It is a beautiful day to the start of the Class 2A state championship game between Bigelow and Woodlawn.

Here at the Ben Athletic complex in Benton, AR.

I'm RJ honk along with Chris Hutchinson as we've got some familiar faces in Class 2A baseball with Woodlawn and then a first time or ever in Bigelow, we'll start with Bigelow Crisp because this is a Bigelow team that may have a little bit of nerves coming into this one because it is their first time in the state championship game, but they were a four seed coming in and they've pulled off quite.

A few number of upsets along way upset, Dirks in the first round.

Knocked off Rector and round two and then in the state semifinals, beating McCrory a team a lot of folks pegged going into the season would make it to this point.

Yeah, and I think a lot of people were shocked by the way that they went about that win against Mccroy to make it to Benton.

But then on the flip side of things, you look at Woodlawn.

This is a team that is no stranger to the finals as they are the defending champions.

They are synonymous with dominance, the Bears making their sixth straight finals appearance.

If you take out 2020.

Today, a chance for the Bears for back to back state championships.

Well, it is gonna be a little bit of an overcast today here at the stadium as we've got some clouds rolling in.

Don't really anticipate much weather throughout today's game now, maybe on Friday and Saturday we may get a little bit of weather here in Benton, but ought to be a great day for some baseball here at the stadium.

Let's go ahead and quickly run down our lineups for both these teams, as we will start with the visiting teams for Bigelow, they're going to have Connor Curtis who's going to lead things off.

With Hunter Alexander Carter, Alexander Bublik, Evan Reagan, Brant Tipton, Rhett Newmeyer, and Brayden Willingham falling out with Ethan Hall and then for Woodlawn.

Parker rot in the left fielder.

Kyle Edmonds is gonna be your pitcher today.

Owen Stovers at first base Jackson case betting in the five hole is Dylan Butler.

Jade Wilmoth isn't batting 6 Jason Bishop Brayden Jones.

Tate Hall is your DH, batting 9th and then in right field today for Woodlawn.

It's gonna be Jacob Willits.

Now if you look at the starting pitcher for Woodlawn, it is Kyle Edmonds and he pitched in his first game last week in the state final or state tournament.

He's been injured all year.

Yeah, coming back from a UCL injury and if you usually hear that in baseball, you're thinking season over.

So for him to battle back to get this point is quite the comeback story.

More than familiar making big plays in Benton was the state Finals MVP a year ago, struck out nine in that extra inning thriller over South Side B Branch.

You can see the the big brace on his.

Elbow, it's not his throwing arm, it's on his on his glove arm, but he will pitch today.

He is going to Crowder College and so you expect big things that you know a lot of kids that go to Crowder.

They're only there a year or two before they go and play Division One baseball or or even high level division two.

And so really I think if you know anything about college baseball just because you're leaving high school and going to a junior college, that's not a bad thing.

Absolutely, you've got several examples.

All throughout I mean, I covered 1 Curtis Washington junior and played at West Memphis.

Had a cup of coffee with the Razorbacks.

Went to Wabash Valley College, now playing Big 10 baseball and Purdue.

So any pass you could take to D1 baseball, it's quite the path to take.

Kyle Edmonds is a set on the mound for Woodlawn.

The battery is Jaden Wilmoth behind the plate, across the infield.

You've got Owen Stover at first base, Brayden Jones at second, Jackson, Casey Short, Dylan Butler at third in the outfield.

Parker Wroten is over in left field.

Jesse Bishop is in.

Center and Jacob Willis is in right field and leading things off for Bigelow is Connor Curtis, who comes in with a 319 average and eight RBI's and he'll start things off here for Bigelow in the 2A championship.

First pitch is going to be high, and outside it'll be called a ball to start things off here to Everett Field.

Yeah, can encourage stepping into the plate, you know, leadoff hitter.

Had more I wanna say tied for third or fourth on the team and hit.

So definitely playing the leadoff role.

Well this season pitch is high and inside how to get the old duck in there to make it two and oh and and you know, oftentimes you think that there's going to be some butterflies in a state championship baseball game for Woodlawn I mean.

There's no stranger as we've talked about, but I I would imagine, though if you're a guy like Kyle Edmonds who had pitched a lot all year, you know you got some.

You got a little bit of pressure coming into this one.

Here's the two pitch.

It's up high and inside again.

Now it's three and them cannon with some great patience at the plate in that first at bat where you're thinking, maybe butterflies on the side of Bigelow.

Maybe you're going to, you know, hack straight away the first couple pitches you showing.

Great patience.

The first AB of the ball game.

Three O's the count.

I would imagine you're going to see a straight take right here as the pitches I'll be right down Broadway to make it 3 in one.

Edmonds kind of settling back in after those three early balls, we'll see how the rest of this AB shakes up.

Honored Curtis at the plate following him will be Hunter Alexander and Carter Alexander.

Everyone's on the way and it swung on and found out a play to make things full.

High in nice competitive pitch there.

Even if he doesn't take old blue may.

Call strike there in your favor.

Good competitive pitch there from admins.

Now, one thing about this big little lineup.

They are very stout on the top five hitters.

I mean you're looking at guys that are all hitting over 280 as the three two pitch is fouled off down the right field side.

But you know you've got Curtis batting 319 Alexander at 404 Carter Alexander at 4:31, Beau Billick at 369, and then Evan Reagan at 286.

Really, if you get a majority of your run production now that top half your this is this team feels really good about getting a win, and especially with how.

Much of a lottery.

The state tournament is every AB matters, so having that clutch production at the plate helps right two pitch bowl back and battling at the plate is Connor Curtis.

And one thing, if you're Bigelow and and you see the very first batter of the ball game and Curtis just fouling off fouling off, you know that that's going to set in good because as we've talked about, Kyle Edmonds is not had a lot of trips on the mound.

And, you know, tire him out early and and get into that bullpen for Woodlawn.

3 twos slapped the third.

It went right off his cheek and took a bad hop right off the grass and.

Connor Curtis will be on the bags.

That's what happens baseballs in your favor.

You stretch it eight pitch at bat and an all turf field here at Everett Field at Panther Stadium.

You never know what's gonna happen with all those corks and bounces off the bat.

Nolan Butler was the 3rd baseman and you can see the replay right here.

Just took a hop.

It was a high hop off his cheek and.

They're gonna they're gonna count that as a hit.

A base hit for Connor Curtis and now Hunter Alexander's at the plate who's batting 404 with seven home runs and 29 RBI this year.

He leads the team in double s along with long balls and seven steals.

This season her ball swung on and missed and it's own one.

Working ahead is Kyle Edmonds and.

After that last about, you know he's he's glad to see the Owen one rather than a couple of balls early in this count.

And then, especially now you're 1 ground ball away from getting back in in charge in the inning.

01's another curveball, and six swan and missed.

Didn't see as many curveballs there that first did bat.

Edmonds, kind of trusting more of his stuff there as the inning progresses.

Just underway here in the two, a title game in the top of the first inning.

And that one's found back, you know the dimensions here at Everett Field down the left field line, you've got 320 over in left Center 355.

Deep center straight Away Center 375 over in the right alleyway 355 and in right field it's 320, so not a huge part, but I mean if you get those gaps you're going to be able to run a little bit, and especially if you get it in the deep left center, right center field alley as well.

Here's a base hit into center field by Alexander and they're going to send him to 3rd.

That's going to be.

Curtis sliding in and it got cut off and now you've got runners at first and third here in the top of the first inning.

And that's what happens when you're aggressive there on the base paths.

