NASHVILLE - Eight runs in the sixth inning that included four doubles lifted Magnolia (19-5) to 12-2 win over Nashville Saturday afternoon in the Class 4A South Region Championship game at Wilson Park.
“What an inning. That was unbelievable. I am so proud of what these guys have accomplished so far,” Magnolia head coach Bobby Beeson said following the win. “That’s the three-time defending state champion over there and we were able to do this on their field.”
Having won 11 of their last 12 games, Beeson said he’s pleased with the way the Panthers are playing at this point in the season.
“I don’t know if we are a state championship team, but these guys are doing what it takes right now,” he said.
After three consecutive wins in regional action, Magnolia moves on to the Class 4A State Tournament at Morrilton and will play at 10 a.m. on Friday.
In region, the Panthers won by a combined score of 27-5. They gave up two runs to Malvern (4-2) in the first game, one to Bauxite (11-1) in the semifinals and two to the Scrappers in the title game.
Sophomore pitcher Ashton Hunter went the distance during 10-run rule six-inning affair, giving up only five hits. It was the second straight day that a Magnolia pitcher went the distance as senior Tanner Nielsen did the same in Friday’s semifinal win.
On Saturday, the Panthers had its biggest day at the plate in the tournament, recording 12 hits. Both teams committed two errors.
After a scoreless first two innings, Magnolia took a 2-0 lead in the third. With two outs, Dalen Blanchard was hit by a pitch. With courtesy runner Devin Dunn at first base, Nielsen delivered a RBI triple for the score. Hunter Buford then added a RBI single to score Nielsen, making it 2-0.
In the top of the fifth, Nashville’s Kason Willard delivered a two-run homer to even the game at 2-2. Magnolia responded with two scores in the bottom half when a Scrapper error allowed two Panthers to cross to plate, making it 4-2. The scoring was again started with two outs with Buford getting a single. Zander Taylor and Cade Browning got on base because errors and Seth Edwards was hit by a pitch.
The floodgates opened in the sixth as Magnolia sent 12 batters to the plate and loaded the bases three separate times in the inning.
Things started as Tanner Edwards was hit by a pitch and Eli Fields followed with a double. Blanchard delivered a RBI double to make it 5-2.
Nashville put Nielsen on to load the bases and Buford followed with a two-run RBI double to make it 7-2. Taylor’s RBI single moved the score to 8-2. Browning became the sixth Panther to be hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded for the second time with no outs.
Seth Edwards produced a two-run RBI double to make it 10-2 and Jayson Thomas reached base on an error.
With the bases loaded again and two outs, Blanchard delivered his second double of the inning to score two runs and end the game.