Diamond ‘Dogs returning to state title game

Diamond ‘Dogs returning to state title game

Photos By: Peggy Barger & Richard White

For the first time since 2013, and the first time under Head Coach Trey Holloway, the Greenwood Bulldogs’ baseball team is headed to the state finals. The championship game will be played on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, the home of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

In earning that right, the Diamond ‘Dogs got revenge on the Jonesboro Hurricane, the team that beat them in the 2013 finals after staging a late-inning rally to win 5-4. Greenwood dominated the ‘Canes last Saturday, winning 15-0 in five innings after beating Texarkana 6-3 the previous day.

Greenwood also reached the finals in 2011, but lost to Magnolia in another squeaker, 3-2. The Bulldogs have won three state titles in school history, the last one in 2006 under then Head Coach Randy Gardner. They are the favorites this season in their matchup with the Benton Panthers (22-11), also members of the 6A West like Greenwood, though the two teams have yet to meet this season.

The Bulldogs (31-3) have also won 23 consecutive games dating back to March 16th and an extra-inning loss to a very good Van Buren team that finished the season at 22-7 after losing in the Class 7A semi-finals last Saturday. A 24th straight win would give Greenwood its first Class 6A title.

Though they didn’t need any help, the Diamond ‘Dogs had the added benefit of playing at home in the state tournament, hosted by Greenwood for the first time. They also earned a first-round bye after winning the 6A West conference tournament and claiming the #1 seed.

Texarkana

Last Friday the Bulldogs got a solid pitching performance from freshman arm Landry Jurecka, who went all seven innings, limiting the Razorbacks to just four hits and one earned run in a 6-3 victory. He fanned four Texarkana hitters and gave up two walks. His defense committed two errors behind him.

Greenwood scored twice in the opening frame, ignited by a lead-off double from Jackson Webb. Cooper Passmore then walked before a Peyton Holt infield single loaded the bases with no outs.

A single by cleanup hitter Connor Noland drove Webb home, but a mix-up on the bases cost the Bulldogs a runner (Passmore) at the plate. A sacrifice fly by Colton Sagely then sent Holt home with the second run of the inning.

An error and a two-run homer in the top of the third allowed Texarkana to tie the game at 2-2, but GHS catcher Jake Smith cut down a runner at third base to end the inning and keep the score tied.

The Bulldogs then went back to work at the plate in the bottom of the frame, getting back-to-back solo homeruns from Connor Noland and Colton Sagely, both taking advantage of a brisk wind blowing out to left field. But they weren’t finished.

Leading 4-2, Greenwood added two more runs on a walk to Brandon Woolsey, a double by Jake Smith, another walk to Chance Eoff to load the bases, an RBI sacrifice fly by Jackson Webb, and an RBI single by Cooper Passmore. Eoff was tagged out trying to advance to third on the play.

The Razorbacks added their final tally in the top of the fifth inning with the help of a two-out error and an RBI double. Jurecka retired the side in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to seal the win.

Offensively, Holt, Noland, and Sagely all had two hits each, with Noland and Sagely also picking up two RBIs each. The Bulldogs had 11 total hits in the game.

For Coach Holloway, the story of the game was the performance by the freshman Landry Jurecka. “Landry did a phenomenal job,” said the Head Coach. “He’s a warrior, that’s all I can say.”

The transfer from Alma had already proved his mettle with a stellar rookie season and a dominant turn against Sheridan in winning the 6A West tournament title six days earlier, 5-0.

“No,” said Holloway when asked if Jurecka suffered any nervousness before his big start. “He’s a good kid,” said the coach. “We pitched him last week against Sheridan for the conference championship. He did a phenomenal job [against Texarkana], and if we hadn’t made two errors he wouldn’t have given up any runs, so he did a good job.

“He’s got good command,” added the coach. “He’s got good sink and he throws a pretty good breaking ball, and he throws it for strikes, so he kept them off-balance.”

Jonesboro

Friday’s win over the Razorbacks put Greenwood in the semi-finals against the Hurricanes from the 6A East. Both teams had their best pitchers on the mound, senior Connor Noland for Greenwood and Jonesboro junior Zane Ryne Neves. Ironically, both players are committed to play baseball for the University of Arkansas after graduating from high school.