You might as well go for it in that situation when you have nobody out in the frame and it was a nice barrel there by Hunter Alexander for the hit, and now Carter Alexander coming up to the plate.

Batting 431 on the year with six RBI.

Got 39 RBI's no 6 homers on the year.

Leads the team in batting average leads the team in hits with 28 on the season.

Also has the only triple on the ball club this season.

Waters on the corners.

No out here on the top of the first for Bigelow.

You wonder here.

Maybe in the situation, maybe you try to send the runner to 2nd to maybe avoid that possible double play trying to keep.

Alexander tied it first base.

A little threatening early here in the top of the first inning.

Her ball in there, Swan and miss it's own one.

Another early curveball to start the at bat, just like the the previous event for Edmonds.

We'll see if it's a different result.

He's got a really sharp breaking curveball.

It's it's almost a 12 to 6 like a 11 to 6 that is able to go.

But here's a pick play that went bad and that's going to score a run for Bigelow and advance the runner digging holes on top, one to nothing.

Canon Curtis taking full advantage of that miscue.

There, the possible pick off throw to 1st off the Mark Cannon, Curtis taking full advantage to a touch home plate.

Give Bigelow an early lead in, you know, calm some early nerves.

Care that you may have thought the Panthers may have had entering this game, but they're kind of showing the early kind of early signs of how they were able to pull off so many upsets in the state tournament.

Put that error on the pitchers.

This one popped up in the right field.

They pulled in there and one of one advance is Alexander stays at second base.

That's the first out of the ball game.

Now very nice play there.

By Jacob Willis in Wrightsville.

Tracking down and like, here's the replay of that pickoff.

Throw those off the mark and allowing Curtis to come on home for the first run of the ball game.

So Bob, Billy's gonna be at the plate now batting 369 two home runs 26 RBI.

One out here on the top of the first, Bigelow leads that wanted nothing.

There's a pick, playback to second.

It goes into center field, but.

Whatever is love and that could score one is it's gonna go all the way to the warning track it does and figure those up two to nothing off airs.

Two runs off of two hits.

And probably not the way a lot of folks expect the two runs to come across the plate and E. 8 There on the on the exchange, another pickoff play.

Off the mark and then I would say if this was a grass field, that ball may be not is going as far it is on all turf field and all those bounces you see along the way.

I think honestly you could almost afford 2 errors on the play.

I would say that too you could.

You could put an error on the shortstop and then another error on the center field.

I I definitely would score it that way as well.

Here's a fastball that misses inside just wanna know Cabo Billick.

Now we may see him in a relief role later.

Leaves the team interesting, leads the team with three saves.

Has four wins as a starting pitcher this season.

One O's up top.

Tuna on deck is Evan Reagan.

And you know, Craig Newmyer's got to be loving this.

Start for his ball club in this first ever state finals appearance.

There's two opitz.

It's outside called the ball.

Fittingly, 2 teams wearing black and white and that pitch was a little bit.

On the outside corner of the box.

So it's the second time in the game.

That Kyle Edmonds had a 30 count on a player, and that's gonna walk him four straight balls is gonna send Billick to first base.

And a quick chat now at the mound between the.

The pitcher in the catcher and.

I'm definitely impressed how patient Bigelow has been at the plate so far in this opening inning where you see, we've seen in in years past.

A lot of teams come to the state championship game and are really aggressive at the plate.

They've been very patient and just picking their spots and it's definitely paid off.

So so far for Craig Neumeyer's Ball club.

So now.

The meeting on the mountains over and you've got a runner at first base for Billock.

Looks like we've got Brant tipped in at the dish now for the Panthers with one out in the top of the first inning.

Edmonds already on 18 pitches, which I know that's not what he expected for the opening frame of the ball game.

The pitch is in there called the strike to tip him.

Nice 81 mile an hour pitch.

But the Bears a ground ball away from possibly getting out of this inning.

Here's the 01.

As the bone attempts no good and it's Owen 2.

Not a bad idea.

Bunning, when you've already had this much success on the base paths early on and.

The The Bears a little skittish early on, too early errors.

Now on that first curveball, Swan and Mr. Tipton.

Pinpoint they're changing speeds all throughout the AB and it results in a strikeout for Edmonds.

So now Evan Reagan will be at the plate.

11 and so Reagan batting 286 was one home run and 14 RBI.

Is that the plane?

Let's see if the Panthers can continue a dream starts the ending, but there's another curveball by Edmonds for a strike.

And I believe he got a a a small piece of it as it was found tipped into the glove and it's own one.

But Edmonds getting ahead in another count where there been a couple AB here early on, where he's been behind the count, so getting ahead may.

Kind of get him a little bit of momentum here to end the first inning, but we'll see.

Two outs are in the top of the first inning.

Oh ones on the way.

And it's.

Slaughter that this is inside.

That's one in one, and I've seen so many batters over the years, regardless of who's pitching, you have a slider like that inside, and it's like so tempting to hack and go after it.

But great patience there by Reagan to hold off for a ball.

One in one.

The page is called a strike on the outside corner.

It's one and two.

Nice 82 Miller there on the outside corner ahead in the count once again, a strike away from getting out of the inning.

We'll see what Bigelow has to say about it.

One ball 2 strikes as the runners at first base pitches on the way, swung on foul tip and the left field side and keeps count one and two if.

Tippins able to get on Newmeyer is gonna be at the plate.

He's their third baseman for Bigelow today.

They so far made it six men deep in the lineup.

I mean especially to get this far in the lineup opening inning and you chew up pitches in the process and to get a couple runs.

I mean, it's a dream start for Bigelow.

One two pitch is on the way Swan missed, and that's gonna do it for the top of the first inning.

So Bigelow, they scratch across two runs on two base hits.

They strand a man and we head to the bottom of the first inning, where the Bigelow Bears.

They lead it two to nothing over Woodlawn.

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We head to the bottom of the first inning where Bigelow leads at two to nothing over Woodlawn and this will be woodlawn's first attempt to add the plane.

They will send Parker rotten, Kyle Edmonds and Owen Stover to the plate and I said right his rope.

Excuse me.

Parker wrote in the left fielder and then on the mountain.

4 Bigelow, it's hunter Alexander, who's seven and one on the year with a 1.57 ERA.

He's had 108 strikeouts this year with only 28 walks, but he's got a familiar face in that battery.

Is Carter Alexander's behind the plate for Bigelow?

So Ron is going to be at the plate for his first attempt today.

Woodlawn's 26 and six on the year.

And I'll give you the alignment for the entire Bigelow defense here.

After this first pitch.

First pitch is a little high called the ball and on the infield you've got newmeyer over at third base, Billick and short Kurtis and 2nd and Reagan at first base.

I was on the way.

And it's going to miss low and it's two.

And oh, in the outfield you've got Braden Winningham, Brandt Tipton and Center and Ethan Hall over in right field.

Now nice start to the AB.

Here 4 Woodlawn getting ahead in the Count 20 is called a strike on the outside corner.

It's two and one.

Now you mentioned Hunter Alexander 108 strikeouts.

Had a looking strike there.

He's had.

He struck out 46 batters looking at this season.

Two one pitch is gonna miss.

Only three in one.

Today's umpires for the game you've got Derrick Lewis behind the plate.

Sam Kabir over at first base in Antonio Gibbons over at third base.

20 ones on the way.

It's going to miss inside.

And then we'll open the first AB 4.

Woodlawn with walk.

Nothing better to lead off the ball game if you're Woodlawn, with the exception of a hit or a home run.

