Defensive Exploits Thrill Baseball Fans

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER/Prairie Grove athletic director Joey Sorters and his wife Donna, parents of the late Jarren Sorters who would have been a senior this year, were included in Friday's senior night celebration.
MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER/Prairie Grove athletic director Joey Sorters and his wife Donna, parents of the late Jarren Sorters who would have been a senior this year, were included in Friday's senior night celebration.

PRAIRIE GROVE -- A Herculean play by Prairie Grove catcher Couper Allen rolling over while flat on his back to apply a tag preserved a 3-2 win for the Tigers over Lincoln.

Allen started on the mound Friday, allowing 1 run over the first two innings before giving way to Kyle Fidler and returning to his customary spot guarding home plate. He was in the right place at an opportune time, making up for a dropped strike three that turned into a passed-ball allowing Lincoln's Ian Jackson to get aboard with two outs in the top of the sixth. Jackson put himself in scoring position with a steal. He represented a potential tying run that could have sent the contest into extra innings.

Levi Wright laid down a bunt forcing Allen to go to the dirt for the ball, which he came up with on the third base line. Sensing Jackson racing for home, Allen blocked Jackson's path home with his body and rolled over in time to apply the tag sending Prairie Grove fans into a frenzy as they celebrated Allen's presence of mind and effort on senior night.

The exploit marked the second outstanding defensive play, one by each team, that helped determine the outcome in the latter innings.

Prairie Grove took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Will Luther hit a leadoff single into right center and Jackson Sorters singled the other way to put two runners on for the Tigers. Garrett Heltemes hit a third straight single scoring a run for Prairie Grove and ending the start for Lincoln's Sterling Morphis, who was replaced by Caleb Lloyd.

Sloan Smith drove in a second Prairie Grove run to tie the game at 2-2 while drawing the first out. Heltemes was on third when Allen made contact allowing him to score the go-ahead run while the Wolves threw Allen out at first.

The Tigers threatened again in the bottom of the fifth with consecutive singles by Fidler and Luther only to be thwarted by a spectacular double-play.

Lloyd came off the mound to field a short grounder by Jackson Sorters and looked the runner back towards third. Lloyd played the scenario to perfection, freezing the runner momentarily while closing the distance before throwing to third.

Lloyd and Wright, playing third, exchanged throws trapping the runner, who was eventually tagged out by Lloyd. The Wolves recorded a second out when they caught Luther trying to race into third to end the inning.

Lincoln coach Reed Mendoza hailed the play, noting pitcher's fielding practice (PFP) drills paid off.

"We work PFP once a week," Mendoza said. "If you're pitching a comebacker and you've got a runner at third, you've got to check them. Caleb came off the mound, fielded the ball and did that. The kid drifted a little too far off third and Caleb lured him off just enough. If he had been a little bit closer to third we wouldn't have been able to get him out. We did an excellent job of executing and after we tagged the kid out, we did a good job of communicating to where we were able to get a second out on the throw to third."

Lincoln (7-16, 4-6 3A-1 West) took a 1-0 in the second inning. Noah Moore drove in a second Lincoln run with the bases loaded in the third. Fidler induced a fly-out to minimize the damage for Prairie Grove.

Despite the loss Mendoza retains optimism as the Wolves begin district play Wednesday against tourney host Cedarville (2-10, 1-9 3A-1 West) at 6:30 p.m.

"I definitely feel like today we didn't beat ourselves. That's something we've talked a lot about," Mendoza said. "We want to play clean baseball, don't extend innings. They just beat us today."

Luther and Sorters had 2 hits apiece for Prairie Grove. Fidler earned the win, going 3 innings with 3 strike-outs.

Sports on 04/24/2019