We welcome you back to Conway, Arkansas, where we are moving up the start of the to a baseball championship to try to beat the whether it is Woodlawn and Palestine Wheatley.

Good evening.

Thanks so much for joining us on this Friday night Kyle Dekel bomb and Kevin Bohan and with you we are either going to see the continuation of a dynasty or one team's first championship, the Woodlawn Bears.

Kevin needs no introduction.

This would be their sixth title in seven seasons they have been rolling.

Meanwhile, Palestine will making its first ever state championship appearance.

That's right.

Count in for coach Kevin Woodson.

This is his first game as the head coach of the Palestine Weekly Patriots.

As an official head coach, he got the designation after the semifinals.

The new superintendent met him on the field.

So with Tommy Richardson, it's his 30th season 12 state title, and he's got its 12th title appearance.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And they're going for their six out of seven, right?

Yeah, It's unbelievable.

Three straight.

Meanwhile, Richardson's certainly a legend in the game in this state and we'll get into him.

Let's talk about Palestine Wheatley and it it's Brody Parker who sets the table for them.

Yeah.

Brody Parker.

He'll be playing the shortstop tonight.

He's on base Percentage is over 400 this season.

He's got two triples, 18 RBI.

Should be a really good lineup at the top of the lineup for this Palestine Whitley Patriot team.

And meantime for Woodlawn, Jace Bishop leading a powerful Bears lineup.

Yeah.

Jace Bishop on the season as a pitcher.

Kyle He's seven and oh on the season, but he's going to be playing center field tonight, hitting in the seven hole.

Really good lineup for this Woodlawn Bears team.

Look for them to get the ball in play quite a bit tonight.

A sort of shot of the weather there.

It's a Woodlawn team that has eight state titles since 20.

We mentioned five of the last six.

This would be three straight six in seven years, 12 finals appearances.

Since 2008, they've reached the state title, Game seven straight years now advance to the state finals in 11 of the past 15 tournaments.

Let's talk about how these teams got here.

And first for Palestine Wheatley They were 12 and nine before the Magic started clicking last week in Greenland.

They overcame a one nothing deficit did Palestine Wheatley scoring five runs over the final three innings to get past a scrappy Verizon team 5 to 1.

Then they beat two number one seeds upsetting host Greenland 6 to 4.

And the big upset over Episcopal 8 to 3.

That was the shocker for sure in the state in order to get here.

Meantime for Woodlawn, boy, they just continue to run rule everybody three run rule wins in this tournament.

That big win there over Buffalo Island Central in the first round.

Mansfield, 17 five in the quarterfinals on Friday, Cedar Ridge, ten nothing in the semifinals on Saturday.

And they get here to face Palestine.

Wheatley So the two coaches found out just about when we did.

They got to the ballpark all about 530, five, 45 or so.

And UK, who actually the Bears team played their game on this field this afternoon clear them off.

The two teams arrive and they were told, hey, start warming up first pitch about 45 minutes away.

Let's go.

Yeah We met coach Nick Harlan from the UK Bears as he was coming off the field.

They beat eastern Kentucky 4 to 3 today and we met Coach Richardson right before the game and we found out from Don Bodell from the triple-A that we were going at 630 at night.

So Coach Richardson is a man of he likes to go through his routine.

He always has.

Every time he's been here, he wants the same routine every time out.

So that's what he was getting ready for it.

So for this Palestine Wheatley team, what a run here to the championship.

It is a rematch, by the way.

Woodland won 12 to 1 in five innings back on March 23rd.

That was a tournament at Baptist Prep tied for the Patriots most lopsided loss of the season.

The Bears had 12 hits in that game.

Let's take a look at the batting order here for the visiting Patriots.

It'll be Brody Parker, the shortstop, leading things off, followed by Brett Bedford, the third baseman, the pitcher Jacob Pittman hits third.

It's the catcher, Austin Varner batting cleanup.

The DHS, James Parson, the center fielder.

Trey Guthrie, Brady Base hits seventh.

He's the first baseman that it's Ty Myers and Blaine Brown, the second baseman.

So that'll set things up for the Patriots here.

And we can take a look at the defense alignment here for Woodlawn.

And it's Weatherford, Bishop Lunsford around the outfield.

It's strong outfield for the Bears, Butler, Jones Hall and Stover around the infield.

WILMOTH Behind the plate, Austin Howard Kevin gets the start of the mound.

Yeah.

Austin Howard He's going to pound the zone three pitch mix.

Got a really good slider the fastball he's going to try to run it in on the right handed hitters for Palestine.

Wheatley But the big thing Jaden Wilmoth behind the plate he's really taken his game to the next level started out last summer and he's just gotten better every game since struck out.

Six did not walk a batter in a ten nothing semifinal win over Cedar Ridge in five innings.

First pitch this to a championship grounded right back to the pitcher and the throw but a first in time for out number one.

Yeah that's what you want One pitch, one out.

That's the way we that's the way Howard wants to work.

He's going to work fast tonight to go.

Well, we will certainly welcome that.

We mentioned the weather kind of looming and might be headed our way in just a little bit.

We'll certainly take a quick working pitcher in this game.

Yeah, Howard, he throws it to sea.

Manafort seems so.

Like I said, he's going to try to run it in on the right handed hitters, run it out, try to saw him off first pitch to Brett McFarland missing inside out.

Well, it is a Woodlawn team that has won 20 straight last loss, March 23rd to Class five Mountain Home.

And that win, as we mentioned that same day they played Palestine Wheatley and that was win number one of this 20 game win streak for the Bears.

That's right they're 30 and three on the season and only one loss has come to a class to 18.

That was a ratio.

And in the outside part of the plate.

Yeah, you see right there.

WILMOTH He's going to steal some strikes tonight.

He likes he brings it back.

He if he keeps if he keeps it within his frame, he's going to get those strike calls tonight.

The wind out there right now, gorgeous temperatures at the moment.

We have been so lucky as far as weather goes that hit the outside corner there you see right there.

If Wilmoth, if he keeps a quiet glove, he's liable to get those strike calls all night.

And if how if they're liable to go out there, Howard, all night, he's going to get those strikes.

It's going to be tough for Palestine.

Really?

Yeah.

We got that rain earlier, a 25 minute delay during a softball game this afternoon.

Kind of cool things off a little bit, too.

Oh, sure.

Nice out there.

You know how warm it could be around the turf swinging on this strikeout.

Number one on the day for Austin, Howard, because you saw that slider right there.

Howard goes to it on two strike count.

Same thing was still even there earlier.

He wants to work off the outside corner of the plate, works out there and throws it into the batter's box.

He tunnels it very well comes out like a fastball and breaks off the edge.

Good job by Wilmott there.

As we get weekly, Jacob Pittman, the pitchers going to step into the batter's box here with two down see Wilmoth going to the the armband.

It's one of those things that's really come along in baseball now.

What is on there?

Explain that.

So every coach is different.

Every program is different, but they'll have the pitch call and the pitch placement.

So and usually every infielder has a mom, too, so they'll know what's going on.

You see Howard checking his wristband right now.

They don't have to show signs anymore, so it helps with runners on second base, especially this one stride into the first hip.

It's going to roll all the way to the wall.

Bishop's going to pick this one up and get it back into the infield.

Meanwhile, rounding around second, it headed to third is Hickman.

The third?

Not in time.

And it's a triple.

That's what Palestine Wheatley needed in the first inning right here.

Kind of break the nerves a little bit.

A big hit by Hickman right there.

He found that big gap and playing is a different than playing on the high school field count.

It's a lot of room out there to run that series.

This is a big field.

Hickman did a great job of staying through the baseball right there.

A lot of times you see left handed hitters pull off that pitch.

He stayed on it and drove it into the gap.

Get a pinch runner there.

I believe pitcher Austin Garner gets the first hit of the game is a triple for Palestine Wheatley That'll be number 16 Lane West brood coming in to pinch run for Hickman gets a good lead.

Here's the pitch with two down see how it looks very comfortable working on that outside corner and unless he has to bring it in a little bit, the umpire, he'll establish the zone in the first inning.

And that's usually where the coach Richardson tells his catchers that they're going to give it to you out there.

Let them go bail.

Howard mentioned that ten nothing semifinal win struck out.

Six did not walk a batter.

Similar stats in the regional final against Rise and struck out nine no walks he is 13 and oh and we mentioned in the game earlier wins don't necessarily mean anything 13 and oh certainly mean something when you're a pitcher.

That's exactly right And Howard has the most wins in the state, of course.

I think still he's got his 13th win today.

So this will be the 14th for Howard.

That would be tops in the state in terms of wins for a pitcher that we saw still eves plead alone out to a victory in there for a championship earlier an impressive performance.

Boston Howard who was so sharp early in getting the outside call trying to find the plate here a little bit.

That's right and pitchers it's weird because they're different They're different beings.

When runners are on base, when colleges are looking at pitchers, they want to see if you can control a running game and how you react to when runners are on base.

And that's one of the big things that separates a really good pitcher from just an average pitcher swinging this from fast fastball.

Looks like it's got a low rising action out of that high three quarter slot for Howard.

It's going to be tough for the Palestinian hitters to catch up with Austin Viner, the catcher just a sophomore, only one senior on this Palestine Wheatley team.

And this on the outside corner.

It's a walk.

Howard is a guy who simply does not walk people.

Yeah, he's got that really good strikeout to walk ratio this season.

As you mentioned in the semifinals, he did not walk.

Anybody had six strikeouts and he settled down a little bit.

And it is different now pitching off that turf mound which they have to get used to out there pretty quick.

Hey, a lot of teams have tried to practice on turf this week and get used to that.

Yeah, they usually get pitchers a chance to come out here and actually warm up on the mound and kind of get used to it.

A lot of these kids playing travel ball during the summer.

They've played at these college fields and even high school fields that have turf down.

So it's not as foreign as it used to be or you would think.

But the turf field, by the way, you see some very normal lack of bounces.

But we've seen some weird ones for sure over the last couple of days.

So now James Parson, the designated hitter, swings through the first pitch runners on first and third as Palestine weakly looks to strike first here in the top of the first inning.

Yeah, that's what Howard needs to do.

If he gets ahead right there, it's smooth sailing for £1 the fastball, pound the zone and get ahead of batters.

