PRAIRIE GROVE -- Bolstered by an 11-hit parade and solo home-run Prairie Grove beat Lincoln, 11-2, on April 10.

"Senior Michael Hutsell was my starting pitcher, he went 5 and 2/3 innings with five strike-outs before he was relieved by senior Austin Jentzsch, who went 1 and 2/3 innings with three strike-outs," said Prairie Grove coach Chris Mileham. "It was senior night. We gave a couple of opportunities to a couple of our older kids and let them get under the lights. All of our seniors were honored by the crowd here in Prairie Grove."

Reed Orr doubled and tripled and drove in two runs to lead the Tigers. Jentzsch homered for Prairie Grove, and Silas Myane, Cole Speed and Couper Allen each had two hits. Allen had a double and Clay Fidler had a triple for the Tigers.

Hutsell gave up a single to Sterling Morphis, who was 2-for-3 for Lincoln, in the first inning, but Morphis was left on-base as the inning ended. When the Tigers came up to bat, Fidler scored to put Prairie Grove ahead, 1-0. Orr followed with a single, but the Wolves picked him off at second. Although Drew Cates singled and Lincoln starter Josh Jetton issued a walk, he got out of the inning without further damage by retiring Myane and Chase Wade.

Zach Duncan reached on an error in the second inning, but Hutsell wrapped things up with consecutive strike-outs. Prairie Grove loaded the bases when Fidler got aboard after Speed hit a leadoff single into left field and Hutsell reached on an error. One run scored on a Lincoln throwing error, but Jetton struck out Orr. The runners left on base scored when Cates belted a single. Cates was thrown out trying to steal second, but the Tigers were ahead, 4-0, after two innings of play.

For the second time in the game, a Tiger leadoff batter smacked a hit with Jentzsch hitting a solo home-run to start the third. The next batter again got on when Myane made contact and the ball ricocheted off Jetton on the mound. But once more, the Wolves came up with a defensive play to minimize the threat. With Wade batting, Myane got caught in a rundown.

Lincoln coach Justin Bounds yelled at his infield to "Go get him" and they did with the third baseman tagging Myane out before he could get back to second. Speed walked and Allen reached on an error, but Jetton eased out of the inning by retiring Hutsell. Still, the Wolves trailed 5-0.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning. Ian Jackson had a single for Lincoln in the top of the fifth, but the Wolves weren't able to capitalize. Prairie Grove scored a trio of runs with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Allen singled to left field, he stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Hutsell drove in a run and earned a single by digging in to beat a throw to first. He moved to second on a passed ball. Fidler walked and with Orr batting, both runners came in on a triple, giving the Tigers an 8-0 advantage.

Lincoln freshman Cordelle Whetsell took a base on balls as the leadoff hitter to start the sixth. He scored when sophomore Caleb Lloyd put an RBI triple into right center field making the score 8-1. Up next was Morphis, who struck out but the pitch was dropped. Morphis ran towards first, forcing the Tigers to throw him out. The distraction enabled Lloyd to charge home from third. As a return throw to the plate came from first, Lloyd collided with Prairie Grove catcher Couper Allen and both went down as the ball came out. Lloyd scored a run and Allen was replaced in the lineup, but later returned as a batter.

Lincoln could not generate any runs in their final at-bat and Prairie Grove took an 11-2 win.