Abundant Life came charging back from multiple deficits on Thursday night but with the chips down in the seventh inning, Heber Springs’ Tanner Rockwell drove home Caleb Brock with a game-winning single over a drawn-in outfield, lifting the Panthers to a 10-9 victory at Panther Field.
Heber Coach Darren Gowen said he was looking to schedule some good competition for the Panthers going into 2-4A Conference play. “I scheduled them because when I was at CAC we played them every year and they are always well-coached. They won a state championship a couple of years ago and they are always a good team.”
Shane Miller got the start on the mound for the Panthers and held the Owls scoreless in the top of the first as Ryan Johnson grounded out to Tyler Reese at third but Zach Traylor followed with a walk. Miller got Josh Hortner on a fielder’s choice taken by Rockwell at shortstop then Miller struck out Abundant Life’s cleanup batter, leaving one stranded.
Heber took the lead with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the first as Michael Ludwig reached on a dropped fly-ball then Brock ripped an RBI single to right center that scored Ludwig. Rockwell followed with a single to left field and B.J Franks pulled a hard hit to shortstop that was mishandled as Brock scored and Rockwell moved to third.
Chas Tamburo lifted an RBI sacrifice-fly to center field that scored Rockwell as Heber’s lead grew to 3-0 before Abundant Life starting pitcher Bryce Pickett retired two straight, leaving runners stranded at the corners.
Brock made a quick stab at second to take away a base knock from Cody Ward in the top of the second then Miller got Eric Moore on a chopper back to the mound but Pickett reached on an error to keep the Owls’ inning alive. Miller caught the next batter looking, ending the top half.
The Panthers added an insurance run in the bottom of the second but not before Geoffrey Anderson grounded out to Carson Seelinger at shortstop and Janssen Wiedower popped out to Traylor at third. Ludwig got Heber going by pulling a single to left field and speeding around to third on a 2-base error.
Brock roped an RBI single through the hole on the left side that scored Ludwig then Rockwell reached on an error before Franks lined out to Hortner in left field, leaving two stranded.
Abundant Life battled back with three runs on four hits in the top of the third. Tyler Toney plugged the gap in right center for a leadoff double before Johnson sharply bounced out to Franks at first base, which moved Toney to third.
Traylor belted an RBI single to center field that scored Toney and Hortner followed with a single to right field. With one out and runners at first and second, Seelinger reached on a 2-base error that scored Traylor as Hortner took third while Seelinger was thrown out at second on the play.
After Cody Ward smacked an RBI single to left center that scored Hortner, Miller escaped further trouble with a full-count strikeout, leaving the Panthers with a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the third.
Pickett got Tamburo to groundout to Traylor at third and Reese flied out to Jacob Smith in right field to begin the bottom half before Andrew Hill took one for the team and stole second. But Pickett picked Hill off second base, sending the game into the fourth inning.
Nate Bartlett relieved Miller to begin the top of the fourth and issued a full-count walk to Pickett then Smith slapped a hit-and-run single through the hole on the right side. Pickett aggressively sped around from first base for a run on Smith’s single, tying the game at 4-up.
After Toney walked, he stole second as Smith scored when the throw towards second got away, giving the Owls their first lead at 5-4. Bartlett regrouped and got Johnson to fly-out to Geoffrey Anderson in left field then he recorded a strikeout. With two down, Hortner belted a single to right field but Toney was held at third and Bartlett fanned the Owls’ cleanup batter with a full-count curveball, leaving runners stranded at the corners.
Trailing by one, Heber tied the game in the bottom half. Moore, who relieved Pickett to start the frame, walked Anderson and Wiedower to begin the inning, forcing the Owls to replace him with Seelinger.
Ludwig reached on a fielder’s choice that forced Wiedower at second and moved Anderson to third. Then, Seelinger caught Ludwig in a hot-box between first and second as Anderson sped home to tie the game before Brock pulled a two-out single to left field and Rockwell drew a walk. Both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch then Franks worked a full-count walk but Seelinger got Tamburo to groundout to shortstop, ending the frame.
Abundant Life took another lead in the top of the fifth as pinch-hitter Phillip Childers drilled a single up the middle and Moore drove a single through the hole on left side. But Bartlett fired back with a strikeout then he got Smith to groundout to Brock at second.
Brock took the force on Moore at second, which left runners at the corners. The Owls’ reclaimed the lead when Smith intentionally got in a run-down but it appeared the strategy would backfired until an errant throw allowed courtesy runner Devin Bird to cross safely. Bartlett pitched around further damage by getting Toney on a fly-out to Ludwig in deep center.
Down 6-5, the Panthers retaliated with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth. Reese worked a full-count walk to ignite Heber and Hill’s sacrifice-bunt advanced Reese to second. Reese took third on a passed ball then scored on an RBI groundout to second off the bat of Anderson.
With two away and the score tied at 6-all, Wiedower alertly reached first on a mishandled strikeout then Ludwing laced a hit-and-run single to center field that moved Wiedower to third.
With Brock facing a 2-2 pitch, he tomahawked an RBI single into right center that plated Wiedower as Ludwig took third and Brock moved to second on the throw home. Hortner relieved Seelinger with two on and two out but Rockwell greeted him with a hot shot to third that was knocked down, but a high throw allowed Rockwell to reach safely as Ludwig scored, extending Heber’s lead to 8-6.
Hortner escaped further trouble by striking out the Panthers’ cleanup hitter with a full-count fastball, leaving two stranded in scoring position.
Bartlett issued a walk to Johnson to begin the sixth and was replaced with Garrett Wheeler, who got Traylor to groundout to Brock. Johnson was forced at second on the play while Traylor took first on the fielder’s choice and later stole second. Hortner ripped an RBI double to the alley in right center that scored Traylor as the Owls pulled withine one at 8-7.
With one out and Hortner on second, Seelinger bounced to Reese at third and he caught Hortner in a hot box between second and third as Seelinger reached on the fielder’s choice. Wheeler got out of the inning when Childers grounded out to Brock at second.
Heber added a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Tamburo pulled a single over the third base bag then his courtesy runner, Reo Howard, took second on a wild pickoff attempt.
Reese laid down an RBI bunt single that scored Howard as Reese was plunked in the back on the way to first base. Reese swiped second and took third on an overthrow but he was thrown out at home following a chopper off the bat of Hill. The Owls turned Hill’s chopper into a 1-3-2 double play but Anderson reignited the Panthers with a single to left center.
Wiedower reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch but Hortner fired back with a strikeout, leaving two Panthers stranded in scoring position.
Abundant Life tied the game with two runs on two hits in the top of the seventh and final frame. Moore led off with a 4-pitch walk, causing Heber to relieve Wheeler with Brock. Pickett kept the Owls’ hopes alive with a single off the third base bag then Smith beat out a bunt single placed down the third base line, which loaded the bases.
Toney drew an RBI walk that scored Moore as Heber replaced Brock with Ludwig. Heber’s fifth pitcher got Johnson to pop out to Brock in short center but it carried far enough for Pickett to tag up and score from third, knotting the game at 9-all.
With runners at the corners and one out, Reese ran down Smith trying to steal home from his third base position and while lying on his back Reese threw to third base, doubling off Toney, who was speeding around from first.
The inning-ending twin killer gave Heber the momentum, which translated into a win in the bottom of the seventh. Brock led off the seventh with a walk and moved to second on a wild pickoff then Rockwell ripped a 3-2 pitch over a drawn-in outfield as Brock came around to score the winning run.
Heber beat Dover 4-3 on Monday and visits Batesville on Tuesday before returning home for a 2-4A Conference game versus Stuttgart on Friday.