Of course, get a lead off, walk together, get some early momentum, and now Edmonds at the plate for the Bears.

As we said, he's only played one game and it was the in the semifinal game.

Prior to this, one had a good game, though he batting 600 is that one is up high and tight to make the count one and oh.

Had five RBI in that game.

One of those can be called a strike on the outside corner.

It's one in one, and in that match up nearly outscored Buffalo Island central by himself.

It was a six to three ball game on May 14th NBA branch, so we'll see if they can generate more momentum at the plate.

11 swung on into shallow center field that'll get down for a base hit and woodlans got runners at first and second I could only dream of having an excuse me swing, drop for a hit.

Almost a Texas leaguer going between the second basement and the center fielder there.

Yeah, it's kind of a check swing.

Yeah went into the outfield.

So for the Bears will be Owen Stover at the plane, batting 348 with three home runs this year in 29 RBI.

Jones got runners at first and second.

You know what's impressive about this Woodlawn team.

They have scored 327 runs this year.

That's a whole lot in just 32 ball games.

Yeah, so I mean you're averaging close to 10 runs a ball game.

First pitch is called a strike on the inside corner.

Jackson Rainey now pinch running at first base for the Bears.

01 the show bun.

Get it down the third base side, but it goes foul and bring the count down too.

That's wrong.

Owen Stover no stranger to this stage Forbitten he had the go ahead RBI's last year in the state finals and that extra inning thriller over the branch.

Well, here on the bottom of the first inning, make a little on top 2 nothing.

Alexander, with the leg kick and the curveball, it's going to miss high and takes the count to one and two.

You know you.

You talked a little bit about the turf here at Benton, and you know it's kind of the thing that you see.

A lot of baseball stadiums going to across the state of Arkansas.

A lot of municipalities going with the turf.

I know the University of Central Arkansas, they've got an all turf field now and.

The 1/2's on the way and it's going to miss inside even the count at 2 apiece.

But I, I think that.

Baseball's kind of starting to take after football and go.

Wow, the maintenance is so much less when you when you just turned the whole thing.

Ohh yeah, but.

When you get them hot days because like I covered the the five A state semifinals in Hot Springs and Majestic Park.

Yeah, beautiful facility all turf, but that heat was not fun.

2 twos swung on under the glove of the second baseman.

That'll score, run and go all the way to the wall.

It's going to score two runs and Stover is motoring.

It's going to be a stand up triple.

So.

Women's gonna score Edmonds will score stovers at third with a triple and we've got a tie ball game just like that.

And a whole bunch of folks in Woodlawn white shirts.

Loving the result of that AB.

I mean, textbook takes it the other way, and in this case we talked about the turf.

Turf definitely in the Bears favor right there, rolling all the way to the wall.

Stand up triple, stand up two, run triple.

Well, I think part of that, I mean that was it was.

That was a well, it was well hit bald and and it went just under the glove of the second baseman.

Canon.

Curtis and.

The the gap in between center and right field was so large because center field with Tipton when he was kind of shading over the left field a little bit and so the gap was so big that once it got underneath his glove there was no running that one down.

And then you know, with the the help of the turf is we just talked about, it's going to be a little bit more speed on the ball and we we talked.

We talked about Woodlands offense generating a whole bunch of runs, averaging nearly ten runs a ball game.

Now you're essentially an AB away from having a 3-2 lead with nobody out in the first Jackson case.

Is that the plane has he'll fly one over to the left side that might stay in fair play if somebody can run it down, but they can't, and so it's all in one.

Case on the year average, he's got a 392 average eleven home runs and 65 RBI.

Honey, you've got like you have six players in the Woodlawn lineup.

Batting at least 300.

You've got nine players with at least ten RBI this season, so that helps.

If you're generating about 10 runs a ball game, it helps if you've got offense like that one through 9 in the lineup.

The old one is a slider that misses out or that it's swollen outside and it's now oh and two.

Nice off speed delivery by Alexander there to get ahead in the count.

O2 is just kind of slapped in the left field.

That was all like a check swing and he was able to get it down and get the lead.

That's like a Vlad Guerrero special.

By Jackson case ball clearly out the out the zone.

But great work there with the bat to send to the other way.

For an RBI single bears.

We're down to nothing airing the bottom of the first.

They're already they're back on, they're on top now.

Three to two nobody out in the in the inning.

Dylan Butler's up.

Next, he's the third baseman today, batting 477 with a home run in 21 RBI, as they have a throw over to first base.

But that was a. I mean just to be able to get enough bathead speed out there to to be able to float that one over.

The shortstop was pretty impressive.

As first pitch misses, loan is want to know all three hits so far for for Woodlawn they've earned them.

They have great bat work.

You know, by Edmonds by Stover, and by case one of those high, and it's two, and oh.

And of course, if your your head coach Tommy Richardson gotta love the resolve of this ball club bouncing back immediately after giving up a two spot in the 1st 2O, was that outside corner to bring it to two and one Jaden Wilmoth is on Deck 4 Woodlawn.

21 is popped up backside of second base.

Trying to make a play is the 2nd baseman Cannon Curtis and he's able reel that one in for the first out here in the bottom of the first inning.

Nice defensive play there tracking a ball kind of getting away from a little bit, but Kurt is tracking it down to the out now.

If you're the position of the Panthers, you're ground ball away, possibly from getting out of the inning unscathed.

Only giving up three runs, but.

Now you've got the catcher.

With Jayden Wilmott at the plane batting 312 on the year.

There's a nice fastball at 82 on the outside corner to bring it to Owen one and something to kind of keep track of already.

You know, both starting pitchers already over 20 pitches and we're still in the first inning so bullpen could be a factor in this one.

Here's another one, another fastball high and it's one in one.

Ohh one Swar 11 Swan and miss to bring it to one and two and he's consistent with that fastball at 82 miles an hour.

He certainly has definitely picked his spots here and there in the first inning.

1/2 runner goes throw down to second.

He'll slide in easily at second base.

They called it a ball high and that'll even account at two and two, but now woodlawn's got a runner at second base with a stolen base, and more importantly, avoid the double play ball.

I mean nice effort by Alexander rifling over the second little bit off the mark there and loud case to steal 2nd.

Here's the 22.

Swan and missed the strike out.

Hey, that's one way to bounce back.

Very nice pitch there.

To add to.

Hunter Alexander strikeout.

Total for the year.

Now they had to put him at 109 on the year as Jess Bishop will be at the plate.

With 28 RBI this year, average of 224.

Runners at second base for Woodlawn.

He'll go to 3rd throw down and it's going to be high and he'll head home.

Hill slide in it's 4/2 take advantage of the base paths and good things will happen.

We always hear in baseball all the time.

You don't wanna make the final out at third base, but if you got speed like case there on the base pass, you're willing to roll the dice in that scenario and.

I think we set pregame Woodlawn, rocking the monochrome Milwaukee Brewers look.

Yeah, with the four spot already in the first inning.

So they're gonna have an error on Bigelow.

That'll be their first, but you can also give him a stolen base.

So he had two stolen bases right there in the first inning at that one time on the base pass.

Here's the 2O.

That's going to be outside to make it 3 enough already 3 errors combined in this first inning and a big factor while we've had already 6 total runs in the ball game, that'll be a strike right down the heart of the plate to bring it to three and one.

Nice pitch there to settle things down.

3 ones high and outside some other walk boy you you kind of feel for Hunter Alexander because he kind of got in a groove by getting a pop out to Dylan Butler.

