunner reach second base.
Sports on 05/09/2017