FAYETTEVILLE -- Benton Harmony Grove played Small ball to claim its first state baseball title Monday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Senior Shane Small drew a bases-loaded walk to snap a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh inning to help the Cardinals beat Central Arkansas Christian 4-3 in the Class 3A state championship in their first trip to the finals.
The Cardinals (30-9) scored what turned out to be the game-winner in the seventh without getting a hit against Mustangs reliever Eli Garrison.
With a runner on first and two outs, Connor Burrow was hit by a pitch and Chase Chilton drew a walk to load the bases. Small fell behind in the count 1-2 before earning the walk in an eight-pitch at-bat.
"I was trying to make sure I didn't strike out," Small said. "I was just trying to help get my team the win. I was trying to fight and get back in the count, and the balls I didn't like I let them go."
The Mustangs got the leadoff man on in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a Benton Harmony Grove error, but Samuel Pitre hit a groundball to the first baseman, who threw to second to get the lead runner. The return throw to first for a possible double play was wild, but a double play was called because of runner interference. Jacob Hale then flied out to end it.
Benton Harmony Grove Coach Brandon Mynhier said his team has been resilient all season and showed that quality after CAC wiped out the Cardinals' 3-0 lead to tie the game in the sixth inning. The Mustangs also had beaten the Cardinals in all three previous meetings this season.
"This is a team that all year, we've fought from behind," Mynhier said. "They don't quit. They don't give up. We knew what to expect from these guys. We knew what they could do and the games were so close, we knew that we could win.
"One time it was an error that gave it away. Another time a couple of late hits, almost like today, that put us away. So we knew going in we had a chance."
Burrow, Chilton and James McCormick had two hits each for Benton Harmony Grove, which grabbed a 3-0 lead with single tallies in the first, third and sixth innings. Chilton drove in two runs and scored a run.
CAC (20-4) broke through for three runs in the bottom of the sixth against McCormick, who earned tournament MVP honors. The Mustangs scored on infield singles by Rhett James and Caden McCluskey, and tied it thanks to a Benton Harmony Grove throwing error in the sixth inning.
Sports on 05/21/2019