Then Wilma struck out so he's sitting.

He's sitting pretty with two straight outs and now things are just kind of unraveled over the last two minutes of the ball game and already at 30 pitches in the opening frame.

And on the flip side Woodlawn.

Kind of not afraid of the moment at all.

Clutch at the plate with two outs in.

Four runs across.

Brayden Jones is going to be at the plate now.

4 Woodlawn as they are at the 8th spot in Orlando.

Pitch will be high.

10:10 AM start but both offenses locked in, to say the least.

And you know, earlier this week there was a lot of people that were they were talking about the early starters that pitches in there called the strike at one and one but a lot of Woodlawn fans were not happy that this is back to back years.

The Woodlans having played the 10:00 AM game and you know the AAA and we're going to have Bobby Swofford on later, but that you really have to with baseball.

You've got to work these games around graduations.

And things of that nature that's fouled off on the bun.

But, and so you're working in not just the two way graduation, but you're working in the 6A and the 5A.

And so you've kind of just got your game time is dependent upon when you're going to graduate essentially absolutely, and not every not everybody's graduating at the same time.

I mean, you already have some schools, already had graduation ceremonies already taken care of, and then if some they're still doing it in the weeks to come.

And there's the curveball.

Strike three, boy, that was a big curveball, right?

Here by a hunter Alexander to get out of the inning, but not until Woodlawn puts up a four spot here in the first inning.

It's four to two Woodlawn leads, Bigelow and you're watching this Centennial Bank State baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.

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Ohh we head to the top of the second inning where Woodlawn leads four to two.

They are the defending 2A state champions and a little bit of sun starting to pop through the clouds here in Benton as it was a very overcast day when we started here.

But now Sun starting to peek through and I believe we're going to have some nice baseball as we move through the rest of the day as Bigelow they put up two runs in the top of the first and now they are going to have their 789 hitters at the plate with Rett Newmeyer, Brayden Winningham and Ethan Hall.

Rounding out the lineup for.

Bigelow, here on the top of the second inning so far for Bigelow, two runs off two hits with an error.

Woodlawn four runs off three hits with two errors.

Back on the mound is Kyle Edmonds says he'll have a first pitch strike to Newmeyer Perfect way to start the start the half inning after put up a four spot.

No better way to kind of keep the momentum going with a a first pitch strike to get ahead in the count, especially for Edmonds to get some kind of continuing this momentum on the mound.

Here's the one that Swan missed.

Got him handcuffed on the inside part of the plate and sewing, too.

Number on the year batting 213 with seven RBI.

O2's gonna miss outside?

And it brings us to one and two?

You know we talked earlier in the 1st about how dominant the first half of the lineup is for Bigelow.

Everybody batting over 285 and you look at the 6789 hitters, not so much as the 1/2 is popped up on the infield in foul territory.

And right, there's Edmonds to come over and make the catch in foul territory for the first half.

MLB spring training.

Would love that pitchers fielding practice that was textbook there.

Tracking down the flyball for the out.

Brighton Winningham up next to the left fielder batting 180.

Twelve RBI this year.

He'll work from the left side with one out here in the top of the second inning.

Already kind of shaping up to be a polar opposite of the first inning, where it kind of Woodlawn.

Kind of establishing control early in in the frame.

Swan lifted the center field, giving chase as the center fielder Bishop, and he'll make a nice catch him a basket catch in center field is he had to give that one a run to get the second out.

That was anything but a routine flyball to left center great.

Great job tracking it down.

By Joyce Bishop.

I think he he's got a smile right there.

He's like WHOO wasn't expecting that one out all of a sudden and especially the angle that it was coming off the bat as well.

So I mean 2.

Great fielding plays by the Bears.

You have two early outs and then more importantly you're not chewing up a lot of pitches.

Now.

The 9 hole hitter.

Ethan Hall.

Has a called strike to start his at bat it's own one.

Edmonds ahead in the count once again in this half inning.

Curveball misses inside one in one kind of seeing a little little bit more zip on that curveball in that second inning, you know, Edmonds kind of getting getting more and more comfortable with that pitch.

He seems, though, I'll just more settled on the mound as the one ones on the way that Swan and missed bring it to one and two.

You could see that he was a little bit frustrated there in the.

Top of the first inning.

Just his curveball wasn't really working like it was one and two he was missing with his fastball, but he's made some adjustment and got it.

It's working now.

Here's one too.

That's a fastball that misses a little high, and it's two and two.

But hey, a a four run inning if you're a starting pitcher.

A four run inning from your offenses.

Definitely the the the the elixir of the medicine.

You kind of want to kind of calm things down.

Two tubes on the way, swung on and missed.

123 Go the Panthers here in the top of the second inning, we head to the bottom where Woodlawn leads at four to two.

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Have prints made of course these are a great championship keepsake and a lot of folks over the years that have been able to get the photos, whether it be the football games, basketball championships or even baseball last year that they they get those photos and share them with folks on Facebook.

Things of that nature, but always a great souvenir.

If you're gonna have a athlete here at the state championships, well, we're at the 9 hole hitter for Woodlawn and that is Tate Hall and he'll swing and miss at his first pitch to bring to Owen one halls batting 190 on the year with five RBI.

Designated hitter for today's ball game.

Here's the deal, one that swung on lifting the center field and giving Chase is tipped in the.

He'll pull it in for the first out here in the second nice job defensively by Tipton.

Tracking it down from his center field post there for the early out.

And if you're Bigelow, that's definitely what you want.

After essentially a 34 pitch opening inning to get an early kind of two out like 2 inning there for the first batter there to kind of maybe settle things down after that.

Opening inning Parker Rotten is at the plate as he'll foul tip 1 back to Brent Owen.

One he walked his first plate appearance.

Last inning and then later came around to score.

He's playing left field today.

That leadoff walk definitely set the table for the Bears in that opening inning.

Curveball is way on top.

Couldn't get it to come over and it's to an 0.

Kyle Edmonds is on deck for Woodlawn.

Good crowd as usual for the state championship games is a lot of folks in the stands is a fastball catches that inside corner that goes one and two.

To the surprise of no one, just about the whole Woodlawn community is here.

Ohh yeah, especially Timmy, you could pretty much.

Commit a crime and either one of these towns.

No one's gonna know it because everybody's here, that's the beauty.

Of the like the 1A and the two A schools, you have pretty much the whole town.

One town 11 team, one town kind of mentality.

Two Jews account.

Fastball swollen and missed and he strikes out for the second out here in the ball in the second inning.

Getting close there to back to back.

123 innings for both both sides after a whole lot of offense in the opening inning.

So now Kyle Edmonds is at the plate.

He had a base hit to center field back in the first inning.

Curveball is way over the top of Edmondson.

Starts the count at one to know.

Just think Kyle Edmonds is only a junior.

A lot of baseball left in him at the high school level.

Headed to Crowder College as 10 Swan and found back it's one in one.

You had a whole bunch of folks behind home plate.

Just kind of that.

That normal reflex.

The ball hits the net.

Everybody kind of like leans back.

Two outs here in the top of the second inning or bottom of the second excuse me.

That's up high to bring two in one, and now you're kind of seeing a little bit more of the the plate patients Woodlawn showed in that opening inning.

You know getting a you know getting ahead in the count and setting yourself up for some possible offense.

Bal back to even the count at 2 apiece.

2 balls, two strikes.

Up never know.

Fastball caught the outside corner called Strike Three and that's gonna do it for the bottom of the second inning.

