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The Panthers pounded out 16 hits through 5 1/3 innings and held Cave City to only one base knock on their way to a 12-1 mercy-rule victory over the Cavemen on Tuesday night in the home opener at the Heber Springs City Fields.
Tanner Rockwell, Chas Tamburo and Doc Weaver led the way, combining for eight hits, two homeruns, 10 RBI and four runs scored. Heber improved to 4-0 overall and have outscored opponents by an amazing total of 53 runs. The Panthers are averaging 17 runs per game in wins over Pulaski Oak Grove, Bald Knob, Mountain View and Cave City.
Panther Coach Darren Gowen is excited about his team’s depth. “There are two or three spots out there that we have competition for playing time. They are all hitting the ball well because we have that competition amongst the team. One is playing one game and then another the next and they are all hitting the ball well because they want to play. We’ve got depth this year. I’ve got several people on the bench that can play.
“I’ve always thought we’d be better offensively this year because we can hit the ball up and down the lineup. We were just inconsistent at the bottom of the order last year but this year I have a great bottom. Doc really came through tonight and hit the ball well.”
After starting pitcher Michael Ludwig labored through 1 2/3 innings, Andrew Hill came in and got out of a bases loaded jam by getting Joey Burnett to groundout to Caleb Brock at second.
Cave City broke through with the first run of the game against Ludwig in the top of the second when Jacob Odom ripped an RBI single through the hole on the left side that scored Garrett McSpadden’s courtesy runner.
From the third through sixth, Hill and Tyler Reese allowed no hits and only two base runners with the help of an error free defense. Reese backed up Hill in his 2 1/3 innings by making five straight plays on ground balls from his third base position, including all three put outs in the third and the first two in the fourth.
All of Heber’s hurlers are on a pitch-count early in the season, said Gowen. “The pitchers did a good job tonight. This early, except for Tanner because of basketball, we are up to 65-75 pitches because I just don’t want to throw anybody too much this early. Andrew is throwing well but I took him out at about 40 pitches. We are looking for someone behind Rockwell to be consistent and I think we’ve got plenty here. Tyler did a good job and Michael is going to be there, he is just young and trying to do a little too much. He has the potential.”
Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the second, the Panthers tied the game with a run on two hits off Cave City starter Tyler Booth. Tamburo got the Panthers rolling with a leadoff single to center field but Reese flied out to right center before Tamburo’s courtesy runner, Geoffrey Anderson, swiped second.
Hill skied out to short center before Doc Weaver delivered a two-out, RBI single to center field that plated Anderson, tying the game at 1-all. Booth got Janssen Wiedower to groundout to second, ending the bottom half.
Hill only allowed one base runner in the top of the third as Reese made three solid plays on hard hit balls to third and the Panthers broke loose with six runs on five hits in the bottom of the third.
Ludwig fisted a single to shallow center to get Heber started then Caleb Brock singled through the hole on the right side. After Ludwig and Brock pulled a double steal, Rockwell stroked a 2 RBI single to center field that scored both runners, giving the Panthers a 3-1 advantage.
B.J. Franks worked a full-count walk, causing Cave City to relieve Booth with Adam Gann. Chas Tamburo greeted Gann with a 3-run homer over the left field fence as Heber’s lead grew to 6-1.
Reese reached on an error and Hill laid down a sacrifice-bunt that moved Reese into scoring position but Weaver popped out to shortstop. With two down, Wiedower roped an RBI single to center field that scored Reese, extending Heber’s lead to 7-1 before Gann escaped further damage.
Hill retired Cave City in order in the top of the third, then Heber’s bats struck again, this time for two runs on two hits. Brock led off with a single up the middle and Rockwell followed with a monstrous 2-run blast over the left field wall, pushing the Panthers’ lead to 9-1 but Gann retired the next three batters, ending the fourth.
Hill got Cave City’s Taylor Milligan to fly-out to Stetson Ausbrooks in right field to begin the fifth then Reese came on in relief and got Joey Burnett to bounce out to Brock at second. Dalton Carpenter followed with a fly-out to Ludwig in center as the Panthers retired the side in order for the second consecutive inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cave City came out unscathed despite three singles from Hill, Weaver and Wiedower. Hill was caught trying to stretch his single into a double and Cave City’s fourth pitcher, Dalton Bell, left runners stranded at the corners with an infield groundout and pop out, sending the game into the sixth.
Reese issued two walks in the top of the sixth but also struck out two and got Odom to fly out to Ludwig in center, ending the top half with two runners stranded.
Heber put the game away with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth. After Rockwell beat out a roller to third for an infield single, B.J. Franks smashed a single up the middle and Tamburo followed with a sacrifice-fly to deep center that advanced Rockwell to third.
Bell issued an intentional pass to Reese to set up the double play but Rockwell scored on a wild pitch before Bell got Hill to pop out to shortstop. With two out, Weaver drilled a 2 RBI double to the alley in left center that scored Franks and Reese, giving Heber a 12-1 victory that could technically be counted as 11-1 because of the 10-run rule.
Gowen was also pleased wih the Panthers playing error free. “Tyler Reese had great hands and did a good job for us tonight. We were throwing strikes and when kids know you are throwing strikes they are going to make plays and that is what we did. We’ve got a good defensive team and a good offensive team and I think our pitching is coming around.”
Rockwell led Heber at the plate by going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and three runs scored. Weaver was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and Tamburo went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and one run scored. Brock was 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored, Wiedower was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Ludwig finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base and run scored.
Heber was scheduled to play Abundant Life on Thursday at home and travels to Lonoke for the 2-4A Conference opener today at 4:30 p.m.