Now back there, Magic Coach Richardson talked to his pitcher before the game.

He has a good two pitch mix.

But if he can get hit with the fastball early, especially in the bottom part of the lineup right here, he shouldn't have to throw very many pitches and that extends the game for him in team left field weather for coming overs to shortstop Jones that makes the catch and Palestine Heatley will strand to Woodlawn coming up you're watching the Centennial Bank state baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports for every moment, for every memory from that first car to your first home to your first child, and all the highs and lows that tomorrow might break for everything that matters most to you and your family.

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Let me take you for a ride on the big slide.

Let's go back here.

Bear Stadium on the campus of U.S.A. in Conway.

We head to the bottom of the first inning after Palestine Wheatley, Strand's two, and here comes Woodlawn.

We'll take a look at their starting lineup here.

Brayton Jones going to lead things off.

He's the shortstop.

He's followed by Garrett Weatherford in left, Owen Stover, the first baseman Bats Third, it's Jaden Wilmot, the Catcher Batting cleanup, Dylan Butler at third, Jace Bishop, the center fielder, Austin Howard on the mound just navigated out of trouble.

It's Tate Hall and Dylan Lunsford, right fielder batting ninth.

So Jones to lead things on the three Jones for a team that is as much of a dynasty as anything else we've seen in the state, Jacob Hickman, the starting pitcher for Palestine, Wheatley, 72 strikeouts, 1.53 era opponents hitting 188 against him and the first pitch swinging in fouled away from Braden Jones.

Hickman escaped early trouble and led Palestine Wheatley to that first round win over Rise in a win that you know Kevin certainly means a lot to Palestine Wheatley Cross County rivals there that's exactly right and rising hit come in really hot finished third in the conference but second in the district tournament second in the regional to Woodlawn.

So that was a really good win for the Patriots.

This is, as we alluded to at the top of the broadcast, a David versus Goliath matchup.

There's no way around it.

Palestine Wheatley is a Cinderella team.

Their first finals appearance, they did reach the semis in 2017 and 2018.

Big swing and miss.

Yeah, the 2018 was up at Pangburn.

I had the privilege of calling that as an umpire, and they've placed a really good Parker Sheffield team that went on to win the state tournament that year.

1 to 2.

Jones put breaking ball in their court looking strikeout number one on the day for Hickman Really good 12 six curveball right there from Hickman just kind of working off the outside corner and dropped it in.

There's really good secondary pitch for the young man.

You wonder how much, Gavin, that Palestine really finds themselves thinking about that first matchup back on March 23rd.

Of course, a long time ago, but you wonder how that can't be on your mind.

Yeah, and that was at the end of a three day tournament, I believe, and you get three games in three days.

So pitching at that moment, you never know what you it's kind of a Johnny all staff at that point they're just throwing any arm that they have.

This is Garrett Weatherford, the left fielder next 20.

Well he has some sides to him, doesn't he.

Yeah we talked about earlier the Ashdown football players.

He looked like he could play football for the Patriots That's down in just about everybody on the Panthers look like they could play middle linebacker Yeah Nash Brown the first baseman man talk about middle linebacker in the class for a class three That's the build you want to on pitch to Weatherford fouled back umpire took a shot right there Yeah you can relate to that you have class let's set you up here you have coached you have played umpired as well.

Yeah I coached umpired and coached high school baseball at Pulaski.

And then because football itself, the hills and been the Arkansas prospects program for ten years and how you feel for that.

Yeah it's back to back right there looking once again strikeout number two to begin the game and the first two batters faced for Hickman.

Yeah you see Weatherford right there talking to the on deck batter Austin Stover.

Coming up, you can pick up the curveball.

That's what he was telling him, that you can pick it up early out of his hand.

That's what they're looking for.

So they won't be surprised.

Next to the lineup, Big breaking ball there.

Big curveball?

No.

And Stover is the first baseman.

There's one thing out there today, Cal is getting a feel for the baseball, especially you know, nerves are go and you get a little sweat going, kind of getting a little grip.

I haven't seen anybody go to the rosin back yet.

Surprise me first.

The weather helps with that as well.

And you mentioned the rain is really cool things off.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Got a little cloud cover.

You don't have to deal with the glaring sunshine because it gets too hot on the turf.

As you mentioned yesterday, pitch from Hickman.

A little love.

Yeah.

Hickman had been working the upper part of the zone.

He kind of went down right there.

Just blow the kneecaps and, you know, if you can live right there and get the straight call, you can get a lot of ground balls and the turf.

He does ground balls up.

Take me, by the way, just a sophomore for a Patriots team with just one senior.

That's a walk first base runner.

Let's take a look at the Palestine Wheatley defense behind Hickman, left to right in the outfield.

Myers got three Worley around the infield, Medford, Parker, Brown and Bass.

And it's Varner catching Hickman, Jake Newman, Jake Wilmoth, the catcher here.

You talk about Wilmot, his defensive prowess back there.

But you know, hitting cleanup for Woodlawn is is something that he takes pride in.

I talked to him a little bit earlier in the week after the semifinal win, and he's just been on a roll of late hitting, you know, close to 400, little over 400 on the season 392 is what he's listed out and he's been playing well.

JR There you see him going to the wristband again.

They had their offensive and defensive play calls on the wristband skied into shallow left center.

Myers Moving over.

He'll make the catch for out number three.

So Woodland Strand's a runner.

We head to the second.

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Here you head to the top of the second inning, Koudelka bomb, Kevin Bohan.

And with you and our Arkansas PBS sports crew.

Hey, Woodlawn team looking for its sixth state championship in seven years.

Third straight.

Yeah.

2019 was the only year they did not win it in this little streak they have going on right now.

They've had this would be their second three peat, you know, in that time.

So Coach and we were talking before the game today.

Kyle and the first time I really saw it was 2012 at the state tournament and just watching them take infield before the game, they have to fund goes out there.

They get two coaches hitting and they were off in six and a half minutes here a lot at ten, which is pretty quick.

But they went in six and a half and it's just the machine is the program, the culture that Coach Richardson has built to go over the Bears baseball program before the start of the 1994 season, just seven years after graduate from Woodlawn High School and those early teams, he had some success.

But it really wasn't, to your point, till about 27 when he broke through to make it to the state championship game, They lose to Parker's Chapel 11 seven, but that was the launching pad.

They won it all in 2008.

As Trey Guthrie leaps things off here for the Patriots and we know the rest of the story, they have been on fire eight state championships since 2008.

Yeah, and you look at a 15 year span, 75 80% of those years Woodlawn has been in the state title game.

Howard getting the outside corner there.

Yeah, that's where he's lived so far.

Most, most of the game.

And that's, that's where they want to live it.

A lot of Woodlawn hitters, they're not going to have the power to take it to the gap out there.

So he's want them to roll over ground balls.

This one been to left field.

Weatherford moving over.

He gets under it and makes the catch for out number one Cal of course on this field quite a few times.

And this time of the day, it's really tough to pick up the ball at Twilight out there.

Last year we saw it in the state finals at Benton with between Ballard, you and Harrison.

We talked about it with Coach Allison the other day.

You drop a Twilight fastball.

It's really tough to pick up, so key is pick it up right off the bat.

That way you can slide under it.

This is Brady Bass, the first baseman.

The pitch.

Yeah.

He runs it to see him right over the outside corner, runs it back over, starts out of the strike zone and comes back in.

It's going to be tough for the Patriot hitters to get on that baseball.

We talked about Tommy Richardson, the legend in his own right for Woodlawn.

How about the story for Palestine?

Wheatley's coach, Kevin Whitsett?

This is a guy who was a volunteer who started the year as the interim head coach, proved himself certainly over the year.

And after their semifinal win, they announced to the team that Whitson got the full time job.

We talked to him before the game and he talked about how emotional that moment was.

Yeah, you could tell just talking to him right before the game today and the superintendent, their new superintendent, of course, came down and told him after the game that they were hiring him as a full time coach.

That's something for a volunteer assistant to come in as an interim and build a culture in such a short period of time.

So that's really big for him, he said.

The superintendent new superintendent was the one who revealed to the team and the team with not just emotional.

I think it's fair to say I think even Coach Whitson would admit you could tell he was feeling some nerves before the game, and I think that's totally fair.

First season in charge for sure.

Good pitch.

Strike number three, strike out number two on the day for Howard.

We know Coach Woodson is definitely feeling nervous, but he can coach Richardson with this being his 12th time here.

He still has the nerves every time and I talk to him each year.

It's the same thing.

He has nerves every time before the game.

Well, he told you and I before the game, he didn't feel as many nerves when he played because he could contribute to the game itself.

It's a little bit harder when you're not the one playing.

Here's Ty Meyers digging in, by the way.

Makes total sense.

Yeah.

Great job by Wilmoth right there.

Still on strike.

But yeah, it's kind of you're the puppet master, but you don't have control over the strings.

Like.

Like you think you should.

But at the end of the day, these are teenagers going out there and playing the kids game sends this one into foul territory and there's room for out number two.

But catch from Stover, the first baseman shading over there.

There are a lot of foul ground here, Kyle.

And that's the thing you've seen and let me correct myself.

That's out number three.

Out number three.

Yes.

So, yeah, we've had a lot of foul, foul territory.

Ball's big out today.

So we saw earlier today in the four state title game with Angle going into the right field line head to the bottom of the second after this might happen gives me blueberry to count down the ball and starts in three.

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A scoreless game in this two a championship in Conway Dylan Butler the third baseman digging in and the first pitch just missing the outside part of the plate.

Yeah Butler is leading Woodlawn an average so far this season he's been in you like a size right There's good rangy third baseman over there good good hitter as well 412 hitter fouls this back senior looks like he's got a little inside out swing like Derek Jeter going right there He stayed inside that baseball really well Oh I'm sure he would take the comparisons to the captain.

Hickman had a good top of the first struck out the first two batters he faced.

Walk the next one and then get out of the inning with a pop out to left.

Yeah, he's doing a really good job of mixing, mixing the pitches.

Of course, he's just a two pitch mix guy.

But if you got a really good curveball like that, he only you only need two in high school baseball.

He has miss upstairs though.

He has.

And you know, that could be a couple of things.

Nerves and then sliding off that mound as well.

