Pioneers Take Midweek Game Against WBU

Pioneers Take Midweek Game Against WBU- Wil Tegaue, Sports Information Director, 4-25-23

Crowley's Ridge- 13

Williams Baptist- 8

Walnut Ridge, Ark.- CRC baseball added a late season matchup earlier this afternoon against Highway 412 rival Williams Baptist University scheduled for one 9 inning game. The Pioneers faced WBU at home earlier this season but an outrageous offensive performance from the Eagles allowed them to easily handle the Pioneers at Pioneer Park. The second time 'round the Pioneers brought a different attitude and bat scheme to the contest as the CRC went on to get the last laugh with a 13-8 win over the Eagles in Walnut Ridge. Matt Parker got the Pioneers heading down victory road as he smashed a 3 run bomb to left field in the top of the first giving CRC the lead. Williams Baptist would score one in the bottom half of the first but Adonis Thomas and the Pioneer defense would retire the Eagles before any more damage would be done. The 4th Pioneer run was awarded to Phoenix Beal as he singled in the top of the third increasing CRC's lead back to three, but the Eagles wouldn't stay suppressed much longer. WBU scored three runs in the bottom of the third with the help of a few juggled infield hits by the Pioneer defense and one Eagle double that found the gap in left center. With the game tied up again and the Pioneers looking for the advantage, like many times this season, Trey Gossett delivered. In the top of the fourth Gossett singled driving in Trey Drake giving CRC the 5-4 lead but the Pioneers did not stop with just one run as Corby Seib followed Gossetts RBI at-bat two batters later. Seib took a pitch off the shoulder with the bases juiced and drove in Gossett from third, giving CRC a 6-4 lead. What would seem to be the theme of the game as each time CRC produced runs so would WBU, the bottom half of the fourth wouldn't be any different. After a 2 run inning from CRC the Eagles would nibble at the deficit by scoring one with a sac fly to Garett Wilson in center field. CRC started to pull away with the game at the halfway point as the Pioneers manufactured two more runs before WBU was able to retaliate. James Wilson knocked in Garett Wilson in the 5th and Trey Drake batted in Corby Seib in the 6th while the Eagles scored just one in the bottom half of the 6th on an RBI sIngle to right field. What truly started the landslide for the Pioneers would be Phoenix Beal's solo homer in the top of the 7th allowing CRC's lead to increase to three for the third time in the contest, 9-6. The troops rallied behind Beal's homer in the 8th  as Garett Wilson showed off his speed  by taking home on a wild pitch while James Wilson drove in his second run of the game with a hot shot back to the pitcher. Just for insurance sake, Crowley's Ridge added two last minute cushion runs in the top of the 9th with Chipper Lamb taking a HBP with the bases loaded and Garett Wilson scoring on an error by the Eagles defense. Adonis Thomas headed out to the mound to finish what he started and after giving up two runs, the last two Eagles were retired with a double play as Trey Drake caught the second out of the inning and then came up firing and threw out the tagging Eagle from third at the plate. 

Leaders: Hitting:

The Pioneers scored 13 runs on 16 hits.

Drake (3-4)(RBI), Parker (2-5)(3RBI)(HR), Beal (3-5)(2RBI)(HR), Ja. Wilson (2-6)(3RBI)

Pitching:

Thomas: 9 innings, 16 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO