Toppers stop Poplar Bluff

Toppers stop Poplar Bluff

Marion clinches Jonesboro rematch in semifinal

Sports Editor PARAGOULD — A slow finish on offense didn’t derail a quick start with the bats and strong starting pitching for the Marion Toppers last Friday afternoon.

Playing in the opening round of the Paragould Glen Sain GMC Invitational, the Toppers scored seven times in the first three innings against Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to support right-hander Nick Alsbrook in a 7-2 win.

Alsbrook worked six innings in the opener, allowing five hits and a pair of earned runs to pick up the win and advance his team to the semifinals against the Jonesboro Ricemen on Saturday afternoon. Centerfielder and closer Kollin Stone worked a perfect top of the seventh to close the win out for the Toppers.

Marion wasted little time getting on the bags against Poplar Bluff, scoring four times in the first inning, once in the second inning and two more times in the third for a 7-0 advantage.

Shortstop Gavin Stone led off with a single and scored when Alsbrook struck a sacrifice fly to left field. First baseman Blake Daniels singled and scored on a Kollin Stone hit and Nolan Smith also came around on an error.

The bottom of Marion’s order came up with some magic in the bottom of the second when leftfielder Bryce Logan reached on an error and scored on a Cam Smith sacrifice fly for a 5-0 bulge.

The Toppers capped their scoring in the last of the third when Nolan Smith reached on an error, Kollin Stone singled and catcher Trent Johns plated both with a single to left field.

From there, the Toppers would strand four runners, including a fourth-inning scenario that saw them put two runners on with just one out.

While the bats lost their way, Alsbrook held the fort. The West Memphis senior posted one of his better starts of the summer, which coincided with some improved command of his pitches.

“I’m really proud of the way we pitched today,” said Marion Toppers head coach Junior Weaver. “Typically, Nick’s pitch count gets high, the heat was really bad, but I thought he persevered and did a good job.”

Alsbrook was cruising with a shutout intact until the fifth inning when Poplar Bluff came through with a two-out, two-run single for that team’s only two runs.

The right-hander walked three batters and sat four down on strikes.

Stone entered for the seventh inning and struck a batter out and came up with two groundouts to slam the door.

By Chuck Livingston