You can't get that plant foot on on your lead leg and that could cause the ball to sail a little bit.

How different is it to pitch off that turf?

It's a lot different.

I had to do it a couple of times at the end of my career and it is something that it takes a little bit of getting used to.

Cal Second walk there.

It's a leadoff walk for the Bears and that'll bring up Jace Bishop, the center fielder, a 358 average, 593 slugging.

We may see him pitch at some point in this game too.

Yeah like we mentioned in the pre game seven and on the season he's the number two to us and Howard wouldn't be surprised right here if Coach Richardson dials up the bunt trying to get a runner in scoring position to get the bears on the board.

Swing it away.

I've learned just about every time we try to guess, the complete opposite happens.

Yeah, you know, we were talking I was talking with Kyle Sutherland with Scorebook Live.

He's my partner to softball.

And, you know, just about every time we pick something this year, it's been a curse.

So we'll just keep the prognostications at a minimum.

The other big cut for Bishop.

Bishop little excited right now, pulling head out a little bit.

That front shoulder fires.

You can't stay on the baseball.

He it stays on it.

He can drive it in the opposite field gap and run four days out there Woodlawn team remember that is used to blowing their opponents out.

Three run rule wins in the state tournament and that hits the outside part of the plate there.

Strikeout number three for Hickman Yeah.

WOODLAWN You talk about the state tournament run they had, but during regionals as well, they had semifinals and finals.

They had run road games.

So their last five games they've had five, six inning games.

Yeah, 30 hits and three games for home runs.

Four went for extra bases.

The regional this is Austin Howard, the pitcher runner on first one down scoreless game he in the bottom of the second inning this to a championship game that we started a little bit early maybe 37 minutes 35 minutes early or so try to beat what appears out to the west on the radar but we won't focus on that right down the middle.

Yeah, Higgins doing a really good job of holding runner right now.

Haven't had many runners so far.

Of course we only had the two walks and hit has given up a hit.

Good Look at it.

It's right center cut.

Right The kneecap.

That's where you want to live.

All three strikeouts, by the way, for Hickman called Strike three.

Here's the one one throw down to second and it bounces away.

That'll be a stolen base.

Good job to back up on the throw there.

But Woodlawn, for the first time will get a runner in the scoring position.

Yeah, the one thing, the runner right there, they're reading first movement.

So if they see leg lift, they're going and that's what gave him the jump, right?

There was a good throw little low but play that big hop you might have a shot at him.

Tough off to play for sure.

Yeah definitely so a runner at second now for the Bears three and one on Austin Howard chance to help his own cause in this game is the starting pitcher for the bears.

Yeah Hickman has taken advantage of a little expanded strike zone right now, and he's definitely working the outside corners.

So the second man aboard five walk in this inning, and it's the third walk of the game for Hickman.

Three walks, three strikeouts so far.

Kyle In the state championship games, the teams that have been able to take advantage of the walks in, the errors are the ones that have won the ball.

You look yesterday with Harbor in Bentonville, Bentonville had bases loaded once.

I know Felder had command issues, but in that 3 to 5 inning range, but they were only able to scratch out a run.

So if would like to take advantage of this right here, they may get some runs on the board.

Nobody in the pan over there, but they're going to stick with him for sure.

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Maybe a good keepsake for sure for some of these fans.

So cool on now.

And it's Kate Hall digging the second baseman.

Hall had a home run in the semifinal when he hit two doubles against Palestine Wheatley on March 23rd to what Hall is another pitcher that Woodlawn has that could come in and fill up the zone.

He's got a little velocity to his mid-eighties right now, a chance to do some damage.

Sims this into center field.

Not going to be deep enough for the runners to score to advance, I should say.

And so the runners hold it first and second.

Two down the hall.

Got that just off the end of the bat right there.

And you see that from a left handed pitcher with Hickman.

He's got that kind of backwards gyro, turn the ball.

Has a good sinking action late.

They're batting right fielder Dylan Lunsford.

Dylan Lunsford, the nine hole hitter, the right fielder with two down and two on the Palestine.

Really a chance to get out of this.

Suddenly.

And the longer they hang around, you never know that bunt is fouled away, bunt with two outs.

And we saw that the first inning pitcher, the hitter squared around the bunt kind of surprised me a little bit but put pressure on the defense.

That's the name of the game right here.

They put pressure on him, make them field the ball, throw the ball.

And that's how you can make things happen.

High arching pitch, missing upstairs.

It seems like Hickman's kind of losing a little grip out there.

We've seen a lot of high curveballs and getting back in the zone right here, He's been doubling up with his fastball a little bit more.

Heckman looks back, swing and a miss.

It looks like he's almost got a like a secondary fastball that you kind of use for a change up that he just takes a little bit off of this glorious thinking action to it.

I've been impressed with the pitching that we've seen in this tournament.

Swing and a miss that'll do it.

So Palestine, Wheatley and Hickman navigate out of trouble and woodland strands too.

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Let's take a look at our Arkansas PBS student.

All star it is.

Drew grumbles from Brock Episcopal Collegiate, senior pitcher with a 4.44 GPA.

He will play for Johns Hopkins up in Baltimore.

And that is quite the powerhouse in Division three baseball.

And congratulations to Drew grumbles, our Arkansas PBS student, all star Yeah, I've had the privilege of working with Drew grumbles and he's got a younger brother Hunter grumbles that still that will be at Episcopal for coach Eddie Stevens next year.

So yeah proud of Drew.

The way he's progressed over the last three years will be a great pitcher at that level.

If he's going to Meadow's medical school at Johns Hopkins, I give him even more credit.

That's right.

Yeah.

Nine hole hitter Here is Blaine Brown.

4.44 GPA is not easy, especially at Episcopal Collegiate School.

Yeah, no kidding.

Around.

Far smarter than you and I just try to keep track of out of this one.

That's right.

Brown squares up, pulls back, and not sure if Brown was looking to, but right there, that was just kind of work ahead.

And the count as Howard came out, looks a little loose right there with his command is a Palestine Wheatley team They're not flashy get are they don't they don't there's nothing overpowering on the mound nothing overpowering at the plate.

They're a solid one through 19 that kind of does everything well.

But you know that that recipe, they could win you a lot of games.

Yeah.

I was talking with Coach Stephen to the head coach at Carlisle and they played them a couple of times this year in conference play and that's one thing he said.

He said they're not going to do anything flashy.

They're they don't have any just superstars out there, but they're going to do everything well.

And that was the key to them making this run to the state championship game.

Yeah, they don't have one player that's hit a home run this season.

They hit 258 as a team.

I do think it's amazing the fact that they have done this with only one senior.

Yeah, and you've seen that with a couple of games so far.

I think Harvard, they were low and seniors and so with Lone oak of course with their big junior class.

So a lot of teams that are in the state title game this year, I would not be surprised if we see them back to you see it next season.

But LoDo has all that talent, even though they're juniors.

I mean, those are future SCC players.

This is a team that, as we mentioned, just sort of does everything well.

Yeah, and you know, them being in class too, and I know they've been on the three two line before.

So being in class two is right where they need to be.

They played a lot of these teams in central Arkansas really well.

Three pitch and it's a four pitch walk leadoff walk and runner aboard for the second time for Palestine Wheatley Our viewers may be asking why go to a30 breaking ball right there?

Well, a lot of pitchers when they get in trouble, when they to get a feel for the spin of everything, they'll go to their offspeed when they have a curveball or a slider just to get back in the zone.

Howard coming off a 1 to 3 second did work around hit hitting a walk as we get to the top of the order here.

And Brody Parker, the shortstop digs in.

Yeah, saw that pitch right there.

He went back to the slider right there, called Just the bottom of the zone, brought it up just a little bit.

So it looks like how we're starting to get the feel for it again.

We spotlighted Parker at the top of the show a freshman for 21 on base percentage couple triples 18 RBI 24 runs on the season rays down the coast found it really good look at freshman Karl and he's usually your most athletic player on the team is playing shortstop or center field for you because you want to be solid up the middle.

We've talked about with teams that you've seen before this season or already this weekend, and looks like Brody is one of those players that he's going to be a four year starter and possibly, you know, one of those kids that can be a three year all state player.

Yeah, a chance to maybe do something and make quite a run with their first year head coach, Kevin Whitson Yeah, just with the culture that Whitson has built over the course of 24 games now, this is their 25th of the season.

Give him an off season with these young men to see what they can do.

And they will definitely be a team to be reckoned with next year, their first season.

But he told us he's been around, he's coach travel ball coach Legion ball at pitches upstairs.

Looks like ours is kind of over.

Throw in a little bit right here.

He's got to get back to his game, get within himself and settle down a little bit.

That's what Wilderness came in, came out, told him a second ago what this has done a good job defensively behind the plate, two, two, pitch blind and it finds the gap.

And so Parker gets a board with a base hit that advances Brown to second and Palestine Wheatley threatening here the top of the third inning Yeah really good two strike hitting right there by Medford Howard had one two went down went back to a fastball caught too much of the plate on that too same he drives it in the left field Brett Medford the third baseman struck out in his first at bat patriots with the chance to do they some would think would be the impossible here but boy they got a chance to jump out for a lead here on the dynasty that is the woodland bears.

Yeah and coach Whitson said their motto all season has been it's not how you start to tell you finish showing.

But really good pitch right there by Howard.

And this could be a slash situation.

You know they're showing but they want to get their own two runners in scoring position.

They want to see how Woodlawn reacts to the bunt situation right here.

Just trying to mess with Howard of anything.

Yeah, this one popped into the air, shallow left center and the catch is made by Weatherford.

Runners will hold really good job by Weatherford taking control right there That was in the what we called it in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle right there over call Communication is really big at certain parts of the field and that's one of them.

You saw the shortstop right there.

He was retreating, but Weatherford came in Great angle, great attack on the baseball big first out it feels like for Woodlawn Weatherford covered a lot of ground calling everybody off there.

Definitely.

And you have the infield fly rule in effect right here with runners on first and second.

Less than two outs and the first pitch outside to Jacob Hickman, who in his first at bat hit a triple.

Yeah, really?

They came in to the big man last time, so that spec tower to work off the edge of the plate on the outside corner right here.

And he did that.

Try to get that slider backdoor slider.

