FARMINGTON -- Prairie Grove (15-7, 4-3) suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss when Huntsville's Slayter Watkins belted an RBI deep into left field Thursday, exiting the Tigers from the District 4A-1 baseball tournament.
Tiger starter Ryder Orr gave up two runs in the first then threw five scoreless innings and was one out away from forcing extra innings. Tucker Bradley reached on an error, then scored the winning run on Watkins' hit.
"One of the things we talk about every day is just compete. That's one of our pillars of success and that's what they do, they compete, compete to the end. They don't give up," said Prairie Grove Mitch Cameron said. "We gave ourselves a chance to win and unfortunately we didn't make enough plays."
The Tigers had two runners on in the top of the seventh when Davis Stephens bunted and was called out at first, ending the threat. Cameron disputed the call to no avail.
Prairie Grove tied the game in the fifth. Jackson Sorters was hit by a pitch and Caston Flumm reached on an error. The Eagles had trouble with his bunt and he wound up at second with Sorters at third. Tate Benoit produced a quality at-bat, taking ball two to even the count. The pitch got past Huntsville's catcher and Sorters raced home to pull the Tigers within a run, at 2-1, and sending Flumm to third. Benoit struck out, but Flumm capitalized on another passed ball tying the game.
Huntsville turned three double plays in the first four innings, aided greatly by an interference call when Casey Shipley slid into first. The Tigers were also victimized when the field umpire inadvertently clothes-lined Prairie Grove first baseman Connor Hubbs as he attempted to chase a pop-up in foul territory in the bottom of the fifth.
Three pitches later, the batter, Huntsville's Mason Davidson, recorded a base hit. He moved to second on Bradley's single, increasing the tension for Tiger fans with one out. Orr induced Watkins to pop-up into foul territory. This time, Hubbs, uninhibited by the field umpire, made the catch for the second out -- illustrating his capability of making the same play two batters earlier.
Cameron reminded the umpires of that possibility and the Tigers hung tough. Orr got Kolton Reynolds to ground out to third ending the inning and preserving a 2-2 tie.
Huntsville threatened again in the sixth with Eaton reaching on an error. He moved to second on Braden Carter's ground out. Orr induced Cross Easterling to fly out to center field for the second out. Harley Owens hit a long fly ball into right field, but the throw came into Shipley in time, and he tagged out Eaton at the plate.
4A-1 District Baseball
April 27
At Farmington
Huntsville 3, Prairie Grove 2
P.Grove (15-7, 4-3)0000200--233
Huntsville (4-3)2000001--391
W -- Eaton, L -- Orr.