So just like Woodlawn did there in the top half, Bigelow comes back and goes 123 here in the second we head to the top of the third inning where Woodlawn leads 28 championship four to two and you're watching the Centennial Bank State baseball championships in Arkansas.

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You can join the baseball and softball conversation on social media with hashtag ARP CBS Sports while we go to the top of the third inning where Bigelow will have their 123 hitters in Connor Curtis, Hunter Alexander and Carter Alexander at the top of the line up back on the mountain, right there is Kyle Edmonds who is gone off to a rock and he started there in the first but has rebounded nicely and he's back out there in the sun.

Is fully out here at the Benton Athletic Complex cloud.

They're starting to go away and you know, Chris, you, you're gonna be covering the softball game later today and you just mentioned it.

The clouds went away.

It's about to get steamy out there.

It's gonna be it's gonna remind me of the the semifinals that covered in Hot Springs.

It was like Saturday it was this past Saturday and it was just hot so.

So Cannon Curtis is at the plate.

He had a base hit back in the first inning.

He later came around to score for Bigelow.

We'll work from the left side as we start the top of the third inning.

He took advantage of a wild pitch in that first inning to record the the first run of the ball game for the Panthers.

Fastball called a strike outside corner.

No Edmonds getting ahead in the count, just like he did in the second inning.

Looks like he's kind of really kind of getting in his groove there on the mound.

Here's the 01 curveball caught the inside corner of that time.

That was a slow breaking curveball.

And brings the count to 1/2.

Changing speeds in style, you know perfect start to the.

Any AB if you're a pitcher to early O2 count.

There's a foul off down the right field side, and.

I'll keep the count of one too.

Quite a bit of foul territory here in Benton compared to know some other high school ballparks.

I've been to this season.

Pitch count right now for.

Kyle Edmonds is at 39.

Here's the O2 aspal misses outside.

You talked about going down to majestic.

Last week, I've not yet to.

I've not been able to go down there and see the facility, but I heard it's fabulous.

It is fantastic.

You know you have the full size no Babe Ruth Field there for baseball.

You have Hank Aaron field.

I mean, it's just the facility.

The less than a year old hosted the five.

A baseball and softball championships, and it's going to cost a whole lot more in the future.

There's a fourth three put out by Jones to Stover and that'll be the first out here in the third.

Well, you know, I know that they had the GAC.

GDC conference tournament.

Down there and just trying to make it a baseball capital of Arkansas.

With all the facilities, but once again you talked about though another another facility with turf you.

You've got Conway that's, you know.

Their municipality has all their fields, have turf UCLA and then majestic.

Has that so kind of the way of the future?

Here's a curveball that hits the turf, and it's one.

And oh, and Speaking of turf, one of the no one of the programs I cover, nor in Northeast Arkansas Valley View.

Yeah, baseball and softball just turfed their infields.

Both programs will be in bitten tomorrow, both looking for state championships in Florida.

Here's the 10 fastball misses outside, you know.

Here's the one thing though.

No, I'm a I'm a former baseball player, played at high level and.

You kind of learned about the game by having to go and rake the mound or or, you know, rake the the bases after a ball game.

Now it's like, OK, let's go sweep.

Or like water the field.

Yeah, you don't do that anymore because that's the college strike to bring in two and one.

Now you know I just part of me and I understand because of the finances behind it by getting turf, it's financially.

Better for school because you're not having to fertilize you not having to do all this other stuff is the two one misses inside to go three and one.

But I still think there needs to be like a practice field or something.

They you you gotta you let the kids learn how to to rake them out or or rake around the bases.

Like in college football, we have college football.

Yet like just about every big name school has a grass practice field just in case.

For reasons like that, here's 1 lifted to the power alley and right field.

He'll round first head to 2nd and hold up right there.

Great job by a hunter Alexander getting his second base hit of the ball game.

And folks, you see why he's hitting 404 this season?

As the kids say, that was a perfect barrel barrel that straight away to right center field rolled to the fence for a stand up double.

Bigelow, generating some momentum now with one out in the inning.

Well now Carter Alexander who's already over one on the day.

He'll come to the plate.

But, you know, talk about power.

He's hitting four thirty one with six home runs, and.

39 RBI.

Also not bad on the mound this year.

Two wins in a save.

Pitching for the Panthers this season.

Thanks something about having the Alexander name baseball runs in the blood.

There's a curveball that caught that inside corner towing one.

Definitely a precise pitch there for.

Edmonds to start the count.

Not being held on its second, here's the old one curveball that's lifted the left field.

Giving chases.

Wroten and.

That's the second out here in the.

So that'll bring up billet now as he walked back in the first inning.

How many nice defensive effort there by the Bears?

Not just getting the out.

Hold the runner at 2nd.

You know pitch away from getting out of the inning unscathed.

Bill looks back at the plate.

He walked in the first inning.

And was stranded at first.

That's a curveball and a miss low and start him off at one and oh.

And that wasn't looking back at the replay just now that was.

Not a routine flyball there by and no Parker wrote and making the nice the Nice grab there for the out and tracking it down.

One of those that delivers are checking back into second base.

You know when we talk so much about facilities and and I'm just impressed with with what they've done here in Benton baseball, you got all turf softball looks amazing.

They've made the athletic complex.

The football stadiums just on the backside here at the baseball facility.

Benton's done a great job of of really upgrading all their facilities to to make them competitive in the state, and that one swung on.

It's one and one because, like?

We'll go to places every now and then.

You'll you'll hear some schools here and there say we have a complex.

Well, this is a legit complex.

Yeah, every sense of the word you know.

They've done.

They've spent some money, that's for sure, because it's not always been like that around Benton and and over the last five years they put a brand new indoor facility over the football stadium and it's all right here together.

And especially if you're a fan coming up here to to watch the finals this weekend, it's incredibly convenient fouled off his account to one and two.

We've got baseball action all weekend long.

You've got games this evening at 4:00 o'clock, or, you know, you watch, of course, baseball and softball right here in Arkansas PBS all day.

But as far as baseball's concerned, up next will be the four a game, the six, a game, highest classification of baseball in the state of Arkansas is the 1/2 is on the way.

They throw down to 3rd.

It's a stolen base, so that'll put a runner in scoring position for Bigelow, his.

That'll even also.

They'll also even the counted.

Going to, but we've got the 6A game tonight at 4:00 and then you've got baseball game starting at 1:00 o'clock, tomorrow, 7:00 o'clock, and then on Saturday at 10:00 o'clock and 1:00 o'clock.

So a lot of baseball here on Arkansas PBS over the next three days, and a great chance for you to watch the future stars of college baseball in the process.

22 swung on, chopped out the second.

He's able to glove it, that being Jones, he'll flip it to 1st, and that's gonna retire Bigelow here in the top of the third inning, so they get no runs.

One base hit.

They leave a man.

We head to the bottom of the third inning where Woodlawn they lead Bigelow 4/2 and you're watching this Centennial Bank Baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.

Sports is is so important to this state and the fabric of the state, and I appreciate our Kansas PBS doing all the state title games and that makes it available for not just the fans in Central Arkansas, South Arkansas, but fans around the entire state.

I can only think of the kids in small towns and this is the biggest moment.

Maybe in their sports careers and they have that keepsake of having that game on TV to have with them the rest of their lives.

Thanks George, appreciate it.

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Back here at Everett Field is now time to give you our player of the game and it's eastern hatch of Riverside High School pitcher infielder, and he's senior, but big big thing about it is he's got a 3 1/2 GPA planes place in college baseball, but our player of the of the season really for Class 2A is eastern hatch of Riverside High School.