And we've not mentioned Hickman's mustache, by the way, is next level 1988.

Fantastic third breaking ball in there for a strike one and one Hickman's got to be kicking himself on that one because that one just hung there.

It's a good pitch, good strike.

But Hickman, if it comes back in again, he's going to take advantage of that all Offspeed so far.

Damon This time, Varner and Parson do.

Up next, behind Hickman Brown at second, Medford at first pitch to Hickman lays off of it.

Hickman doing a really good job of picking up spin right here.

This is a key pitch for both sides.

Great job by Wilmoth back there as well.

Pitch to Hickman on the ground to second and a throw to first in time.

They get out of the inning for six three on the double play and Palestine Wheatley Strand's two.

What an opportunity there So we remain scoreless.

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Scoreless game heading to the bottom of the third inning here at Baer Stadium.

He can't wait.

Good to have you along with us here on a Friday night.

Excellent crowd.

Trying to beat the weather and a little bit of a surprise shaping up so far to see Palestine Wheatley making its first ever championship appearance, taking on the dynasty that is Woodlawn scoreless.

Heading to the third.

It's the top of the order here for the Bears.

Braden Jones, the shortstop to lead things off followed by Weatherford and Stover.

Yeah Brian Jones hit a grand slam during the regional tournament, has a little pop at the top of the lineup fouls that one away a really good flat path of the baseball right there you can see that Jones knows how to use all parts of the field.

Howard and Bishop, the top two arms for sure for Woodlawn and then Jones and Hall pitch inside.

Yeah, Hall is one of those young men.

And you saw it right there, especially, you know, coming from shortstop Jones, that the turn by both of those young men in the middle that was really good turn not it wasn't Peyton Holt like you like the other night against Vanderbilt who you know but the really good for six three double play turn pops this one up in the air shortstop third baseman both calling for it's the shortstop Parker that makes the catch outnumber one.

Oh that look dangerous for just a second there.

Yeah and you talk about over call over call right there with there's the umpires.

James Bryant you see behind home plate short sound at first and Josh Zuber at third.

Yeah.

I've had the opportunity to work with Josh Zuber quite a few times in James Brown.

He's called quite a few finals.

I know I've seen him in ball a few times, breaking ball, just missing upstairs to Garrett Weatherford who struck out it his first at bat and you talk about the flat ball call that the over call communication that's shortstops ball if he calls him off but a little too close for comfort.

Yeah sure.

For a split second.

They're who we've talked about Kevin the dynasty that is Woodlawn.

You think about some of the dynasties in the state, certainly in football, Parkview in the nineties and basketball with Charles Ripley.

Yeah.

I mean, Woodlawn, the numbers put them right up there in that sort of Arkansas high school sports history.

That's a that's a mount Rushmore that I think Woodlawn is on right now.

Yeah.

If you think about it just starting there's another three was Coach Kelly.

Yeah, of course.

Coach Lucas has got it going right now.

So you think about during that time period last 20 years, that's where Woodlawn has been during that time period.

They made their run in a short period of time.

Of course, I was around Coach Ripley back in the nineties.

My dad was at McClellan and got to see what they were all about.

It's all about culture.

Carl Weatherford found this back.

Weatherford may have been kicking himself on them.

That kind of look like ball forward may have been a little out, but maybe a little out.

Maybe a little up.

But three to count for Hickman.

Right here.

Keep it down.

Highway 63.

You don't necessarily get the attention of West Little Rock or John Barrow Road, but boy, the numbers put them up there.

The job staying alive here, that's going to get out of play.

That's exactly right.

And you talked about it earlier in the game, Kyle, that, you know, the first few years and Coach Richardson had coached in Legion state championships, but he's a little bit different in high school, what he said.

So, yeah, it took him 13 years to get to the state title game.

And now, you know, since then he's been to 12 of them and how amazing is that?

How often do you get 13 years to to turn around?

A program speaks to the importance of patience.

Look at what he's done.

Yeah.

And, you know, he's building his own coaching tree.

And of course a lot of the assistant coaches that he's had, you know, the three that he has have been there for a good tenure.

But Jacob Richardson, his oldest son, is West Memphis right now.

He took England to the semifinals a few years ago, three to pitch in to left field.

Meyer's moving over out number two, that was a good battle.

And Pittman has done a really good job of settling down right now, getting back in the zone, not overdoing it out there.

And it seems to be cruising right along.

How many first nations will you still see that 330 sign out there?

It's a it's a big stadium, Bear Stadium.

It can't wait.

332 left and right, 400 straight to center.

Yeah.

If you're going to get a ball out here, it's going to be right down the line, especially for these high school hitters.

We saw it with Jackson earlier today for Lono.

Yep.

You get a ball out here in the Gap, you really got no more Owen Stover pops this one out of play.

Walked in his first at bat.

Yeah, it takes a lot to get one out of here.

We were talking with UK baseball coach Nick Harlan before the game and he's talking about how excited he was to have this here.

He said, This is great for the community.

I love the energy.

And he knew, listen, the schedule would have to work around his team and as we mentioned, the Bears played in between that early game in this one, as Stover sends this one to third, Medford moves right along the chalk, adjusts and makes the catch who outnumber three.

So three up, three down.

For Woodlawn, we head to the fourth.

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Hotel accommodations and sponsorship for the 2023 Arkansas High School State Baseball and Softball championship broadcast provided by Hilton Garden Inn at 803 Amity Road in Conway and home to Suites at 820 Building Drive Income style DEC album Kevin Cohan in an Arkansas PBS Sports grew eight a scoreless game till the top of the fourth year in Conway Palestine.

Wheatley The Cinderella story perhaps of this entire baseball championships going toe to toe so far with the dynasty that is Woodlawn Yeah, they had the biggest upset of any classification state tournament in that semifinal win over Episcopal.

It was 8 to 3 and they did what they've done all season long, play good fundamental baseball Episcopal.

They had drew grumbles on the mound.

He walked a few, then they committed a few errors, got out early and then hung on for the win.

And that's their recipe for a win for five six hitters.

Austin Viner, the catcher to lead off here for Palestine Wheatley.

He fouls the first pitch back to the screen.

Howard remains out there and for Palestine Wheatley they've stranded two runners in the first they stranded two in the third.

They have had their opportunities in this game.

Yeah.

Cal first three innings each team has only had 1123 inning great ball hits the bottom part of the plate there.

Yeah looks like a good changeup from Howard right there that got the ball in the zone Austin water of 413 on base percentage 14 RBI the sophomore catcher I see him pitch as well 31 and two thirds innings pitched this season.

I always love when a catcher is also a pitcher.

Yeah you're talking about the low no game today.

Still, Eaves was offered as a catcher slash pitcher by coach Matt Hobbs University of Arkansas.

But I think he's got a he's got a future either way.

Yeah in my opinion.

Well, he was impressive on the mound.

I think it's clear he may not have had his best stuff earlier and he was still that good.

Yeah.

11 strikeouts, one two pitch got him strikeout number three for Howard.

The less emphatic punch out right there about James Brown back there.

But definitely a great pitch right off the outside corner by Howard James passing James Parson the designated hitter in this game Dwight out a short in his first at bat Cal you keep talking about Palestine lately they only have one senior but the number of freshmen and sophomores that they have on the field right now, top hop there gets into left field in the center field, I should say, and a runner aboard here for Palestine.

Wheatley Yeah, that ball hit with a lot of topspin right there and just in between hop either as a shortstop, middle infield, any infielder you want to get that short hop or big hop that was in between right there just eight Jones up.

We've seen some funny bounces on this turf.

You just don't expect to see it always on turf.

But we've seen so yeah, it's a softer turf so it's got a little bit of give and you'll see some slow ground balls.

And I know they've played some bunts down as well, but the turf really just kind of eats it up now.

Tray got three.

The center fielder, as you mentioned, just one one, two, three inning Austin Wheatley with a runner on and one out here The one pitch foul away how it worked in the top of the zone right there with his breaking ball and tough to get on that pitch but as you saw a second ago, Parsons did a really good job of getting on top of that zone and hitting a long drive.

That's what you want to do with with Howard.

You talked about Episcopal Game.

How about the way they trailed three?

Nothing in that game reeled off a six run fourth pitcher by Wilmoth to stand up there.

It came back in that one battling Woodlawn here.

It seems like they've been in the plate.

Greenland, which was the host up there and rising and round one, didn't have much trouble with them.

But to be the hosts that they're in a number one seed that Greenland had been ranked in our Super seven Bowl over the last seven eight weeks, it's a big win.

This one into foul territory gets out of play, got through doing a really good job of controlling the bat right now and in the zone Howard's shown the ability to throw to all four quadrants of the plate.

So he's covering it up.

Definitely.

Good job by Will Smith again.

Well, we're doing a good job right there, showing some leadership.

The junior catcher going out there talking about look at him, talking about his arm slot there.

Sometimes Howard Kent doesn't have a feel for it.

Wilmer sees it.

So he's being the on field coach right there.

And you talk about extensions of the coaching staff.

Jane Wilmer sent a really good job of that this season for Woodlawn, came out, had a few words with his pitcher, got three flight out to left in his first at bat, full count, one away upstairs two men on now for the Patriots.

We've talked about key situations all week in and get a couple of runners down with no outs right here.

Let's see any one out and let's see if Coach Winston dials up something.

It's a problem.

We haven't seen a mound visit yet, either by Coach Richardson or his staff.

They're letting Howard work through it.

Of course, Wilma's been out there a couple of times to try to settle his big man down.

Pitches low in a way, to Brady Bass, the first baseman who struck out at his first at bat and has a chance here to get what would be the first big hit of this game, at least the first time.

Lee here, it's in there.

One and one.

Yeah.

We talked in the in the pregame show about Howard and just the command he's had all season already got four walks today and needs to get back in the zone Wilma like I said a second ago, did a really good job of talking to him about his arm slot, his release point.

This one flied into shallow right center.

It's the right fielder, Lunsford, that makes the catch.

And that's a big second out in this inning.

You and I were talking to kids, Josh Allison from Valley View the other day and their first game with Little Rock Christian earlier this year talking about hitting the ball hard.

And sometimes they just fall and sometimes they don't.

Palestine really.

They hit it right over the infield.

