Heber Springs’ Post 64 Angels needed one win in the Zone 3 (AA) American Legion Tournament over the weekend at Mare Square to qualify for this weekend’s state tournament in Harrison. Standing in the way was rival Stuttgart, who crushed Post 64’s state tournament dreams by beating Heber twice in last year’s championship games in Benton.
This time around, Heber left no doubt, defeating the Ricemen 6-2 on Saturday and Brinkley 10-2 on Sunday for another shot at the zone title. Already with a state tournament berth in hand, the Angels beat Conway NBMC 8-5 late Monday evening for the zone championship and top seed going to Harrison, where they will open state tournament play at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Heber enters state tournament play with a record of 19-2 but only one loss in seven inning games.
Look for the championship game story between Post 64 and Conway NBMC in Friday’s edition.
Heber 6, Stuttgart 2
The Angels took advantage of some sloppy play by the Ricemen while building a 5-0 lead in the second inning and held on for the victory behind seven strong innings from pitcher Josh Klapp.
Playing as the visitor on its home field, Heber went down quietly in the top of the first as Josh Wilkerson grounded out to Logan Ward at shortstop and Caleb Brock lined out to Ward before Tanner Rockwell worked a full-count walk. After Rockwell swiped second, Ward robbed Chas Tamburo of a base hit and RBI by making a spectacular diving play and quick throw from shortstop.
Ward led off the bottom half with a single up the middle but Klapp induced Zac Steinmetz into a 4-6-3 double play smoothly turned by Brock at second and Rockwell at shortstop. Klapp got Dontrell Brown on a pop-out to Rockwell, ending the first frame.
In the top of the second, Post 64 erupted with five runs on two hits. Klapp got the Angles stirring by crushing a double that short-hopped the fence in left center then Tyler Reese reached on a fielder’s choice turned error as Klapp advanced to third.
With runners at the corners, Lance Fires dropped a sacrifice-bunt that turned into another error, which allowed Klapp to score while Reese scooted around to third. Brett Boister followed with an RBI groundout to second that forced Fires but scored Reese, pushing the Angels’ lead to 2-0.
Janssen Wiedower walked then Boister stole third and scored when Wiedower swiped second, which drew an errant throw as Wiedower took third. Leading 3-0, Wilkerson struck out but reached safely when the dropped third strike was thrown high for another error that allowed Wiedower to score as Heber’s lead grew to 4-0.
Brock laid down a squeeze bunt but Stuttgart starting pitcher John Godwin quickly flipped to the plate to knick Wilkerson barreling home with his patented head first slide. With two out, Rockwell nailed an RBI triple down the right field line that scored Brock and gave Post 64 a 5-0 advantage then Tamburo walked before Godwin finally got out of the second when Klapp bounced out to Ward at shortstop.
Klapp continued to cruise in the bottom of the second with the help of Reese, who robbed Godwin of a base knock by backhanding a laser toward third base off the short hop and getting the out. After Aaron Lockwood rolled out to Brock at second, Trevor Freemyer chopped a single up the middle. Morgan Ragland followed with a chopper to Rockwell, who made a nice charging play from shortstop to end the inning.
Heber added an insurance run in the top of the third. Reese bounced out to Ward at shortstop to begin the inning but Fires walked before Boister grounded out to Ward, which pushed Fires into scoring position.
Wiedower delivered a two-out, RBI double down the right field line that scored Fires as Post 64’s lead grew to 6-0 before Wilkerson lined out to Brown at third.
Trailing 6-0, Stuttgart battled back with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the third. Jon Curtis got the Ricemen started by reaching on a fielding error then Logan Prince ripped a single to left field.
Ward tomahawked an RBI single to left center that scored Curtis then Steinmetz grounded into a 6-4-3 double play turned by Rockwell at shortstop and Brock at second. Prince scored on the twin killer, which pulled Stuttgart within four at 6-2 before Klapp retired Brown on a groundout to Rockwell at shortstop.
Godwin retired the Angels in order in the top of the fourth as Brock and Rockwell bounced out to Ward at shortstop and Tamburo chopped out to Brown at third. Klapp worked out of a jam in the bottom half after Godwin popped out to Brock at second.
Lockwood chopped a single past first base to get the Ricemen stirring and Freemyer waked but Ragland grounded to Reese, who took the force on Freemyer at second. With two down and runners at the corners, Klapp notched a crucial strikeout to end the inning.
Still leading 6-2, Klapp walked and took second on a wild pitch to begin the fifth frame then Reese lifted a sacrifice-fly to center field, which advanced Klapp to third. But Godwin avoided giving up another run as Fires popped out to Ward, who made the play near the foul line in shallow left field then Boister flied out to Curtis in left field, leaving Klapp stranded 90 feet from home.
Klapp retired the Ricemen in order in the bottom of the fifth as he caught the first batter looking for a strikeout then Ward popped foul and Tamburo tossed his catcher’s mask and made a good running grab near the first base on-deck circle. Steinmetz flied out to Wilkerson in center as the Angles retained a 6-2 lead entering the sixth inning.
Still facing Godwin, Wiedower lined out to Freemyer at first base and Wilkerson grounded out to Freemyer before Brock roped a single to right center. Godwin got out of the top half when Rockwell flied out to Prince in shallow right field.
Brown reached on an error to begin the bottom half then Godwin hit a liner toward left center that looked like trouble until Rockwell made a tremendous leaping grab and threw to first, where Fires made an outstanding pick and stepped on the bag to double off Brown complete Heber’s third twin killer of the evening. Lockwood popped out to Brock, who made the running catch near the right field line as Post 64 took a 6-2 lead to the final frame.