Congratulations Easton and hey, go on and play that college baseball and get you an education wherever you may go now.

Persad not too far from my neck of the woods and Jonesboro, the rebels have had quite the tradition producing college pitchers, you know, got Gavin Stone played at Riverside.

Played at UCLA.

Just got promoted to AA with the Tulsa Drillers so may see him.

At Dickie Stevens down the road are up in Northwest Arkansas.

So Woodlawn back and played here in the top of the third inning.

The 345 hitters with Owen Stover, Jackson case, and Dylan Butler will be due up for the Bears here in the top of the third inning.

Woodlawn leads it four to two here in the two A state championship game.

Basketball is going one hop.

The plate bring the count to 1 and out.

Back in the first inning for Stover, he got a triple out of that one scored a run.

So they scored himself and it was great work with the bat went the other way and the ball and rode all the way to the wall.

Use a speed there to get on with the stand up.

Trip two run triple.

I slaughtered that time they got in there on the inside half to bring it to one in one.

Now we're kind of seeing both starting pitchers settling down a little bit after that first inning had a couple hits here and there.

Since that first inning fastball misses Hyde two in one.

I think that the key for not allowing Stover to hurt she keep the ball on the inside part of the plate because he is danger when dangerous.

When it gets outside is that was thrown behind him and that'll bring the count to three in one.

But and I think that's what you're seeing.

With Hunter Alexander, he's really trying to keep the ball in the inner part of plate.

And not allow him to extend his bat and and work opposite field.

Because if you're at the plate, if you can extend and you can get barrel.

More times than not, good things are gonna happen.

Here's 31.

That's a nice change up on the inside half to go.

3 Two really picked a spot there on the like you mentioned inside.

Part of the plate.

He's really been consistent there in this at bat.

Counts full at three and two.

That's fouled back.

For Bigelow Hunter, Alexander is now thrown 52 pitches and and really both pitchers are on pace throwing the same because Kyle Edmonds is thrown 53.

No nice offspeed delivery there by Alexander the the last pitch there.

Here's the three two swung on, fouled off.

But yeah, both pitch counts going up quite a bit.

We're in now, still in the third inning.

And like I kind of mentioned in the 1st or the 2nd, I think BULLPIN could play a definitely play a factor late in this ball game.

3/2's on the way and that just lost out of his hand, he was trying to go with the curveball and he just lost complete control of that.

So that'll send Stover to the plate or to first base with the walk.

And you wonder what it getting a little bit warmer out there?

Wonder if gripping no gripping the ball there is kind of was a factor there and that kind of that last pitch going off the mark.

So now it's plays gonna be Jackson case.

We had a base hit back in the first inning.

He later came around to score.

Case is gonna play college baseball next season.

Assignee of SAU tech.

Also leads the stick like leads the team with 38 hits this season runner at first base.

Is Stover you'll get thrown back?

Well, he's got the golden locks working, doesn't he?

The lettuce is Immaculate this afternoon.

As he has a pitch outside it's wanna know?

You know, that's kind of a trend for kids these days is to go with the long hair and you know, I've seen I've seen the mullet start coming back into play.

I only wish I could do that, but like yeah, my stage the the the the mid to late 30s.

I can't really do that.

I mean there's.

I mean I could have a fro every now and then but yeah can't go that far and be in the TV business.

Here's the 10 that's called a strike on the inside half.

It's one in one well.

He's really established the inside part of the plate on the mound in this inning.

So he he he's got the old bar.

Looks like the Barry Bonds wrap on that elbow, don't he?

I mean, that sucker is that is straight armor right there.

If you get hit on the elbow.

Throw over to 1st and gets back safely.

I mean that that is a.

You could throw a bowling ball at that.

That elbow is not gonna hurt him as the pitch goes higher outside two in one.

That's almost the size of a volleyball knee pad.

It really is.

2 balls one strike.

Swing on hard hit ball to right field gets to the gap and they'll hold runners at first and second after the base hit by Jackson case NO21.

Typical hitters count there and Jackson case taking full advantage just.

No, not doing too much there.

Kind of moving things station to station for the Bears.

A nice single.

And now if you're the bears this kind of shades of the first inning where you had two on early with nobody out in the inning and it really kind of generated their offense with that four spot in the first Bears looking to to do the same in the bottom of the third.

Dylan Butler said the plane.

He popped out to second base back in the 1st and as the ball gets past the catcher runners will advance on the wild pitch.

You take out the double play.

Now you're a hit away from possibly making it a four run lead.

One of those account.

You gotta think I can't see down the bullpen but you gotta think big low is gonna get start thinking about getting somebody up is changeups in there and bring his account to one in one.

Really nice pitch there by Alexander to change things up literally.

Now you're back to even in the count.

Swing swing on down the right field line that will stay in play.

If anybody can get to it, but.

It won't, and so that'll bring the count to one and two.

And honestly, that's a scenario where you're better off not catching it at all with, especially with how much foul territory there is.

Here in Benton, you catch that that's a guaranteed sacrifice fly, no doubt.

One ball 2 strikes.

Runners at 2nd and 3rd for Woodlawn.

Swan out to second base.

That'll score, run, they get it over first, but it gets underneath this club and that'll score two runs after the throwing error.

And that'll put Dylan Butler in second base.

So Stover comes in the score, and Jackson case comes in to score.

You put the ball in play.

Good things will happen.

Now Dylan Butler.

Nice work there with the bat putting the ball in play, at least guaranteeing yourself at least one run in the process.

And then the error allowing another run to score for the Bears.

And now it's six to two.

You've got a runner on 2nd with nobody out for Woodlawn.

Jade Willmarth is at the plate.

He struck out back in the first inning.

Which is high.

Started off at one and oh.

And you mentioned bullpen activity.

It's kind of tricky to see from our vantage point from their bullpen.

I don't see sense any activity just yet for the Panthers?

There's no outs here in the third.

Little ones already put up a two spot.

You've got one.

With that, the play Bishop is on deck and Brayden Jones.

Fastball called a strike on the inside half.

It's now one in one.

Nice delivery there, you know, picking your spot there on the inside half of the plate to bring the count even.

Pass Ball misses high and it's now two in one.

And I think now you're kind of seeing more of the championship experience of Woodlawn coming into play.

Being more patient at the plate, working the count more in their favor.

There's a chain jump that was found back and it's two and two.

We're in the bottom of the third inning where Woodlawn leads Bigelow six to two.

Here's another foul back and I mentioned championship experience.

I don't think you're gonna find a lot of coaches in this state with more championship experience than Tommy Richardson.

He's LED Woodlawn.

This is their 11th.

His 11th finals appearance, 7 state titles as head coach.

Pretty impressive, that's like Kevin Kelly and football numbers.

Here's the two two.

As this is outside is 3 and two, especially in two way where for a lot of programs you kind of at the mercy of numbers and Woodlawn has had great numbers for years.

Also helps you have a whole lot of talent.

Offensively and defensively.

Pick move back to second goes to center field and right there was the center fielder to make sure nobody advanced.

No, playing a little shallow there in center indefinitely.

Definitely helped to keep the runner there at second after the miscue on the pickoff.

3 balls, two strikes.

Swung on and fouled off again.

Don't forget the Razorback baseball team will be back at it this afternoon.

At 6:00 o'clock, as they start their final.

Final SEC series of the year as they're at Alabama, as that one swung on and now to center field.

They're gonna send him gonna try to score a run.

