Ricemen revenge

Ricemen revenge

Sports Editor PARAGOULD — It’s often said that “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” and after last Saturday’s victory over the Jonesboro Ricemen here, that may be the Marion Toppers new team motto.

Playing in the semifinal round of the Glen Sain GMC Paragould Invitational, Marion won its 20th game of the summer by avenging a 1-0 loss at John Robbins Field last Tuesday by running the Ricemen 11-3 in a fiveinning, run-rule decision.

The victory set up a title game date with the hosts from Paragould on Sunday evening.

Marion’s offensive versatility was in full effect for the 3 p.m. start at Paragould’s Francis Bland Park. The Toppers scored in every one of their at-bats, doing so by nearly every means possible.

First baseman Blake Daniels drove shortstop Gavin Stone home with his team’s first run with a single after Stone struck out, but reached on an error by the Jonesboro catcher. Cam Smith would score the team’s second run on a sacrifice fly.

In the second inning, Bryce Logan reached on an error, as did Gavin Stone and Cam Smith singled in Logan before Daniels chased Stone with another sac fly.

Leading 4-2, Marion broke the game open in the third inning when the Toppers scored four times, two of which came on an aggressive call by head coach Junior Weaver.

With nobody out, a fifth run already in with Evin Cooper and Matt Fraser on second and third, Logan laid down a very good sacrifice bunt to the first-base side of the diamond that scored Cooper easily, followed by Fraser, who scored to complete the double- squeeze play for a 7-2 lead.

Leading off the home-half of the fourth inning, Daniels deposited a 1-0 pitch about 385 feet out to right-center field for the first home run of the summer for the Toppers. It was the fifth home run for Daniels in a Toppers uniform, over the span of three summers.

Daniels’ teammates celebrated his big fly by giving him the silent treatment upon arriving back at the dugout.

“We used the short game, the power game, aggressive baserunning. I think we scored any way possible the other day,” Weaver said of his team’s diverse offensive portfolio. “You know, our guys don’t like Jonesboro, but they like competing against Jonesboro. They don’t like us and we don’t like them. Our guys competed real well today.”

Kris Peet took the mound for Marion after taking the tough loss earlier in the week and after some early tense moments (two runs in the first inning), he settled in to spin five innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, one of which was earned. He won his fifth game of the summer against that single loss.

By Chuck Livingston