The Woodlands outfield done a really good job of getting a break on the ball right down.

Hasn't allowed to drop yet.

Safe to say that's the strength that this Woodlawn team is the outfield.

Absolutely a lot of speed out there and they've done a great job on angles and their jumps have been superb.

Ty Myers is the designated hitter Now we're trying to keep this game scoreless into the bottom of the fourth woodlands, their outfield depth so far, and I know a lot of our viewers can't see it on the field right now, but their outfield depth has been key so far.

They're not playing really deep knowing that this team hasn't been a really power hitting gets a good look.

They're really good look right there.

The Patriots have not been a power hitting team this year, so it's going to take a ball in the gap to get a runner in.

What do you think if you're Palestine Wheatley and you see that you know you're being challenged to try to hit the ball out there?

Yeah.

And a lot of teenagers they they feel it's a shot to their ego a little bit.

They tend to power up some but the better hitters just stay within themselves and just hit long drives.

Three pitch missing.

It's a four pitch walk and it's going to be bases loaded here for the Patriots.

And the nine hole hitter Blaine Brown walked number four on the day from Howard.

And what an opportunity here for the Patriots in the picnic area.

Please do not sit on the bases loaded right here and play nine hole hitter.

We talked about softball earlier Grab it Pete Ridge the bottom of the lineup seven, eight, nine were the key to getting that win.

So Blaine Brown can be really big right here and driving in the first two runs for Palestine.

Wheatley Now you see a mound visit, By the way, as you mentioned, he gives coach Whitson a chance to talk to his guys as well.

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Blaine Brown With the bases loaded for the Patriots trying to get on the board first in this game and pull off what would be an absolute stunner, a first pitch from Howard.

It's a low strike.

I'll tell you what, they've gotten that low strike today, but it's been consistent.

They it hasn't been one way or the other.

The umpire behind the plate, James Brown, he's been calling that both ways.

A day down there, you see Parson got three and Myers on base hits big cut.

You can see Brown right there, which was wish he had that one back.

That was a little out of the zone.

Want to do a little too much of this?

What we were talking about, they're being challenged.

But yeah hope to right idea yeah yeah how Wilmoth was set out there and he Howard through exactly where Wilmoth wanted him to maybe to get another chase would not surprise me if he came back in on his hands right here.

Or he can go to that slider that he's had working off the outside corner of the plate out there.

Looks like a fastball.

One two is popped in the air, stays in the infield.

And how about Howard making the catch himself to Strand three Patriots Palestine Wheatley has stranded seven in this game eight remain scoreless.

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Still scoreless in this one to the bottom of the fourth inning and it'll be for five six hitters for Woodlawn who just navigated out of trouble again.

Patriots stranding the bases loaded Hickman remains out there the pitcher Palestine Wheatley and it's Jayden Willman the catcher digging in cause a lot of fly balls so far this game, especially Woodlawn, they've had five fly outs.

I know Coach Richardson has talked to his his hitters about staying on top of the baseball and hit it hard right the ball in there to Willmott Oh to has done a good job all game and it seems like he's still got a really good spin on that breaking ball and he can drop it in there's going to be a lot of good late bite to it can he's coming off a123 inning he gets Wilmott to chase a high pitch there and a collision that catch is made Hickman comes away with it there ball on the mound.

And usually as a coach, you tell your pitcher, get out of the way, let your infielders do the fielding.

But Hickman thought, Hey, I got it right here.

I'm in control of things.

Let me take it.

Look at this.

Eggman is a big man.

If he's going to take it, I'm going to let him.

Yeah, I'm not going to.

Especially if I'm.

If you're Medford, you're, like, bouncing off of Medford and Hickman.

There's a good sized disparity there.

Sarah Dylan Butler, now the hitter, you got to call that.

But I mean, that's do that's overkill.

We talking about communication all game.

That's where you got to have good overall communication.

Butler walked in his first at bat.

I don't think Hickman saw it off the bat very well because he was looking up and then he was looking at his infielders to see if they were going to call something.

And nobody did say, I'll take it.

Medford like a shifty running back, running into a linebacker, the passing is running the double wing in the passes like a pulling guard on that wing back out to one now to Butler.

Looks like Woodlawn hitters are really anxious up there I mean they're just I mean that scored a lot of runs talk about the regional 30 runs 30 hits and they're just they're not staying in the zone.

They've chased balls out of the strike zone quite a bit today.

Upstairs to load the count.

Smart, a big win.

He got Wilmott to go up there.

And then, of course, Butler went up there again to swing at him and he's going to go right back after it.

But the way both these pitchers of navigated out of some trouble of this game, they've done a really good job.

Both of them have three two pitch.

It's going to be out of play.

They right Hickman right now is really setting it up really well.

He's going fastball up and out of the zone quite a bit.

Don't be surprised if he drops in that curveball.

The next pitcher to three two count dried it just outside.

That's the fourth walk allowed from Hickman.

Four strikeouts, four walks in this game.

Yeah Woodlawn really good offensive team no matter what classification you look at and they just really have not been able to square Hickman up at all today 30 and three team 12 and over in the 82a and this is Jace Bishop the center fielder the lefty with a runner on first Oh yes, missing the outside third, really like Bishop set up right there.

He has a really good swing from first at bat he's pulling that head out shoulder was flying out quite a bit.

I'm sure he going to get back to fundamentals right here.

Don't be surprised if you see him go opposite field bishop at 358 average 593 slugging.

He's the guy, by the way, who pitched a three hitter against Palestine really, when they played back on March 23rd catcher doing a good job of going right back out to Hickman, getting back in the zone after two oh count just walked a batter getting back in zone little bit.

Course he was working on that outside corner trying to nibble a little bit.

Woodlands rolled over quite a few times, try to get him to do it again.

Bronner gives him the signs.

Boy, just hitting the outside part of the plate there.

Bishop caught looking in his first at bat in the second.

Oh, he knows he has to cover up that outside corner right now.

And first time up to bat.

He got caught looking out there.

He's going to cover it up, especially with two one count.

Look at that thing.

That is next level Palestine Wheatley's finest jewelry that is he be doing that exercises three one pitch to Bishop low bounces in the dirt gets away and so woodland now with two off the apron Austin Howard back to back walks by Hickman right there Got to wonder if little of fatigue setting in humid night out there.

Of course the temperatures hasn't been too bad, but maybe a little bit of fatigue setting in right now for the young lefty.

And he's going to face Austin Howard and the big chain.

There's there's a bottom part to it.

There it is.

Got the Patriot symbol on there.

The Patriots turnover chain, that one gets away.

Both runners are going to advance and suddenly two runners in scoring position now for Woodlawn and our friend with the chain not so happy Coach Richardson talking to his base runner right now, Dylan Butler, about how far the ball has to kick for him to take advantage of a of a passed ball wild pitch to score right here.

You got to stay in it.

There.

Would you rather be with the guy with the chain or the guy with no buttons on open shirt?

He got to go in right now.

He's excited.

I'd rather be with the guy with the chain.

Go.

You and me both.

Meantime, Hickman is in danger of three straight walks here.

Good pitch in.

There it is, by the way.

Starting to sprinkle just a little bit.

We were warned that weather's coming, so we started this game a little early.

Good shot of Sky There.

We'll play through the rain.

Just don't want anything more than that.

That pitch is up high.

It's three and one.

Yeah.

We talked to triple-A executive director Lance Taylor before the game.

They really want to get this game in tonight with UK in another home game tomorrow and we have five and three, three, eight and five, eight four, seven tomorrow.

So the only other option is to play Sunday afternoon and they didn't think about that.

Yeah.

Three one pitch you with one away swing and miss to load the count to see Hickman three and a third so far seven pitches, four strikeouts.

Neither pitcher has had what you would call an efficient outing, but they've navigated away from trouble that one misses.

It is three straight walks to load the bases for the bears.

Yeah.

You want to stay around that Max 15 pitch per inning mark.

And I know that I keep going back to the L.A. game today because he was so efficient through six innings.

He had 70 pitches through those six innings.

That's a little over 11 per inning.

So right now they've got to settle the young man down.

Would be surprised if bases loaded right here.

Coach Gibson really on his team to make something happen.

Pitch runner at first.

And you see Coach Whitson out there are two friends cheering him on just as well.

Bases loaded for the Bears.

Courtesy runners number 18, Jackson Rainey.

Woodlawn had one left on base in the first two in the second hole, and Tate Hall, the second baseman with the chance to get the first timely hit in this one.

Bases loaded scoreless game one away here in the bottom of the fourth inning a swing and a miss Butler's on third Bishop on second Howard on first for the bears call.

They did a study a long time ago that after coach visit 85% of the time the pitcher throws a strike.

How about two of them?

They weren't really settled back in the zone out there.

I was I was surprised if he didn't go out of the out of the window, but he stayed in the stretch right there.

That's what it seems to be comfortable out of.

You see Butler, Bishop Howard Hall in the batter's box with one away.

It's got to be good luck.

Yeah, he got to get the strikeout.

Cheney going.

You want to sit deep to centerfield?

It may be deep enough.

Runner is good.

A tag.

Here's the throw home.

It is not in time and Woodlawn is on the board first in this one, Dylan Butler scored the first run right there.

Tate Hall did a great job of getting the ball, was hitting and had been working up in the zone.

But Tate Hall did a great job of getting enough of the baseball to get it deep enough to center field.

Another look here, deep enough, down three gets it.

It made a pretty good throw.

They're made a little bit closer.

Yeah.

GUTHRIE Guthrie's got a good arm out there.

And next pitch swinging is Lunsford.

And that one falls on the right fielder.

Worley didn't see it.

Two runs are going to score for the Bears.

We talked about it earlier.

Cal Twilight part of the day, the outfielders could not see the base ball off the bat and it just landed it out there in the Bermuda Triangle.

Next thing you know, woodland's up three to nothing.

Bishop and Howard coming in to score on a ball that disappeared into the Conway night and into a three nothing Woodlawn lead All you feel for Palestine Wheatley So close to getting out of this inning and keeping it a one run game.

When you are such a big underdog in this one, you feel for the Patriots there you do.

And Dylan Lunsford did a great job of looking to go to second right out of the box, didn't hold up at first base.

And you saw Coach Richardson give him an atta boy for good hustle play right there by the young man.

