Magnolia beats Malvern 4-2 to clinch spot in state tourney

Magnolia’s Jayson Thomas had the biggest hit for the Panthers in the South Region tournament Thursday. His RBI-triple help Magnolia get the 4-2 win. The Panthers play Bauxite today and will compete in the title game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday if they win. (Photo by Bill Nielsen)
Magnolia’s Jayson Thomas had the biggest hit for the Panthers in the South Region tournament Thursday. His RBI-triple help Magnolia get the 4-2 win. The Panthers play Bauxite today and will compete in the title game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday if they win. (Photo by Bill Nielsen)

NASHVILLE - Magnolia senior Jayson Thomas had a RBI-single in the sixth inning and scored on the next play to give the Panthers a 4-2 win over Malvern in the first round of the Class 4A South Region Baseball Tournament at Nashville.

The victory not only moved Magnolia to today’s noon semifinal game against Bauxite, but punched its ticket to the Class 4A State Tournament next week at Morrilton.

“This was tough one and we knew that was coming in. The last time, we had to come from behind to win in extra innings by one run. That team is good and doesn’t make many mistakes,” said Magnolia head coach Bobby Beeson. “We pieced together some good at-bats and got some big hits late in the game.”

In the fifth following a single by Eli Fields and trailing 2-1, Dalen Blanchard had a RBI double to tie the contest at 2-2. An inning later, designated-hitter Cade Browning led off with a single. Thomas later ripped a shot to right center-field to put the Panthers up 3-2. He eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Tanner Edwards to make it 4-2.

Starting pitcher Seth Edwards got off to a shaky start, but managed to throw 4 1/3 innings.

The Leopards took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Robert Bowman got on base off a line drive shot to third base. He later stole second, third and home for the run. Magnolia’s Seth Edwards threw 22 pitches in the first inning along and had 25 tosses in the second. His count was up to 62 before being pulled early in the fifth.

Magnolia threatened to score in the first two innings, but Malvern turned double plays both times to squash the efforts. The Panthers managed to close the gap to 2-1 in the third off Blanchard’s double.

Senior Tanner Nielsen pitched the final 2 2/3 innings.

“It wasn’t one of Seth’s best days, but he kept grinding and grinding. Our defense didn’t help him too much, but he stayed in there. He was a man on there on the hill,” said Beeson. Magnolia committed four errors on the day, with a couple coming off throws to first base.

The coach said Thomas’ hit was huge.

“He has been having some unbelievable at-bats for us and finally smokes one in the gap that gave us the go-ahead run. You could see our confidence kicked in from there and Tanner (Nielsen) came out and started pounding the strike zone,” said Beeson. “He’s our No. 2. He came in, pitched two and two-thirds and stayed under 30 pitches. So we can come back with him tomorrow and that’s big.”

According to the coach, the goal was to do whatever was needed to get that first important victory.

“If we had to pitch Tanner over 30, we were prepared to do that. We have confidence in other guys, but the key was winning today. Because if we don’t win today, there is no tomorrow.”

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