Heber Springs’ baseball and softball teams opened their new fields at Mare Square with victories on Monday as the Lady Panthers cruised to an 11-1 win over Highland while the Panthers rallied past Dover, 4-3.
Lady Panther starting pitcher Ashlee Barbee recorded the first strikeout at the new softball field while working a scoreless first inning and Heber struck for three runs in the bottom of the first.
After Barbee lined out to second, Katie Webb drew a walk and stole her way around to third. Morgan Fires recorded the first base hit at the new field by driving the ball into center field for an RBI single that scored Webb, giving the Lady Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Hannah Hargis popped out to third but Katie Dixon poked a single down the left field line, keeping the inning alive.
Alexis Ingram followed with a walk that loaded the bases before Devrie Attendorn hammered a 2 RBI single to center field that plated Fires and Dixon, pushing Heber’s lead to 3-0.
Barbee pitched around a leadoff double in the top of the second and didn’t allow a run until the Lady Rebels scratched out a score in the top of the fifth. Barbee stranded a runner at third with a strikeout and the Lady Panthers put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with the first homerun at the new park.
Fires led off the frame with a single to center field then Hargis slammed a 2-run homerun that landed 20 feet over the center field wall, giving Heber an 11-1 victory.
The Lady Panthers beat Rose Bud 12-1 on the road on Tuesday, improving to 10-4 overall for the season, including a third-place finish in last weekend’s Clarksville Tournament.
In the Panthers’ baseball opener at their new digs, Dover took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a 2 RBI single from Corey Hottinger but Heber starting pitcher Andrew Hill found his groove, holding the Pirates scoreless for the next four frames.
Meanwhile, Tyler Reese picked up the Panthers’ first hit at their new park with a shot to left field that fell in for a single but Dover starting pitcher Kendall Costner retired the next three batters, leaving Heber with a 2-0 deficit entering the top of the third.
After Hill sat down the Pirates in the top half, Michael Ludwig and Tanner Rockwell each worked free passes but were stranded in scoring position. Hill pitched a perfect fourth with the help of a terrific play up the middle by Rockwell, who made a lunging stab up in short center and spinning throw to first base for the third out.
Trailing 2-0, the Panthers scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth. Facing Costner still, Reese roped a double over the center fielder’s head and Wes McMullen reached on an error that advanced Reese to third.
With runners at the corners, Hill hit a dribbler to the right side of the mound that moved McMullen into scoring position then Geoffrey Anderson lifted an RBI, sacrifice-fly to left field that scored Reese, cutting the Panthers’ deficit in half.
Ludwig followed with a 2-run homerun that curled down the left field line and bounced past the Dover bus and towards the second pond beyond the fence. Ludwig’s monumental blast, the first at the new park by any player, scored McMullen and gave Heber a 3-2 lead.
Dover changed pitchers before Caleb Brock beat out an infield single on a chopper down the third base line and Rockwell smacked a single up the middle. But the Pirates got out of the jam when B.J. Franks bounced out to shortstop.
The two teams traded runs in the fifth inning then Heber turned to relief pitcher Landon Glover, who shut down the Pirates in the final two frames. In the top of the sixth, Glover recorded two strikeouts and got another batter on a high pop-out to Brock at second.
With Heber still clinging to a 4-3 lead going into the top of the seventh, Glover caught the first batter looking then got help from Rockwell, who made a bare-handed play from his shortstop position.
Glover got the next hitter on an infield pop-out that he took himself as the Panthers held on for a 4-3 victory.
Heber Springs, Ark. —