He will score it's seven to two great.

Great work at the plague by Wilma.

And you see a whole bunch of bear fans happy about this 72.

Bears in front wilmoth.

Great work at the plate, just taking it not doing too much is like I've said early in the inning.

Taking it right up the middle for an RBI single.

How many so?

Now that will take Jace Bishop to the plate who walked back in the first inning?

You mentioned though college baseball, pivotal, final, pivotal, final week.

Yeah, not just for Arkansas, but the team.

I primarily cover Arkansas State the red wolves in a hole to say the least.

They're travel to Louisiana Monroe.

They essentially need to sweep to get into the Sunbelt tournament, so it's been a rocky year to say the least.

For the red wolves, had some bright spots, but Sunbelt play has been.

Less than optimal to say the least, yeah.

01 as I throw it back over to 1st.

And you know, since we're going around the state UCLA's got, they've got a good series this weekend.

They're sitting pretty to to go through the conference tournament as this one swung on and lifted to right field and coming over to make the play is going to be hall, and he'll make the catch right on the foul line.

For the first out and Hall had to track.

No.

Hall had to track quite a bit there to to nab that ball on pretty much near the foul line, and for Bigelow to finally kind of get that momentum on your favor a little bit to finally getting out after.

Woodlot had all the momentum early on in this frame and still got a runner in first with one out.

So then, here's a first pitch swing by Jones.

They'll step on 2nd, throw to 1st, and they get the double play, so it was a 63 put out, but a double play ensued, and so now we head to the top of the fourth inning.

Where Woodlawn they lead this one seven to two and you're watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.

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Well, we will go to the 567 hitters for Bigelow here in the.

The top of the fourth inning where Woodlawn leads at 7:00 to 2:00 and back on the mound for Woodlawn is gonna be Kyle Edmonds so far in the day, Edmonds is down 53 pitches.

I just looked over and after that last inning hunter Alexander for Bigelow.

He is.

He's now up to 73 pitches.

He was out there a while that last inning so either way though, you've got Edmonds on the mound and Evan Reagan is at the plane.

The five hole hitter for Bigelow, he'll have Reagan tipped.

And newmeyer the 567 hitters do up.

And I want to see early if you know Edmonds can kind of get ahead in the count as he's done in the 2nd and in the 3rd to kind of put zeros on the board for the Bears I meant tiptons at the plate.

Excuse me, it's Tipton Reagan and then Newmeyer as the first pitch is called a strike outside.

Now, Edmund's growing a whole lot more comfortable on the mound after that.

That shaky first inning 01 curveball goes over the top of his head.

And it's.

Now one in one.

Brant Tipton, only a sophomore.

Working here in the state finals.

Swing on and slap foul right over the top of their own dugout.

It's now one and two.

A little bit more wind.

At the ballpark compared to the start of the game when it was overcast and.

Of course now.

Whole lot more sunshine in Benton.

Here's the one too Swan amist, and now they're going to say foul tipped so.

You'll stay at the plate, you know with the reclassifications of everything you being up in Jonesboro, Jonesboro.

Moving up to the the highest classification in football this next year, correct?

Absolutely, it's gonna be fascinating to say the least.

A whole lot of Rd trips to the Golden Hurricane.

But then you have a whole lot of Little Rock area teams.

Coming to Cooksey Johns Field, it's gonna be fascinating to see.

Kind of they're looking for a new quarterback.

So you're gonna kind of see their that's gonna be the one of the biggest storylines for JHS.

But then looking across the other sports for them, you know basketball is going to be fine.

I'm not really worried about that because you got Wes Swift.

Easily one of the best coaches in the natural state at the helm, but.

And then for baseball, that's gonna be fascinating to see what happens there.

Them going to 6A and having a whole lot of success in the, you know, in previous years and five a, you know the hurricane were in this finals last year were put out this year by Van Buren, a team that we're going to see this weekend.

As it's swollen on and it's slapping the right field, that'll be a base hit for.

Reagan, our summer brand, Tipton and so now Reagan will be at the plate.

No great work, thereby Tipton going the other way.

You know, finding some, finding some turf for hit.

You mentioned the reclassifications.

Let's just say it's going to take me a little bit over the summer to kind of get adjusted to some some new schools and some new conferences and some new places, you know.

I'll tell you what I'm looking, what I'm really looking forward to after this next pitch.

First pitch is a fastball that misses outside.

It's one to know it.

The five East is one I primarily cover in football.

You have Batesville and South side in the same conference.

Yeah, yeah, that is gonna be a whole lot of fun football season.

Yes it will.

One of those on the way, and that's swung on and missed.

Now one in one.

It'll be, it'll be different, I mean.

Changes can be good, you know.

You see, you see some teams that like Harding Academy that will move up.

They're gonna move from 3 to 4A in in some classifications.

And so you're going to see Pulaski Academy playing at 6A next year.

So here's one that's.

A fisted over in the left field he gets down for a base hit, so back to back base hits.

Now for Bigelow is both tipping and Reagan get on the bag.

Nice barrel job there to send it to left field for a hit and.

Now, if you're below this is all you can ask for.

You're down 5 entering the inning now you got two runners on nobody out in Rett Newmeyer coming to the plate.

New wire he fouled out to the pitcher back in the second inning.

But no.

I mean it'll it'll be very interesting.

I think it's gonna be a little different for fans no matter the sport whether it be football, basketball or basketball or baseball.

To see what conference their teams gonna be playing in.

First pitch is gonna be blunted right back to the pitcher.

They're just gonna go with the easy out at first base.

That'll advance the runners to second and third with one out.

Now here in the top of the fourth inning.

Nice work on both sides.

There textbook, bunt by newmeyer.

Then.

On the flip side, Edmonds, you know.

Calmly scooping it, firing the first now we've seen in several times, you have a scenario like that where you may try to rush that, throw to 1st and.

Bad things can happen as a result, but now Bigelow Runners second and third with one out in the inning.

Ryan Winningham at the plane to fly to centerfield back in the second inning, he'll get a call first strike.

Top of the fourth inning.

Seven or two Woodlawn.

Curveball misses inside and low.

To even account.

Now looking at the Woodlawn outfield looks like they're a little bit shallow.

So I think when you look at Winningham you see that he's batting 180 on the year, yeah?

But as we saw in previous innings, if you hit this in the right spot in left center field or right center field, it could be rolling for a little bit.

Well, you mentioned a moment ago.

The wind is really starting to pick up now it's not helping anybody here at the ballpark because it's blowing really over the right field, but more into home plate to right field.

But it the wind that started to pick up over the last 10-15 minutes.

Nominating if you're a fan sitting outside, you're gonna appreciate this breeze right now.

You know, when you're holding a camera when softball, it's gonna you're really gonna appreciate.

It is the one one is foul tip.

It's one and two now.

You know, very rarely I was just looking at the Bigelow lineup.

They don't use the DH and very rarely in high school baseball these days.

Do you not have a DH in the lineup?

As the one too has swung on and missed.

The strikeout for the second out here in the inning.

Great bounce back pitch.

By Edmonds to.

Now writing a lot of people here kind of stave off the momentum for a little bit, but.

Bigelow, trying to get back in the ball game trying to get a two out knock.

So now Ethan Hall will be at the plate.

He struck out back in the second inning.

Let's strike with a curveball right there.

Tell you the the curveball.

Michael Edmonds has been really good today.

A whole lot more zip in these last couple innings.

There was kind of trying to kind of get comfortable with it in the first inning.

