Streak snappers

Streak snappers

Jonesboro edges Marion to end 13- game unbeaten run

Sports Editor Muggy temperatures and a hot pitcher proved to be too much for the Marion Toppers to overcome against the Jonesboro Ricemen yesterday at John Robbins Field.

Marion’s 13-game unbeaten streak was snapped after the Toppers lost 1-0 in a pitcher’s duel in which the only run scored was unearned.

It was the second time that the Toppers were shut out in 2016, the other being a 3-0 loss to the Mississippi Shockers at FedEx Field on June 3.

The shutout made a tough luck loser out of Marion starter Kris Peet, who fired six innings, allowed four hits, posted nine strikeouts and issued a single walk.

“Two pitchers were outstanding. Their kid and Peet were just great,” said Marion head coach Junior Weaver. “Peet was back with his first-pitch strikes and working ahead of hitters.”

Jonesboro’s run came in the top of the sixth following an infield single and a two-base error on Marion firstbaseman Matt Fraser set the visitors up with a runner at third with nobody out. A deep sacrifice fly from the following batter plated the run.

“We screw up a pick play over here at first. Ball goes off the first baseman’s glove, probably the fifth or sixth time that’s happened this summer,” Weaver said. “Of course, that run scoring was huge.”

Marion appeared to come through with the equalizing run in the home-half of the sixth inning when centerfielder Kollin Stone walked and moved to second on a Cam Smith single with two outs.

A wild pitch found its way to the backstop to move Stone and Smith up, but Weaver sent Stone to the plate, where he appeared to beat the throw, but was called out by the home plate umpire, who said that Stone missed the plate on his slide.

“I felt like it was a good combination there because it was a soft ball to the backstop, which means that it wouldn’t have bounced all the way back to the plate,” Weaver explained of his aggressive move. “Also, their catcher didn’t really hustle after the ball and their pitcher gave two hard steps to cover the plate and stopped, and I had a strong runner on the bags. We always talk about being aggressive on the bases and we wanted to there.”

Kollin Stone pitched the seventh inning for the Toppers and struck out all three batters, while topping out at 88 miles per hour on his fastball, to give Marion one final chance in the bottom of the seventh.

With one out, rightfielder Nolan Smith reached second base on an error by Jonesboro’s rightfielder and got to third following a sacrifice bunt by Fraser, but Trent Johns popped out to the catcher to end the game.

The loss ended Marion’s 13-game unbeaten streak, but Weaver doesn’t think that his team has peaked as of yet.

“We still aren’t really hitting like I know we can yet,” said the coach. “We have some guys that have a lot of ability and we just have to get them going because we have some really big games coming up.”

The night wasn’t a total loss for the Toppers, however. The hosts rallied back to win the five-inning nightcap 12-3 after scoring in all four of their trips to the plate.

“Nice bounce back for us there,” says Weaver. “We scored some runs and swung the bats. I felt like were able to play free and easy.”

The Toppers came up with 10 hits in those four innings, including two knocks apiece from Gavin Stone, Nick Alsbrook, Trent Johns and Parker Benson.

That hitting helped Nolan Smith pick up the win after working two innings, allowing three hits and just one earned run. Bryce Logan notched a hold after hurling three innings, serving up five hits and two earned runs.

Gavin Stone was 2-3 in the second game, with three runs scored and two RBI. Alsbrook, Johns, Benson and Preston Nichols all scored two times apiece and Heath Stephenson and Johns each struck doubles for Marion.

Marion will host the Mississippi Shockers tonight at John Robbins Field for a doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m. It will be a seven-inning game followed by a fiveinning outing.

By Chuck Livingston