Top of the order, Brayton Jones, the shortstop for that attack on a couple more.

With the runner still in scoring position.

That's one of those where the official score, it's going to be scored as a hit even though it was a mental error, so to speak.

But nobody touches the baseball.

It's going to drop as a hit and it landed right where it needed to go for this one hard hit to left caught for out number three, but not before the bears get three on the board and Woodlawn leads it three.

Nothing through four.

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Conaway shaping up to be a little bit of a stunner, both these pitchers working out of trouble.

You see Howard here getting a big fly out.

Hickman has pitched well at times as well.

Both these pitchers have certainly shown an ability to get out of trouble.

Palestine Wheatley has had their chances.

They have stranded seven in this game and in the fourth, this is the one that really hurts Palestine.

Wheatley They stranded the bases loaded and Woodlawn finally getting on the board there.

And you see this one.

That's where you really feel for the Patriots falls in front two run score and suddenly now a three nothing Woodlawn lead Palestine Wheatley hanging around hanging around so so close and in it enough to believe it when you're such an underdog And then Woodlawn suddenly up three nothing So now how does Palestine respond?

Well you know Cal we talked about earlier, this is not a power hitting team.

So they got to sit back one at a time that you can't get a three run home run.

That's a start driven deep.

Two left, a good catch by Myers on the run.

Myers great jump off the bat He they've had trouble when the balls get above the lights.

That was a good line drive we saw at the end of the first inning or into the last inning.

Grant So the balls line drive that you can see it a little bit better.

Got a hold of that one might have been out in some high school parks around the state good run by Myers and now checks swing.

Medford yeah Bedford right there chick swing it was called by the home plate umpire right.

He got the call didn't have to go down to first base.

Bedford is over two in this game.

A strike out in a fly out to left Austin Eisenhower looking to work his second one, two, three inning of the night.

Got it earlier in the second inning that went inside.

Hit him first hit batter as the rain starting to come down a little bit harder here in Conway.

You got to wonder if maybe that one slipped out a little bit.

They're going to be switching baseballs up quite a bit right here.

And what about playing on what you mentioned is kind of a soft turf, as you see there.

The chain has made its way over to his counterpart there.

Yeah, the chain, by the way, came back to bite Palestine replay.

Yeah.

And you got the young man this got the no buttons right now.

He's got the chain.

Maybe they're trying to change up their luck a little bit, but, you know, playing on the turf, Karl and these guys have molded cleats, so it's the best thing they can have next to spikes.

If you're playing in turf shoes out there right now, you're going to be slipping around a little bit.

But it looks like a lot of had the molded cleats that they need.

This is Jacob Hickman.

Watches strike one.

Howard's giving Hickman a steady dose of Offspeed slider curveball combination after that first inning triple guys swing and miss really good pitch right there just falls out the bottom of the zone.

It's still a strike.

If Hickman does not swing, he just falls off the table right there, right at the end.

Good.

Sharp action to like coming up on the 90 minute mark of this one, a game that we started about 35 minutes early to try to beat what we think is behind this rain.

One too high and outside Howard with the O2 circle change to try to get it run off the plate out there then goes right back to the breaking ball.

They're not giving Hickman any hard stuff right here.

Hickman had that triple in the first one for six three double play in the third two missing inside and one of them as a coach.

Top three, Pepys is going to hit a batter.

Oh, tell you, walking on four pitches, Those are two of the top three right there.

I still go for the Patriots.

You get a feel like you played this team back in March.

You've got Ron Gould there's at 12 hits.

You're going around here, you're down three.

HUNT Yeah, yeah.

They feel it.

And that was the theme coming into this game is Coach Whitson made these young men believe that they belong here and yes, it's a David versus Goliath matchup.

You got it down, Steve versus the first timer.

But these young men believe that they belong here.

And that's that's the key.

That's half the battle right there.

Three, two fouled away.

Hickman staying alive.

Yeah.

HICKMAN Once you want out of your three hole hitter, usually in high school baseball, your two hole or three hole is going to be your best hitter that can handle the bat.

And oh two count.

He's battled back, worked for three two and fought off a couple of close pitches right there.

Right inside.

He walked him back to back walks from Howard.

That's the fifth or check that sixth walk of the deck Great at bat by hick.

All right.

Great job.

So runners at first and second now first baseman for the Patriots It's Medford on second and Hickman on first.

Interesting border to the courtesy runner number 16 Lane West Broad comes in for Hickman Austin Bonner the catcher oh for one with a walk Wow Big lead at second.

Oh, it looked like Howard just slipped there.

Yeah, that's what we were talking about earlier with.

I did get information earlier from a good friend of mine that Woodlawn actually does have a turf mound, so they're used to it.

But not with rain.

Yeah, that could have been dangerous right there for the young pitcher.

That's scary when you see that.

Yeah.

You see a lot of ankles and knees.

You talk about dirt during football season, playing on turf and, the ACLs and all that.

The now Davis Liz Frank fracture back in the day but yeah it's tough and there's there's a pad underneath turf that is rubber so there's a little bit of give thank goodness to pitch when Howard has missed today he's missed that glove side is want a little open call and that's that's what's causing that to happen right now He's always missing to his glove side.

Three straight walks now to load the bases full of patriots.

Can't imagine that Coach Richardson, they've already made one mound visit and it looks like they're going to let it go right now.

But I look at the rain there coming down, getting in the dirt now, at least the temperature's nice.

Yeah.

And the stairways.

And Coach Richardson certainly has a way with this guy's a guy who has been out there since 1994.

Is the coach at his alma mater.

But as successful a coach as you'll find in baseball for a copy of any of the state championship games, go to N.M. Productions dot net to place your order and fan bases.

That certainly will want to remember this for different reasons.

For Woodlawn, it'd be their ninth state championship, third straight, six and seven years.

They see Tommy Richardson there.

You know, he has talked about all season.

Kevin, how do we figure out to get the next one?

He got his 700th win this year.

It was a 19 nothing win over dummies.

He didn't even know about it.

He said, I got a signed baseball with the number 700 on it as if yeah.

So what I called him after the game said, Congratulations, Coach.

And he's like, Yeah, I guess he said that.

Yeah, I didn't even know about it.

And next thing you know, they're bringing out a baseball that has number 700 on it.

So I've got a baseball now with 700 on there.

So that's it.

He's always focused on the next one.

How do we get the next bases full of patriots here for James Pass and the designated hitter who is one for two in this game.

This is what you want, of course.

One on out right now with the bases loaded the middle of your order.

Parsons had a really good hit earlier this game drove it to left field.

Medford, Hickman and Varner were the ones to get on base pass and see the rain glistening off his helmet.

The pitch from Howard, he's having a tough time finding the plate at the border.

Yeah, it's about making adjustments.

At this point.

He's always missing the same spot.

Every time you saw Jay Wilmoth, you know, kind of mouthed to him, you know, make the adjustment, make the adjustment.

That's what he needs.

And we to set up a little further inside right now, he misses and the Patriots are going to get on the board here it's a31 game a bases loaded walk for walks in a row and it looks like they're going to be making a pitching change right here.

And of course, the high school rule is you have three visits it's not the two per inning anymore.

So on the third visit, you got to pull the pitcher and it looks like Coach Richardson is going to make a change.

So three one Palestine, Wheatley on the board.

And now with the bases loaded, we'll see who's coming in to pitch for the bears when we come back.

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Rain coming down a little bit harder and it's going to be Stover own to come in and pitch to senior who takes over for Howard who has navigated out of trouble but walked four batters in a row and that's how the Patriots just scored their first run three one game.

And the bases remain loaded full of patriots.

Karl Stover on the year 36 and a third innings pitched.

He's five and one on the season.

So the that they have he's got the third most inning behind Howard and Bishop pitched in 11 games and made eight starts but closes the book on Austin Howard four and a third three hits seven walks, three strikeouts.

Both pitchers have shown a propensity for navigating out of trouble.

Neither was, you know, as we've said, what do you call efficient at times.

But, you know, at the moment right now, you certainly don't blame Howard, who was having a little bit of trouble with that playing foot.

That's right.

And he seemed just to be sliding off of it a little bit.

That was the thing.

And that could have been caused him to miss out on that glove side to the outside part of the plate.

You know, Coach Richardson's message right now to Stover is come in, throw strikes.

You've got one strike, you have infield fly rule in effect.

So you've got a couple of things working in your favor right here.

You get a ground ball.

You got middle infield.

That's really good.

Three one game, bases loaded.

Stover comes into a high pressure situation.

Here it is to a championship yeah, Howard will be the designated hitter.

Now, Richardson had him listed as the pitcher and designated hitter.

So they have moved number 20 over to first base and this is Guthrie stepping in for they left.

They just switched out Stover and Howard Howard be at first base now with on the mound makes it easy for us and is a switch there great big moment for Stover just coming in good breaking ball to get ahead oh two Yeah that's what you want come in town the zone really good first pitch strike get ahead of the batter to now he's in control right now Greg Guthrie the center fielder for one with a walk that was missing outside.

Oh, you saw Stover over there.

Some of the same issues.

Yeah.

Great job by Jayden Wilmoth back there.

Very athletic young man.

You see him to that?

That ball was outside the batter's box in the left hand.

He's made some great defensive plays.

Yeah, nothing's going to get by him.

He does a great job.

He's got you talk about having a soft glove back there.

Everybody says, be a wall.

I always tell my catchers, be a pillow, be soft, have soft hands back there, pitch foul, back.

That's a good way to put it.

I like that.

I'm trying to get that catch on.

It just has it so far.

This is a good place to start here.

Guthrie, The tall center fielder, gets a piece of it and it's foul.

Great pitch there by Stover.

That big 12 six curveball got a little loop is not as hard as what Howard was throwing his slider at.

So got little you got a chance to adjust as long as those as the patriot hitters don't get out in the front foot, they can keep their hands back and drive it.

Bases loaded for the Patriots 1 to 2, Guthrie fouls it back to stay alive.

Stover's got the locks going out there.

He does.

He might be mistaken for a Springdale Harvard player with that, but that's Goldilocks right there.

The bleach hair is going to appreciate.

He's got the natural Goldilocks going, Well, sunshine, action for you.

We had the reveal yesterday.

