Marion sweeps MHSA

Marion sweeps MHSA

Toppers open week- long grind with pair of wins at The Rob

Sports Editor The Marion Toppers opened up a run of 10 games in seven days in a big way last night.

Hosting the Memphis Homeschool Academy Eagles at John Robbins Field, Marion moved to 92-1 with a doubleheader sweep.

The Toppers hit the road tonight to play Paragould American Legion before returning home to play the Marion High School extended summer team on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

The first game saw a revival of a previously dormant Toppers offense.

Marion pounded out 10 hits and scored 11 runs in an 11-1 run-rule affair that ended in the bottom of the fifth.

The 11 runs were the team’s season-high, topping the 10 that they hit Paragould American Legion with in their season opener.

West Memphis senior Nick Alsbrook was the beneficiary of that run support. The right-hander pitched five innings, allowing five hits and a single earned run. He struck three hitters out and walked just one.

The offense started rolling nearly from the word go.

After leadoff man Gavin Stone was retired on a flyout to left field, the next three Toppers hitters reached base, and also scored the first three runs of the game.

Centerfielder Kollin Stone was hit by a pitch and scored just a single batter later when West Memphis native Cam Smith ripped a triple off the wall. Smith would score when first baseman Matt Fraser singled and Fraser would come around on a wild pitch for an early 3-0 lead.

However, the Eagles responded with their best offensive inning of the night against Alsbrook.

Memphis Homeschool rounded up three hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch to scratch across its only run of the game to get within 3-1.

The Brothers Stone were back at it in the home half of the second when Gavin singled and Kollin doubled to set the hosts up with runners on second and third with just one out.

A Cam Smith sacrifice fly scored Gavin Stone and Kollin Stone came across when Fraser reached on an error and Marion led 5-1 after a pair.

Nolan Smith led Marion’s half of the third off with a double and he scored on a Heath Stephenson single to left field, but the scoring would stop there.

The toppers faced their only scoreless frame of the night in the fourth, but got right back after it in the fifth, scoring five times, with just one out being recorded. The first six Marion hitters reached and five would score.

Blake Daniels celebrated his return to the lineup with a double, followed by a Nolan Smith walk. Trent Johns scored Daniels with a single and a Bryce Logan double moved Nolan Smith to third.

Stephenson was hit with a pitch to load the bases and a Gavin Stone hit plated Nolan Smith.

A Kollin Stone sac fly chased in Logan and Stephenson scored the game’s final run on a Cam Smith groundout.

All nine Marion Topper starters recorded a hit against Memphis Homeschool.

By Chuck Livingston