Ward continued to flash his leather at shortstop by taking another base hit way from Tamburo then Klapp flied out to Ragland in center and Godwin notched a strikeout, sending the game into the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom half, Klapp retired Stuttgart in order as Freemyer popped back to the mound, Ragland popped out to Rockwell at shortstop and Klapp used a wicked hook for a full-count strikeout, which ended the game and sent Heber into the winners’ bracket final.
Heber 10, Brinkley 2
Brinkley’s Mid-Delta Tigers beat Cabot Centennial Bank and Conway NBMC for a shot at Heber in the winners’ bracket final, but their momentum quickly ended at the hands of the Angels.
The Tigers forfeited two regular season games to Heber, likely hoping to surprise the Angels. But the surprise was on Brinkley once Post 64 got started in the fourth inning, when they scored eight runs to bust open a tie game.
Caleb Brock got the nod on the mound for Heber and cruised through the top of the first as Tyler Moore popped out to Josh Klapp at shortstop before Seth Smith reached via error. But Post 64 got out of the inning when Tyler Sorrells lined back to Brock, who quickly turned and doubled off Smith at first base for an inning-ending double play.
Facing Moore in the bottom half, Josh Wilkerson grounded out to Carl Leon at first base and Brock bounced out to Sorrells at shortstop before Tanner Rockwell and Chas Tamburo each drew free passes. But Moore responded with a strikeout, leaving two Angels stranded.
In the top of the second, AJ Harris struck out but reached on the third strike, wild pitch in the dirt before Ethan Roberts popped out to Rockwell at second. After TJ Holliday beat out an infield single on a slow roller to shortstop, Nathan Mofett ripped a single through the hole on the left side, which loaded the bases.
But Brock got out of the inning unscathed as Leon popped foul to Tyler Reese at third then Brock recorded a strikeout, leaving the bases loaded.
Heber opened up a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Reese slapped a single down the right field line to start the bottom half and Lance Fires pushed him into scoring position with a sacrifice-bunt.
Brett Boister softly lined out to Sorrells at shortstop for the second out but Janssen Wiedower delivered an RBI single through the hole on the left side that scored Reese, giving Heber a 1-0 lead. Wiedower advanced to second on the throw home and scored when Wilkerson slammed an RBI single up the middle, which gave Post 64 a 2-0 cushion. Brock grounded out to Moffett at second, ending the second frame.
Brock sat the Tigers down quickly in the top of the third as Moore lined back to the mound and Smith bounced out to Rockwell at second before Sorrells drew a walk. Brock got Harris on a fly-out to Wilkerson in center, ending the top half.
Rockwell flied out to Roberts in center to start the bottom of the third but Tamburo laced a double down the right field line before Moore fired back with a strikeout. Tamburo moved to third on a wild pitch but he was stranded 90 feet from home when Moore notched is second straight strikeout.
Brinkley tied the contest with two runs on one hit in the top of the fourth. Roberts and Holiday each drew full-count walks to get the Tigers rolling then Moffett’s groundout to Rockwell at second moved both runners into scoring position.
Brock fired back with a full-count strikeout but with two away, Gary McCoy chopped an 0-2 delivery up the middle for a 2 RBI single that plated Roberts and Holiday. After Brock issued two more free passes to Moore and Smith, Fires relieved Brock and struck out Brinkley’s three-hole batter, leaving two stranded.
Knotted at 2-all, Heber blew the game wide open with eight runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth. Fires walked and stole second to get the Angels started then Brett Boister worked a full-count walk before Wiedower walked on four straight pitches out of the zone.
With the bases loaded, Wilkerson drilled a bases clearing, 3 RBI double that skipped against the wall in left center as Fires, Boister and Wiedower came around to score, giving Heber a 5-2 advantage.
Wilkerson stole third and scored on an RBI groundout to shortstop off the bat of Brock, pushing the Angels’ lead to 6-2. Rockwell followed with a double to the alley in left center but Tamburo popped out to Moffett at second before Klapp walked on four pitches.
Klapp stole second then Reese reached on a throwing error that allowed Rockwell to score. Fires hit a swinging bunt down the third base line that turned into another error as Klapp scored then Boister crushed a 2 RBI single to center field that plated Reese and Fires, extending the Angels’ lead to 10-2.
Harris, who relieved Moore before Brock’s RBI groundout, evaded further trouble when Wiedower bounced out to Moore at shortstop.
After striking out the leadoff batter, Fires worked around two walks in the top of the fifth as Roberts and Holiday each reached on free passes before Tamburo gunned down Roberts trying to steal third. With two away, Fires retired Moffett on a dribbler back to the mound.
Harris worked a scoreless bottom half as Wilkerson grounded out to Moore at shortstop before Brock reached on a throwing error. But Rockwell flied out to McCoy in right field and Tamburo popped out to Leon at first base, ending the fifth frame.
Leon drew a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth but Fires used a curveball for a strikeout before inducing Moore into a groundout to Reese at third. Smith popped out to Reese, leaving Leon stranded in scoring position.
In the bottom of the sixth, Klapp skied a high fly-ball to center that was lost in the lights for a single and he stole second and took third on an errant throw. But Klapp was picked off third base and Reese flied out to Roberts in deep center before Fires bounced out to Moore at shortstop.
Down to its final three outs, Wilkerson relieved Fires and had very little trouble slamming the door on the Tigers. After Sorrells grounded out to Klapp at shortstop, Harris looped a single into shallow center.
But Wilkerson retaliated with two straight strikeouts as Heber cruised to a 10-2 victory and spot in the championship game.
