Patience was a virtue for the Heber Springs Angels Monday evening. Down to their final three cracks at an undefeated season and Heber city championship, the Angels erased a five-run deficit with the aid of eight walks for a 9-8 victory over the Athletics at the Heber Springs City Fields.
With the underdog A’s leading 8-3 going into the bottom of the third and final inning, Bryce Smith walked and stole his way around to third before Dylan Rogers nailed a two-run homerun down the right field line that plated Smith.
Still trailing 8-5, Steele Spicer reached on an error and swiped second then Cody Sparlin drew a full-count walk. After Pierce Mitchum relieved Caleb Payton, the A’s starter, Austin Walker hit a shot towards right field but first baseman Landon Bender made an amazing grab for the first out.
Josh Farrell worked another full-count walk and Nathan Downing added yet another walk on a 3-2 count, which brought home Spicer.
Tyler Pruitt followed with another free pass that scored Sparlin before Jacob Boss chopped back to the mound and Mitchum cut down Farrell at the plate.
With two out and the bases loaded, Smith drew a walk which allowed Downing to score as the Angels knotted the game at 8-up then Rogers worked the game-winning walk that scored Pruitt.
The A’s took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Mitchum led off with a double down the left field line and he stole third before Bender walked and stole second.
Caleb Payton worked a full-count walk that loaded the sacks but Rogers, the Angels’ pitcher, struck out the next two batters. Mitchum stole home to give the A’s a slim lead but Rogers escaped further trouble when he tagged out Bender trying to steal home.
The Angels jumped on top in the bottom half as Boss walked and stole second before Smith was hit-by-a-pitch. After Boss and Smith pulled off a double steal, a wild pickoff attempt allowed them both to score.
Payton settled in and got Rogers to chop out to Bender at first then he recorded a strikeout to end the frame.
Trailing 2-1 going into the top of the third, the A’s struck for five runs. Rogers notched a strikeout to begin the inning but Tanner Rackley ripped a single to right field then advanced to third on a steal and overthrow before Spencer Shook alertly reached on a dropped strikeout which allowed Rackley to score.
Rogers fired back with a strikeout before Mitchum stroked a double to left field that advanced Shook to third. With two runners in scoring position, Bender drew a 4-pitch walk then Payton hit a high chopper to the left side that scored Shook. Mitchum hustled around for another run on the play as Payton took second.
Leading 4-2, the A’s tacked on two more runs when Andrew Bradshaw crushed a 2 RBI double into the left center alley that brought home Bender and Payton but Bradshaw was cut down at third for the final out.
Payton fanned the first batter he faced in the bottom of the second but Austin Walker and Farrell worked consecutive full-count walks.
Walker stole his way around to third and scored on an overthrow but Johnston gunned down Farrell trying to swipe third for the second out.
Pruitt drew a full-count walk but Payton slammed the door with another strikeout.
Leading 6-3 entering the top of the third, the A’s added two more runs as Matt Hoffman roped a double deep into center field but Rogers responded with a strikeout.
Rackley drilled an RBI triple to deep right field that scored Hoffman then Devin Warren lifted a sacrifice-fly to right field that plated Rackley, extending the A’s lead to 8-3 before Rogers closed the top half with a strikeout.
With an upset in the making, Rogers’ two-run homerun helped set the stage for the Angels comeback victory. The Angels finished the season with a perfect record of 14-0.
Heber Springs, Ark. —
