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Patriots win a pair against non-conference foes

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Marion outslugs Lonoke, outlasts Collierville

Marion School District The Marion Patriots bolstered their resume with a pair of impressive non-conference victories at First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium, home of John Robbins Field.

Last Thursday night, Marion avenged an earlier loss by blanking Lonoke 7-0. Marion outdueled Collierville, Tennessee 3-2 on Monday night.

Marion (18-5 overall, 7-1 5A East) started the scoring with one out in the bottom of the second inning against Lonoke. Senior Luke Bullins (1-2 with two RBI and two runs scored against Lonoke) reached on an error and advanced to second on a bunt hit from Matthew Kearney (1-4 with two runs scored). Senior Tyler McGinnis reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases for senior Connor Brinkley, who walked to drive in the game’s first run. Kearney stole home for a 2-0 Marion advantage. A Gage Watson double plated McGinnis and the Pats carried a 3-0 lead into the third.

Marion was back at it in its next opportunity as Dylan Kight and Chase Armstrong led off the third with singles. Courtesy runners and brothers Carson and Kaleb Catt pulled off a double steal, giving Marion two runners in scoring position with nobody out.

A Bullins single brought home the Catt brothers for a 5-0 Marion bulge.

McGinnis plated Bullins with a bunt as Kearney advanced to third and later scored during a rundown.

Armstrong, Ben Gerrard, and Jett Sutton were in command on the bump, combining to strike out 16 batters over seven innings, while allowing four hits and issuing no walks.

Armstrong started and worked four frames, striking out nine Jackrabbits.

The Arkansas State signee’s best fastball of the day was clocked at 90 miles an hour. Gerrard, whose best fastball of the day touched 87 MPH, worked the fifth and the sixth innings, retiring six Lonoke batters on strikes.

Sutton worked the seventh, allowing no hits and recording a strikeout.

With several MLB scouts in attendance on Monday night to watch Collierville ace and Ole Miss commit Grayson Saunier, Armstrong emerged as the dominant player on the diamond for Marion. The senior right-hander struck out six batters in three innings of work, yielding four hits and a pair of runs.

Armstrong started the scoring when he clubbed a tworun home run in the bottom of the first to stake the hosts to a 2-0 lead.

Collierville struck back with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but Marion scored the eventual gamewinning run in the home half when Kight’s (2-2 against Collierville with a

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Photo by Londa Hamrick BASEBALL (cont.)

run and an RBI) double plated Watson.

Gerrard relieved Armstrong in the fourth and fired three innings of three-hit ball while striking out three Dragons. The left-handed Watson took over for the seventh, surrendering one baserunner but nothing more to earn the save.

Marion hosts Marked Tree on Thursday, April 21 in another non-conference tilt. The Patriots continue to pursue a league championship

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