PRAIRIE GROVE -- Prairie Grove needed less than two innings to take control against Gravette on Thursday.
The Tigers scored five runs in the second and went on to defeat the Lions 12-3 in 4A-1 Conference action at Prairie Grove. The early outburst was enough for Logan Gragg (4-0), who allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings.
4A-1 Conference
Baseball
Prairie Grove 12, Gravette 3
Gravette^000^210^0^—^3^7^5
Prairie Grove^050^034^x^—^12^12^2
Burrow, Roberts (2), Nunnally, and Soule; Gragg and Evans. W - Gragg, 4-0. L - Burrow. Sv - None. HR - None.
Gravette got to within 5-3 before Prairie Grove pulled away again in the fifth on a two-out, two-run double by Clay Fidler and a run-scoring single by Cole Speed. Fidler and Reed Orr each had a two-run double and a single to lead the Tigers (7-3, 2-0 4A-1), who scored 12 runs on 12 hits.
"It's a big first two weeks for us, and I like the way we swung the bats like we did," Prairie Grove coach Mitch Cameron said of the Tigers, who'll play six games in five days. "Logan had one bad inning, but other than that, I was very pleased with the job he did on the mound."
Gravette entered the game with high hopes after winning seven of its first eight games. But the Lions fell behind quickly when Prairie Grove scored five runs on six hits in the second. Gravette contributed to the big inning by committing three errors, including two on one play.
That play came on a throw to second base that split two infielders and rolled into the outfield, where the center fielder bobbled the ball to allow another run to score. Gravette also failed to cover first base on a bunt earlier in the inning.
"Gragg did an excellent job of getting ahead of our hitters and keeping us off balance," Gravette coach Randall Hunt said. "Prairie Grove definitely had the upper hand today. But we've had a lot of battles, and we hope to play better when we get another chance at them."
Gravette attempted a comeback in the fourth inning when Bryce Moorman lined a two-run double with the bases loaded. The Lions added another run in the fifth when Jackson Soule hit a triple and scored on a single by Cody Fields.
Prairie Grove responded with three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth, when Orr and Patrick Perdue delivered two-run doubles. Soule had a triple and single for the Lions, who went to the bullpen after starter Avery Burrown was knocked out in the second.
Sports on 04/03/2015