You could see one players here that suddenly saw the ball.

Ooh, well, that one didn't look good.

It gets away and run is going to score and it's three two.

They called a ball.

That's what it was called.

It wasn't a natural motion.

You have to deliver the baseball and that's what was called right there.

You saw Stover kind of paused a little bit and then throw it.

Great job by the umpiring crew to nail that one that get the Patriot second run across.

Take a look here.

Oftentimes when it looks that unnatural, it called for that ball.

That could have been called two ways right there.

The pitcher didn't look like he gained ground going towards third base.

Looked like that plant foot game a little bit too much ground going towards home plate.

Meantime, this is suddenly a one run game.

Yeah, with one out, anything could happen now.

Now your double play is out of order because.

You got runners at second.

Third.

And you see Wilmoth out there to talk to Stover got three facing a12 count, This is.

Listen, Everything had to go right for Palestine Weebly to compete with Woodlawn.

I think that's fair to say.

Yeah, this is the kind of eating that they needed.

Yeah.

You needed Palestine really, to come in and play their A-game and Woodlawn to be off a little bit, swing and a miss.

A strikeout number one for Stover, a big second out of this inning.

Great pitch right there, out of the zone, but effective.

That's what you want effectively.

Wow.

There's we like to call it So now Brady Bass with two down the first baseman over to a strikeout and a fly out to right two runners in scoring position for the Patriots curveball in there for strike one saw the Woodlawn coaches two first you worry about the man in the batter's box.

This one fly to right center and it's caught four out number three by Lunsford.

So Palestine Wheatley, too.

But they take advantage of four walks in the inning and a balk and it's a one run ballgame.

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Conway suddenly a one run game here in Conway how Dec album Kevin Bohannan with you first pitch bunt lay down and it's going to be an out at first five three and the put out for Weatherford to three four in this inning for Woodlawn Owen Stover up next Yeah Woodlawn trying to make something happen right there the left handed pitcher falls off to that side.

They want to make them make plays.

Woodlawn is trying to find any way to score.

The score runs right here.

Any surprise after the last inning that they're sticking with Hickman a little bit.

You know, it's like you said he's worked out of his jams and you know, that he had that one bad play.

If you take away that fly ball, it's a 2 to 1 ballgame right now in favor of the Patriots.

So I think they want to ride him as long as they can.

A good curveball in there, dropping it on the outside corner like he was the first couple of innings here.

Some Woodlawn fans, they think it's a little outside right there but it's been there all game so we can get him to chase.

It's one and two.

Yeah.

Great.

Oh, two pitch right there.

It's right at the high three.

He can get somebody to swing, but it's outside of the zone.

Stover over one with a walk.

Swings sends it to right.

Worley coming in slides to make the catch on that wet turf.

Yeah.

Worley was the one that kind of lost it in the lights earlier.

Made a great play right there, saved it a little bit.

But talk about Hickman the fastball and oh, to count really good set up pitch right there with one, two, curveball.

That's a nice job to make up for that play earlier.

The two knee dive to come in.

Here's Jayden Wilmoth, who had a good pitch called an umpire.

Always wanted to take care of my catcher's back there.

So I always knew when they were coming up.

So make sure if I'm going to call it it better be a strike catch or pound in the dirt right there, the artificial dirt.

He knew that he kind of let that ball go a little bit.

They were set up outside and it came in glove, kind of got out of out of control right there upstairs.

Striker has already so much pressure on this Woodlawn team.

When you're in the midst of a dynasty like this to win your ninth straight, their ninth state title, I should since 2008.

But how about the pressure mounting when you're in a one run game in this situation?

Yeah, with playing with a lot of younger players also they you know this is not a senior laden Woodlawn team.

They've seen everybody before pretty much do it.

And here you are in a battle against the Patriots.

Yeah some of these young men.

The first time Woodlawn won a state title in oh eight, you know, some of them were just born that year.

So that's all they've known is state championship baseball.

It's a scary thought.

Yeah.

Pitman looking to go one, two, three for the second time this game, Wilmoth pops it into foul territory and out of play.

He's the cleanup hitter for this Woodlawn team, a Bears team that's used to run rolling everybody.

It's a one run game against the Cinderella story of the tournament, the Palestine Weekly Patriots.

This one is going to find a hole and get into right field.

Worley plays it and gets it back in and a two out base hit for the Bears.

Really good job of Wilmoth right there.

Staying on the curveball.

He didn't try to do too much, just hit it open.

The second baseman said Hit the ball where.

It's pitched great job by Jaiden right there.

And now Dylan Butler, as you see WILMOTH Send that one into right center.

And Butler has walked in both of his at bats and a courtesy runner number eight.

And Johnson will come in and run at first base for Jay Will worth clarifying by the way, pitcher, catcher, you can do that.

That's right there courtesy of difference between a courtesy runner and a pinch runner.

Courtesy runners can come in.

Pinch runners involve a substitution.

It's always kind of you never know because you got a young man sitting over there on the bench.

That's a little cool, little cold hasn't been playing.

You want to make sure they know everything that's going on because he's not a starter, he's a sub and you want to make sure your head is always in the game.

Looking forward to maybe try to take second.

No, not this time.

Strike three Call Woodlawn strands a runner one run game.

It's 3 to 2.

It's a tight one.

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So many people to think make this championship weekend possible here on the campus of U.S.A. in Conway.

And boy, it's a good thing that we did because what game here it's 3 to 2 wood line As we head to the top of the sixth inning, Stover remains out there for the bears.

He replaced Howard, who started this game for Woodlawn, Palestine Wheatley taking advantage of some pitching miscues and getting on the board, making this a one run game.

Cal One thing I've learned in covering high school baseball for the Buzz and Scorebook live over the last couple of years is expect the unexpected.

We've seen it all season long.

Even though we've had preseason number ones, we're three for three now.

You never know what could happen in this game with with teenagers.

Ty Myers to lead things off year back a piece of him.

Yeah, that was a swinging strike.

So the rule right there, if they swing and make it doesn't matter if it hits them or not, it's a it's a strike.

So a tough one for Myers right there.

Another look, you know why?

Maybe he picked up spin, but it kind of backed up on Stover a little bit instead of that high pressure situations.

And just about every inning for these teams.

Yeah, it takes it takes a toll on the pitchers.

That's the biggest thing right now.

Stover is not going to overpower you, but he's got a good mix of pitches and he's in and around the zone right now and he's working well.

I'll talk about four quadrants, Kyle.

I'm talking about up, down in and out.

And he's done a really good job of attacking all four quadrants of the zone one to pitch the outside part of the plate.

Strikeout number two from Stover.

And one thing we've seen this game, Cal, is a lot of backwards K's or strikeout looking right now.

Blaine Brown right now he broke it off right the outside corner.

It's been there all game and James Brown's been calling it like that.

Well to your point earlier too, but you never know what to expect in high school baseball.

We were talking with Coach Tommy Richardson before the game and he said some of worst games you're involved in is Blaine Brown Diggs, the second baseman, are the ones where you're expected to win.

Yeah, he said he said, I've been in once rather than expected to do it.

And sometimes that's the worst gun and he would rather be the underdog.

But that's just not where they're at right now.

Yeah, Never happen as long as he's there.

Exactly.

Right down the middle with a fastball.

And a lot of people may be asking why stay at Woodlawn?

A to a school in Arkansas He's the athletic director now.

He he's in the twilight of his career and still winning games and still teaching him.

And he could have moved on to college baseball a long time ago.

But he loves youth use he loves teaching these young men how to play baseball.

It's brown to chase outside to his high school alma mater as well, right?

He played at southern Arkansas down in Magnolia, you know, and when you got a good thing going, sometimes you stick with it.

That's right.

I want to check swing.

He went back to back case for Stover.

And Stover, he's got the curveball working right.

Big 12 six action.

And you talk about running out to the baseball as a hitter there.

They're running out to the ball and they're not able to keep their hands back.

You see right there, Brown just couldn't hold it back.

So the top of the order now, Brody Parker, one for two on the day, the one for three.

I really like Parker, gives this one a ride to center field and Bishop makes the catch to retire the side three to Woodlawn lead As we head to the of the sixth inning and weather moving in.

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The story unfolding here in Conway, by the way, this is game four of six for the baseball championships on championship weekend on the campus of U.S.A.

Looking forward to tomorrow as well Harding academy and river crest at that view and Little Rock Christian yeah two games you and I will be back tomorrow call for the call and really looking forward to those games tomorrow.

The five eight championship they've been number one and number two all season long in our Scorebook live Super seven Paul Hickman 90 pitches still out there.

So the rule for our fans out there is you you have won ten.

That's the limit.

You can go you can start your batter on 109 and go over 110 count, but you have to come out after that.

It's just Jace Bishop, the center fielder in the batter's box swing and Miss.

They are riding Hickman.

I think they trust him and his credit.

He's he is navigated through pretty much everything, thrown his way.

Yeah, he's been through it all today.

And you know, Coach Whitson, I, he gets ready to call the pitch in and Hickman's worked through it all.

And what an experience for the young man.

Swing and a miss.

He got them upstairs back to back strikeouts going back to the last inning six strikeouts on the day now for Hickman now got on the chase.

Howard Hickman worked in the top of that zone effectively with the fastball that Woodlawn Hitters are saying you can't pick up the spin right now with a curveball fastball.

Austin Howard has walked twice in this game and scored in the fourth.

You see Kevin Winston there.

As we mentioned, he was just named the full time coach at Palestine Wheatley.

He began the season as a volunteer coach, proved himself along the way.

And after that semifinal win, they surprised him in what he told us before.

The game was quite the emotional moment, giving him the full job, certainly deserving when you navigate a program to its first ever finals appearance.

That's right.

They finished second in there and there's 2a6 conference, two Carlisle.

Carlisle was ranked in the top five.

They're ranked number two all season lost in the regional that they and Coach Winston's been able to carry the conference banner so far.

It's quite the story.

How about Hickman coming out and pounding the zone?

Really great.

Got Bishop out, strike out and get a12 count right here.

He's working efficiently again.

He talk about emptying the tank this point in game two.

Exactly.

He knows he's up against his wall right here, and he's giving everything.

He's got big breaking ball.

He got to make it three strikeouts in a row.

