Post 64’s Tanner Rockwell couldn’t buy a strike while trying to close out the Expos nine-inning game versus Southside Bee-Branch, so he took his frustration out at the plate.
With seeding for the zone tournament in Benton at stake, Rockwell launched a two-out, three-run homerun into the trees beyond the left field wall that gave the Expos a 13-12 victory Saturday at the Heber Springs City Fields.
Post 64 took an early 4-0 advantage as Caleb Brock, Rockwell, Chas Tamburo and D’Kotah Douglass each singled in the first inning while Janssen Widower roped a run-scoring double.
Southside battled back with five runs in the top of the second but Post 64 tied it back up in the bottom of the fourth. With the game knotted at 5-all, Southside struck for two runs in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh as they took a 9-5 lead to the bottom half.
Trailing by four, Post 64 retaliated with three runs in the bottom of the seventh as Brock singled, Rockwell was hit-by-a-pitch then Josh Wilkerson roped a 2 RBI triple and Tamburo added another RBI base knock before Southside escaped further damage.
Both teams held tight throughout the eighth inning then the strike zone suddenly disappeared for Rockwell as he allowed three runs to score on walks in the ninth.
With Southside leading 12-8, Douglass belted a double and Widower added an RBI double before Levi Garriott’s groundout moved him to third.
With Post 64 down to its final out, Spencer Adcock drew a walk then Brock’s RBI single plated Widower, setting up Rockwell’s heroics. Trailing 12-10, Rockwell’s three-run homerun scored Adcock and Brock as Post 64 pulled out a critical win that likely places them as the No. 3 seed in the zone tournament, which begins July 10 in Benton.
The Expos final home game is scheduled for July 6, when Stuttgart visits for a doubleheader that starts at 5 p.m.
Heber Springs, Ark. —