The Panthers pounded out 16 hits through 5 1/3 innings and held Cave City to only one base knock on their way to a 12-1 mercy-rule victory over the Cavemen on Tuesday night in the home opener at the Heber Springs City Fields.
Tanner Rockwell, Chas Tamburo and Doc Weaver led the way, combining for eight hits, two homeruns, 10 RBI and four runs scored. Heber improved to 4-0 overall and have outscored opponents by an amazing total of 53 runs. The Panthers are averaging 17 runs per game in wins over Pulaski Oak Grove, Bald Knob, Mountain View and Cave City.
Panther Coach Darren Gowen is excited about his team’s depth. “There are two or three spots out there that we have competition for playing time. They are all hitting the ball well because we have that competition amongst the team. One is playing one game and then another the next and they are all hitting the ball well because they want to play. We’ve got depth this year. I’ve got several people on the bench that can play.
“I’ve always thought we’d be better offensively this year because we can hit the ball up and down the lineup. We were just inconsistent at the bottom of the order last year but this year I have a great bottom. Doc really came through tonight and hit the ball well.”
After starting pitcher Michael Ludwig labored through 1 2/3 innings, Andrew Hill came in and got out of a bases loaded jam by getting Joey Burnett to groundout to Caleb Brock at second.
Cave City broke through with the first run of the game against Ludwig in the top of the second when Jacob Odom ripped an RBI single through the hole on the left side that scored Garrett McSpadden’s courtesy runner.
From the third through sixth, Hill and Tyler Reese allowed no hits and only two base runners with the help of an error free defense. Reese backed up Hill in his 2 1/3 innings by making five straight plays on ground balls from his third base position, including all three put outs in the third and the first two in the fourth.
All of Heber’s hurlers are on a pitch-count early in the season, said Gowen. “The pitchers did a good job tonight. This early, except for Tanner because of basketball, we are up to 65-75 pitches because I just don’t want to throw anybody too much this early. Andrew is throwing well but I took him out at about 40 pitches. We are looking for someone behind Rockwell to be consistent and I think we’ve got plenty here. Tyler did a good job and Michael is going to be there, he is just young and trying to do a little too much. He has the potential.”
Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the second, the Panthers tied the game with a run on two hits off Cave City starter Tyler Booth. Tamburo got the Panthers rolling with a leadoff single to center field but Reese flied out to right center before Tamburo’s courtesy runner, Geoffrey Anderson, swiped second.
Hill skied out to short center before Doc Weaver delivered a two-out, RBI single to center field that plated Anderson, tying the game at 1-all. Booth got Janssen Wiedower to groundout to second, ending the bottom half.
Hill only allowed one base runner in the top of the third as Reese made three solid plays on hard hit balls to third and the Panthers broke loose with six runs on five hits in the bottom of the third.
Ludwig fisted a single to shallow center to get Heber started then Caleb Brock singled through the hole on the right side. After Ludwig and Brock pulled a double steal, Rockwell stroked a 2 RBI single to center field that scored both runners, giving the Panthers a 3-1 advantage.
B.J. Franks worked a full-count walk, causing Cave City to relieve Booth with Adam Gann. Chas Tamburo greeted Gann with a 3-run homer over the left field fence as Heber’s lead grew to 6-1.
Reese reached on an error and Hill laid down a sacrifice-bunt that moved Reese into scoring position but Weaver popped out to shortstop. With two down, Wiedower roped an RBI single to center field that scored Reese, extending Heber’s lead to 7-1 before Gann escaped further damage.
Hill retired Cave City in order in the top of the third, then Heber’s bats struck again, this time for two runs on two hits. Brock led off with a single up the middle and Rockwell followed with a monstrous 2-run blast over the left field wall, pushing the Panthers’ lead to 9-1 but Gann retired the next three batters, ending the fourth.
Hill got Cave City’s Taylor Milligan to fly-out to Stetson Ausbrooks in right field to begin the fifth then Reese came on in relief and got Joey Burnett to bounce out to Brock at second. Dalton Carpenter followed with a fly-out to Ludwig in center as the Panthers retired the side in order for the second consecutive inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cave City came out unscathed despite three singles from Hill, Weaver and Wiedower. Hill was caught trying to stretch his single into a double and Cave City’s fourth pitcher, Dalton Bell, left runners stranded at the corners with an infield groundout and pop out, sending the game into the sixth.
Reese issued two walks in the top of the sixth but also struck out two and got Odom to fly out to Ludwig in center, ending the top half with two runners stranded.
Heber put the game away with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth. After Rockwell beat out a roller to third for an infield single, B.J. Franks smashed a single up the middle and Tamburo followed with a sacrifice-fly to deep center that advanced Rockwell to third.
Bell issued an intentional pass to Reese to set up the double play but Rockwell scored on a wild pitch before Bell got Hill to pop out to shortstop. With two out, Weaver drilled a 2 RBI double to the alley in left center that scored Franks and Reese, giving Heber a 12-1 victory that could technically be counted as 11-1 because of the 10-run rule.
Gowen was also pleased wih the Panthers playing error free. “Tyler Reese had great hands and did a good job for us tonight. We were throwing strikes and when kids know you are throwing strikes they are going to make plays and that is what we did. We’ve got a good defensive team and a good offensive team and I think our pitching is coming around.”
Rockwell led Heber at the plate by going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and three runs scored. Weaver was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and Tamburo went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and one run scored. Brock was 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored, Wiedower was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Ludwig finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base and run scored.
Heber was scheduled to play Abundant Life on Thursday at home and travels to Lonoke for the 2-4A Conference opener today at 4:30 p.m.
