Fast start takes Toppers to semis

Fast start takes Toppers to semis

Marion gets another quality start from staff

Sports Editor Prior to the 2016 season, Marion Toppers head coach Junior Weaver wasn’t sure that he would have enough depth on his pitching staff to win on a consistent basis. However, as that summer draws to a close, he may somehow have too many good options.

On Saturday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Marion advanced to Semifinal Sunday by topping Arkansas Express’ 16-andunder team 8-0 behind a shutout from West Memphis senior Nick Alsbrook.

Alsbrook threw five innings, allowing three hits and two walks in keeping Express off of the board.

He struck three batters out. Alsbrook was able to work with a lead basically all day after his offense scored six times in the bottom of the first to go on cruise control early.

Gavin Stone scored on a Blake Daniels double and Daniels would come when Kollin Stone drew a basesloaded walk.

A Nolan Smith walk would chase in Trent Johns and a Bryce Logan groundout scored Nolan Smith for a 5-0 lead. The scoring would come to a close when the lineup flipped back over for Gavin Stone, who singled to score Matt Fraser for a very early 6-0 lead.

The Toppers tacked on in the second when Fraser walked to score Johns for a 7-0 advantage and Logan also drew a free base to score Kollin Stone to lead 8-0 after a pair.

From there, Alsbrook would work around a twoout walk in the third, a one-out walk in the fourth and a hitbatsman and a walk in the fifth to account for all of the Express baserunners after the first.

The Marion offense accounted for only five hits in the game, however none of them came after the second inning as the two teams swapped zeroes after the terrific Toppers start.

Gavin Stone finished 2-3 with a run and an RBI from the leadoff spot and Daniels also had two hits, a run, an RBI and a walk from the three-hole. Johns was 1-3 with two runs scores, while Kollin Stone and Nolan Smith had the other two hits. Daniels had the only extra-base hit for Marion with his double and six different Toppers drove in runs in the victory.

Marion struck out only twice in the opening-round game, while also drawing seven walks.

The win moved Marion to the semifinals at Gary Hogan Field on Sunday afternoon, for a 9 a.m. contest. Details of that game can be found in today’s sports.

By Chuck Livingston