He is saving some of his best for late in the game.

Great pitch right there by Hickman.

Set him up.

And you know, when you're head 021 to you you go to best pitch in that car but look at that 12 six curveball that starts by his head and ends at his knee.

That's a great pitch.

Absolutely frozen.

So here's Tate Hall, the third baseman, Hall looking back at James Brown, asking if that's as far out as we're going to go with the pitch right there.

So he knows where to establish his strike zone.

Well, navigating through trouble and giving his team a chance against this hot hitting Woodlawn team that's used to run rolling teams, seldom do three of them.

Yeah, going back, as we said earlier in the game, going back to the Red Zone tournament, all their games in the state tournament run rules in the last year of the regional tournament were swinging in this impressive stuff here in the SEC so far from Hickman talk about battling you know he reminds me of James McCormack, who won the state title with high school Harmony Grove in 2019, is at Arkansas State right now.

McCormick was a little bit re six seven but you know same build real physical young men get out there really good arm side run I think James Hickman's got a he's got a future throw in the baseball in high school in Arkansas just missing really good Nimmo pitch right there seeing if he can get a call catcher did a really good job of trying to keep it in the zone, trying to send this game to the seventh and give his Patriots a chance.

This is outside runner aboard seven strikeouts, seven walks.

That sort of describes the day for Hickman, just absolutely dominant but with a high pitch count sweating through some trouble.

And let's see what they do here at Winston Kevin out to talk to his pitcher, like, look, this is probably going to be your last guy.

We want to make sure you go after him.

You want to make sure you get that out right here.

Passing the two hour mark of this one right fielder, Dylan, once we've seen three pitchers, all of whom have had to labor through some innings and Lunsford has one of two hits for Woodlawn today, will of course, having another last inning That is what's amazing for is shocking here for all the trouble he's had and navigate through he's held Woodlawn to two hits.

Lunsford's the nine hole hitter.

Fill up the zone and let your offense let your defense work for you.

That's that's just what he has to do right here.

I think we would have to go a long way back in their schedule to find the last time Woodland was held to two hits through six on the inside to see what Hickman does go to right here.

This is really when he's eating.

He's either going fastball up in the zone and then sets it up a good one to pitch with a curveball.

Oh, swing and a miss.

He got him.

How about that?

Three strikeouts to end the inning and we head to the top of the seventh Kent Palestine.

Wheatley, do it.

It's three two.

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So here we go to the top of the seventh and how many folks are joining us around the state tuning in stunned by this score three to Woodlawn.

Let me surprise you even more of the bears have been held to two hits.

In fact, they've been outhit by Palestine Wheatley three 2 to 7 for the elite group.

But the Patriots have three outs to work with to send this game to the bottom of the seventh.

The Cinderella story The Palestine Wheatley Patriots against the dynasty here of Woodlawn.

Stover will remain out there for the Bears.

Bedford scored their first run in the fifth inning but led off with the walk Well, didn't lead off the inning with a walk right there, but drew a walk and ended up coming around the score.

It's two three for Medford, Hickman, Varner for Palestine, Wheatley This is who you want up?

Kevin That's right.

Two whole hitter can do just about anything with the bat.

He's in a note to Hall and then you get Hickman up behind him.

Jacob Hickman, of course, has been a bulldog on the mound and.

What a competitor.

But he in the first inning had the triple.

They got to the wall.

So you never know what could happen right here.

If Medford gets on Good, Stowers in pretty much 70, 75% breaking ball tonight, and he's done a really good job of throwing it out of the zone when he needs to and then lining it for a strike when he when he has to.

This he's grounded a short the throat of Hurst in time for out number one.

It's one of those things cowboys we haven't had very many ground outs tonight we talked about that earlier fly ball fastball and then we've had a couple of that.

The first pitch of the game from Austin, Howard was back to the pitcher, but that may be the only third or fourth ground ball we've had.

I think according to my work, Ali's for Palestine Week.

That's just the second Hickman grounded into a double play, but he hit that triple in the first.

And you talk about a guy who is digging deep right now.

He is battled through on the mound.

What does he have left in the tank here in the batter's box, Keep their season alive.

And one thing to mention, if he does get on Cal him being two ways, you have a courtesy run because you have the reentry rule in high school baseball that you can reenter the starter.

But he is still the pitcher of record, so you can have that courtesy runner for him.

Good II to get a head to toe.

We know that Stover's been mostly Offspeed Curveball pitcher, but Hickman has not seen a fastball since that triple stover and Hickman pitcher against pitcher here lays off the inside pitch.

Hickman has really good plate discipline.

His last, last time off the bat against Howard.

This one is up the middle of base hit.

How about Hickman digging deep and he gets a board with a base hit?

How about the three oh green?

Like, that's what I'm talking about.

To those Kevin Winds and his devers.

If it's three oh, Center could swing the bat, especially with your best hitter up there.

Let the big dog eat.

Why not?

You're in this position.

Some people who say you have nothing to lose right there.

But you know and one of the best three hitters I ever had or ever seen was Cayden Wallace, who's playing great for Quad Cities right now in the Rules organization.

I've seen him put a couple of balls outside of a stadium on three oh, in the Greenbrier days?

Yeah.

So the tying run is a board in the top of the seventh for the cleanup hitter Austin Varner.

Curveball in there.

Strike one.

Yeah.

Varner has won twice.

Struck out in the fourth Stover right here being a majority Curveball pitcher sets up really well for a ground ball.

That's what that's what you're looking for right here.

Oh, Varner gets a hold of it.

It finds the gap into left field.

Varner gets a board.

Hickman to second and the go ahead run is a board for Palestine.

Wheatley in the top of the seventh to shorten up his swing right there.

Varner just did just did what he needed to do to drive that ball past the six hole and didn't try to do too much in over over swing right there.

The five hole hitters, the D.H. James Parson one for two on the day with a hit in the fourth and a walk in the fifth.

It's hard to reiterate how crazy this is right now.

Yeah, people are tuning in.

They're thinking how is it the seventh inning?

Did y'all have rain delays?

No.

Palestine Wheatley has played one heck of a ballgame right up to this point.

And if you're Austin Stover, that's your breaking ball.

That's where you want it right at the bottom of the zone right there.

That's where they're beating it into the ground.

You want those ground balls and want that chance to get that six, four, four, six, three double play right now, one and one.

Carson Jack swing a little bit too far on that one.

Try to hold up a little too late on that one.

Really good pitch right there.

Westover Yeah, he knew it.

Yeah.

You know Jack Swing again.

Did he go?

He did.

Out number two, home plate umpire James Brown went ahead and got that one right there.

He saw it and had the knee to go to his partner at first base.

And you know, in high school, it's different from college.

The it's the intent.

Did he intend to swing right there in college baseball?

They for the barrel the bat going to the front of the plate and passed it.

But James Bryant said he he had his intended intention was to swing right there so the Trey Guthrie, the center fielder, is going be the last hope here for the Patriots first ball in their strike.

One tying run in scoring position here in the top of the seventh Guthrie is oh for two with a walk and Westboro did get inserted as a courtesy runner for Hickman at second base swing and a miss Oh to home patriots down to their final strike get to hold it to left field moving back Weatherford and the catch is made the bears had to battle but the dynasty continues three two Woodlawn wins their ninth state title What a Game by Palestine.

Wheatley gave it all at the end right there and put a put a good swing on it Oh to count and catch Tommy Richardson with on Bears.

They've won their ninth state title in program history, third straight, sixth in seven years for this Woodlawn program.

Three two winners.

And boy, they had to battle for this one.

We're going to break it all down, show you the trophy presentation when we come back to Conway.

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Your treasure may be worth more than you know, hugs and a celebration.

I think perhaps a sigh of relief more than anything for those Woodlawn Bears.

They win state championship number nine all since 2008.

They have now won in 16, 17, 18, 21, 22 and 23.

And you see Palestine Wheatley.

Nothing to hold their head about this one.

They were the Cinderella story.

And now Woodlawn got to accept that trophy and hold that one high in the air.

This Woodlawn team persevering through.

Boy, they were tested from Palace Team Wheatley today.

They were in woodlands in starting one in three on the season.

And the last one is always and was the toughest tonight.

Cal And you got to give it to Coach Woodson and his ballclub.

That team is going to be around next year.

They're going to push for, you know, maybe another state title run.

But Coach Richardson is that they've been here before.

You could see it pressure moments young men rose to the situation.

Alison Stover Our own Stover did a really good job of coming in, getting those last six or seven outs where they their season with 21 straight wins.

Let's show you how it happened here.

This was a scoreless game for a long time until the fourth.

And, you know, that's when you're Palestine Wheatley you're starting to think, hey, we're hanging around in here.

We're the underdogs.

We got a chance.

Let's take a look at how we got here.

And you can see from the second inning Palestine.

Wheatley They had their chances.

They left seven men on through the first few innings.

And how about that man?

Hickman He dug deep in this game.

He pitched Outstanding to give his team a chance.

HOLTZ Palestine Wheatley to travel to Woodland, I should say, to two hits.

If you're Palestine Wheatley, you're looking back at a couple mistakes.

He couldn't come up with that big hit when you needed it most.

They stranded in that inning and then Woodlawn able to capitalize they scratch across a couple runs and that's the play that just comes back to haunt you.

There's no other way to say it.

And woodland taking the three nothing lead there it was walks that Palestine weakly back into it and then a balk gets them within a run three two and in the sixth inning here as well they certainly Palestine really had their chances and then they close it out and we see the trophy high above their head.

So what a championship there.

What a championship win for Woodlawn.

And let's look ahead to what's on tap tomorrow.

So glad we got this one in.

By the way, our coverage of the final four games of this championship will begin with the three softball final between Atkins and Boonville.

Looking forward to those baseball games tomorrow, Little Rock, Christian Valley View and Harding Academy River Crest for what should be a spectacular Saturday to round out championship weekend here in Conway.

We appreciate you being with us.

Congratulations to Palestine Wheatley for making it to this championship game for the first time and giving Woodlawn quite the scare.

The Bears come out on top four state title number nine.

Congratulations to the Bears and coach Tony Richardson for Kevin Bohan in Arkansas.

PBS Sports Group.

I'm Kyle DeKalb.

Have a great night.

We'll see you back here.