But last Saturday belonged to the older, more experienced Noland, who threw a five-inning, one-hit shutout, while also hitting a homerun and collecting five RBIs in Greenwood’s explosive third inning.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the opening frame, taking advantage of some sloppy play by the Hurricanes. With two outs, Neves loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batsman. A grounder to shortstop was then misplayed into a two-run error.

Oddly enough, Jonesboro’s only hit of the game came off the bat of Neves leading off the game in the top of the first inning. Noland then fanned the side to strand the runner. He also retired the side in order in the second, third, and fourth innings, fanning the side in the fourth.

But by then the game was completely out-of-reach for Jonesboro, trailing 15-0 after a 13-run outburst by the Bulldogs in the bottom of the third. Greenwood sent 17 hitters to the plate in a half-inning that took 40 minutes to complete, much to the delight of the many home fans in attendance.

The onslaught began with a leadoff walk to Cooper Passmore, who then advanced to third on a double by Peyton Holt. Connor Noland then whacked a three-run shot over the left field fence, making the score 5-0. That was followed by a single from Colton Sagely and a walk to Brandon Woolsey.

Designated hitter Blake Pschier then singled Sagely home and both runners moved up to second and third base with no outs. Down 6-0, Jonesboro then made a pitching change, but it didn’t matter.

GHS catcher Jake Smith promptly singled home Woolsey and Pschier, making the score 8-0. Chance Eoff was then hit by a pitch before Jackson Webb flied to center for the first out of the inning.

A hit by Cooper Passmore scored designated runner Ethan Williams from third, advancing Eoff to third base. Peyton Holt and Connor Noland then stroked back-to-back doubles, making the score 12-0.

A groundout, a walk, an error, and a two-run double from Blake Pschier completed the scoring, making it 15-0 after three frames, taking the wind out of the Hurricanes.

Noland then went back to work on the mound and retired the final six hitters he faced for the win. He fanned 12 Jonesboro batters as the ‘Canes put only four balls into play.

“We had a very good feeling going into [today] with Connor on the mound,” said Coach Holloway. “I knew we had to score maybe a couple of runs. I didn’t imagine we would score 15. We had that big third inning, which was [huge] for us.”

As for Noland, he lives to compete, whether it’s on the gridiron or the diamond. He’s also confident in his athletic abilities, which are considerable as he has clearly proven during his senior year. He is one more win away from claiming a second state title after leading the football Bulldogs to the 6A championship last December at War Memorial Stadium.

“I just came to compete,” he said after Saturday’s contest. “I’m the most competitive person out here and I just wanted to come out with the mindset that I’m going to have a good day.

“That was special,” he said of Greenwood’s third inning offensive outburst. “You don’t see that very often. Everybody was confident.”

Offensively, Greenwood had 10 hits, two each by Holt, Smith, and Noland, who led the team with five RBIs, one ahead of Smith with four driven in. Five players scored two or more runs in the game.

Coach Holloway didn’t hesitate to agree that this is his best team since coming to Greenwood after the 2014 season. “The biggest thing [about this team] is it’s not just talent, it’s a team,” said the coach, who likes to stress the “process”.

“We only have four returning starters from last year, so when you get out there and look at the guys and those seniors when they were freshmen, and you see how much they’ve grown the last four years, that’s why it’s a process for us.

“It’s building and establishing and making sure we create a culture [in which] these guys get better every single year. So this is the best team we’ve had because they’re a tight-knit group. They love each other and you can see [how] they pick each other up.”

State Finals

The 6A state championship game is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville on the campus of the University of Arkansas. The weekend weather forecast is calling for only a slight chance of rain with afternoon temperatures in the mid-90s. It will be a hot one, so come prepared.

As for the two competitors, Greenwood has the clear edge in winning percentage (.917) compared to .667 for Benton. The Bulldogs have also scored 282 runs, 34 more than Benton (248), and allowed 22 fewer runs, 94 compared to 116, in one less game.

Greenwood has a .300-plus team batting average while the Panthers are just below the .300 mark. The Bulldogs also hold slight leads in on-base percentage, fielding percentage, and a larger lead in slugging percentage. Greenwood is 7-0 against shared opponents this season while Benton is 3-5.

The Diamond ‘Dogs are 20-2 in games played on the road or at neutral sites this season, while the Panthers are 11-7. Of course, both teams will have their best starting pitcher on the mound, and for Greenwood that means Connor Noland, who is unbeaten this season and perhaps the best high school hurler in the state. Go ‘Dogs!

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