Late runs too much for Casons

BLYTHEVILLE -- For the first eight innings Friday night, the Blytheville Century 21 McWaters/ANC Casons either led or were tied with the Jonesboro Ricemen. But with the scored tied, 7-7, in the ninth, the Ricemen scored two and escaped with a 9-7 win in the winners bracket of the AAA Legion Zone 2 tournament at the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex.

A win would have propelled the Casons into the AAA Legion state tournament next weekend. Instead, the Ricemen advanced to the state tournament and needed only one more win for the Zone 2 tournament crown.

Jonesboro got on the board first with a run in the top of the second. Kaden Hydrick reached on an error with two outs and scored one batter later on Seth Hll's double to left field off of Cason starting pitcher, Taylor Hopper (8 innings pitched, four earned runs on 10 hits).

Blytheville Cason Jamal Washington dives into home and Jonesboro Ricemen catcher Hunter Simpson Friday night at the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex.

Blytheville answered with five in the bottom of the second. Jamal Washinton's one-out single down the first base line with the bases loaded scored two runs followed by RBI hits from Ricky Gable, Brady Jones and Ty Wagganer, giving the Casons a 5-1 lead after two.

Gable continued his hot hitting Friday night with a 3-5 performance following a two-hit game the night before bringing his tournament average to .625 after the first two games.

Jonesboro cut the Cason lead down to two with a pair of runs in the fifth. RBI singles from Ty Wagganer in the fifth and sixth innings helped Blytheville maintain a 7-6 lead heading into the top of the eighth, but the Ricemen's Nick Braun's RBI single scoring Hill tied the game up again, this time at 7-7 after seven and a half innings.

Blytheville threatened to take the lead back in the bottom of the eighth. Washington led off with a single and stole second but the Casons couldm't get him home.

The Casons took the field in the ninth with Brady Jones coming in in relief of Hopper. Less than 24 hours earlier, Jones was finishing a complete nine-inning two-hitter against Mountain Home and was now called in to keep the Ricemen from breaking the tie.

Hunter Simpson led off with a walk and moved to second on a bunt. Hydrick brought Simpson home with a single to give the Ricemen their first lead of the game and Hydrick later scored on a fielder's choice to give Jonesboro the 9-7 lead.

William McCauley came in in relief in the bottom of the ninth. He gave up a lead off double to Jake Westmoreland and then retired the next three Casons to end the game.

Jonesboro will play in the championship round at 2 p.m. Sunday against the winner Saturday's Blytheville vs. Paragould game. Results from that game were not available at press time. The top two teams from the Zone 2 tournament will advance to next week's state tournament at Mountain Home.

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com