ALL-STAR BASEBALL: One good swing does it for West

FAYETTEVILLE — Houston Pruitt made the most of his team’s only hit.

Pruitt hit a home run in the fourth inning Tuesday to lead the West team past the East team 1-0 in the opening game of the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star baseball doubleheader at Baum Stadium. The Arkansas signee’s home run to left field came on a 1-2 pitch from Matt Evans, who took over after East starter Barrett Astin struck out five of the seven batters he faced.

Pruitt’s home run landed in the bullpen at Baum Stadium, where he’ll play next season as a freshman for the Razorbacks. The former Springdale Har-Ber football and baseball standout circled the bases as Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn and hitting coach Todd Butler watched the game from the stands.

Pruitt hit .385 with 4 home runs and 22 RBI as a senior and went 6-3 with a 2.38 ERA on the mound.

“Pruitt was not going to pitch for us today, but he wonthe game in another way,” West Coach Randy Gardner of Greenwood said. “They say make your hits count, and that’s what we did.”

The East team outhit the West 4-1 in the fast-paced, seven-inning game that lasted just over 1 1 /2 hours.

Pruitt struck out in his only plate appearance againstAstin, his future Razorbacks teammate, but Pruitt got a second chance in the fourth inning and sent the only hit allowed by the East over the left-field fence.

“[Evans] threw a couple fastballs and caught me off guard,” Pruitt said. “I watched a curveball in the dirt, then he threw me another fastball inside and I turned my hands on it and it went out.

“I got the ball back, and [the home run] is definitely a memory I won’t ever forget.”

The East team put two men on in the second and third innings but base-running mistakes hurt each time when runners were picked off. The East had another scoring opportunity in the fifth when Dustin Jones hit a single and stole second base, but the East failed to score again as Walnut Ridge’s Logan Gaither bounced out to third.

“There was such good pitching on both sides,” East Coach Ronnie Blevins of Mountain Home said. “Pruitt made a nice swing on a pitch, we give up a one-hitter and get beat.”

Reid Pevy of Texarkana earned the victory after Bradley Wallace of Woodlawn pitched the first three innings, but Astin was clearly the most dominantpitcher in the game with five strikeouts in two innings.

He struck out the first four batters before Brennan Rogers of Greenwood drew a walk. Astin then struck out another batter before getting a groundout to end his short stint on the mound.

“I knew I was going to throw only two innings, and I felt really good out there,” Astin said. “We lost the game, but it was all about having fun.

“I’m glad for Houston. I know he’s excited, and I’m excited for him.” East ...............000 000 0 - 0 4 0 West ..............000 100 0 - 1 1 0 Astin, Evans (3), Wells (5) and Calhoun and Prince (5); Wallace, Peavy (4), Ward (6) and Purdy and Rodgers (4). W - Peavy. L - Wells. HR - Pruitt.

EAST 8, WEST 7

Brandon Moore hit a long, two-run home run in the seventh inning to give the East All-Stars a split of their doubleheader with the West.

The West won the first game 1-0 on a home run by Houston Pruitt, who was named the MVP of the doubleheader.

Moore, an Arkansas signee, hit his home run to left field with one out against Josh Salsbury of Shiloh Christian.

Salsbury had a two-run single and Pruitt had an RBI triple in the sixth when the West team scored four runs to take a 7-5 lead.

West ...............000 214 0 - 7 9 3 East ................300 201 2 - 8 6 2 O’Dell, Guffey (1), Salsbury (5) and Purdy; Woodhouse, Hohn (4), Wooten (6) and Calhoun, Prince (4). W - Wooten. L - Salsbury. HR - Moore.