01 comes with another curveball, and swan and mist, especially that type of curveball you're hitter at the plate.

That's so, so tempting to try to go after, especially with runners on base, but you know Edmund spotted spotted it perfectly.

He's just.

I mean he's bearing it into the turf every single time.

Here's the O2 there it is again.

Brings it to one and two.

Two outs here in the top of the fourth inning.

Another curveball swung on and missed, and that's gonna do it with back to back strikeouts to end the inning.

So for Bigelow they get tubes hits, they leave two runners on, they don't score a run, we head to the bottom of the fourth inning where Woodlawn leads the two A state championship seven to two and you're watching the Centennial Bank State baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.

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But we've got a new picture in the ball Game 4 Bigelow, as Bo Billick is the new pitcher.

On the season and Chris, go ahead and give us his numbers because he's kind of their go to out of the pen whenever they need somebody to come in.

No, he has four wins on the season also has three saves, has a 2.06 ERA this season for the Panthers.

Well for Billick he's going to face the 912 hitters for Woodlawn and it'll start off with Tate Hall working from the left side Fastball Swan and found up.

And it's going to go out of play and that'll start Tate Hall with an 01 count.

No Billegas pitched 37 and a third innings this season appeared in 12 games with six starts for the Panthers.

Here's the 01.

Curveball misses barely inside.

It's one in one.

Also another note on Billick.

Second on the team, among the pitching staff with 69 strikeouts on the season.

Here's the 11 nice fastball that hits at the knees.

It's one and two.

Just underway here in the bottom of the fourth inning.

There's 1/2 is on the way, swan out to short right there to make the play.

And the throw and don't get the first out.

As.

It was at the shortstop position, Hunter Alexander, who was pitching.

It's the six three put out showed off his arm there, rifling over to 1st in No Evan Reagan making the Nice play there at first to secure the out.

First pitch is outside the rotten.

So that brings the count to one and oh.

Aspall is gonna miss low and that takes the count to two and oh.

Now, establishing establishing the inside part of the plate there on the mound early on in this ABC.

Balls, no strikes, which is on the way and.

I'll miss outside with another fastball to go three and oh.

Especially if you're Woodlawn here, new pitcher.

If it's three, I'm just going to take.

That'll be a fastball right down Broadway to get the first strike to Parker rotten.

Written on the day he walked back in the first inning, struck out in the second.

3 Ones, another fastball called the strike to make things full.

Couple bounce back pitches there by.

Bill O'Connell, the Count is full.

32 found out of play.

But Woodlawn, they're kind of kind of showing a constant thing.

They've worked a whole lot of counts in this ball game.

Big reason why they're up 72.

3/2 Now fastball fouled off at the plate.

He's battling and that's one thing that you see with a lot of these Woodlawn players is they do a great job of just really being patient battling at the plate.

I think that one bounced up hit him in his rib hit.

That's got it.

That's gotta sting.

I don't care who you are.

Here's the three two came with a curveball.

Caught him sleeping.

2nd strike out today for Parker Rotten.

First strikeout for Bob Bullock and now there's two outs here in the 4th and that was straight precision there with that curveball.

Just like that, two up two down in the inning.

Now, Kel Edmonds is at the plane, struck out once and got a base hit back in the first.

He's a big curveball, as his first time to take on Beau billet.

And going back to bill like that last punch out there.

Backwards cave for scoring at home.

That's his 25th strikeout.

Looking at the season one, another curveball called a strike.

It's only two.

Trying to get Bigelow out of the inning, here's the O2 swung on out to short it's Alexander.

He bobbled it, throws the 1st, and it's not in time.

They're gonna call that.

I would imagine an error on Alexander at shortstop because it went in and out of his glove.

Yeah, they're gonna call it an E6 and so.

That'll be the third error for Bigelow in this ball game, and Edmonds getting on base again, but bears swapping runners as they've done throughout the ball game.

So now you got.

Jackson Rainey again pinch running.

Owen Stover is at the plate.

Curveball misses inside that had some movement.

Stover had a triple back in the first inning.

They walked in the third.

Here's the 10 basketball misses outside, and it's now two and oh, and that two run triple in early turning point in this ball game.

Forward line it was a shot to right center field that rolled to the fence.

It looked to throw over to 1st, but Runner got back safely.

Here's the 20 fastballs gonna miss low and takes the count to three and them.

With the way that he has been at the plate.

I'd sail.

Will now be bad to walk him, but then you got Jackson case, who's 2 for two on the day coming up next.

In case it's definitely been on a tear so far today.

Three O is gonna miss high and that will walk Owen Stover.

Now Woodlawn has runners at 1st and 2nd with Jackson case of the plate leads the team at home runs with 11.

He's 2 for two on the day, scored both times he's been on the backs.

Jackson case entered the ball game with 65 RBI on the season.

Do you love?

Well.

That's swung on and.

Pop straight back.

And that'll start him off at own one.

We heard that thump here in the press box.

Two outs here in the 4th inning.

It's own one to Jackson case.

Runners at 1st and 2nd.

Trying to hold the runner on over at second base.

Where they don't get set up in an easier scoring position.

Own one swung on, lifted out to center field and it's a can of corn.

4 Tipton and that'll do it for the third out here in the 4th inning.

So 4 Woodlawn in the fourth they don't get a base hit, but they strand too.

And as we head to the top of the fifth inning, Woodlawn leads Bigelow 72.

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Well, we go to the top of the fifth.

They ain't near.

Woodlawn leads Bigelow Seven to two still on the mound for Woodlawn is Kyle Edmonds out there.

Going strong went nine innings the other day and.

He's out there at the top of the fifth.

Hey, don't forget coming up here in the bottom of the fifth.

Then my my old broadcast partner, who Chris you're you're replacing him.

Bobby Swofford, who?

We use the word replace light.

Well, he he he joined the dark side and went over to the AAA and and now he's not doing broadcast anymore.

So he's actually going to be our interview here coming up at the bottom of the fifth inning.

We'll talk to him about all things going on with the AAA here in the bottom of the fifth inning of this 2A state championship game.

God had you along Chris, it's.

Been a little different.

Rather than doing your normal TV get, you're actually helping us out this weekend.

We we appreciate it.

I mean, definitely honored to have the the opportunity.

Not many folks get to be on the mic for a state championship game, so to be one of the few, it's definitely an honor.

Connor Curtis is at the plate.

He'll take a first pitch strike with a fastball here in the 5th inning.

Oh ones on the way.

Curveball swung on lifted to center field and giving chase and coming in that time was Bishop, and he'll make the catch for the first out.

And that was a tricky read at First off the bat.

But Bishop.

Rallying the track that down for the out so Hunter Alexander, who started today as the pitcher and now moved to shortstop.

He'll be up and he's had two base hits.

Today.

Had a double back in the third, had a single back in the 1st.

And then this next pitch from Edmond will be #75 on the day curveball.

Swan and miss.

Getting ahead of the count, like he's done for.

And the 2nd and the 3rd and the 4th.

Kind of already kind of starting that trend here in the 5th.

One out here in the top of the fifth inning.

As Alexander's at the plane, we'll also see Carter Alexander this half inning.

Fastball misses low and it's one in one.

Not a bad spot there when you're already ahead of the count.

Sometimes the hitter will be a little bit more aggressive there and go after it, but nice patients there at the plate curveball comes in on the 11 takes the count, the two on one.

You know, we were talking college baseball earlier, and you mentioned Arkansas State.

We mentioned EU of A UCA's wrapping up their last home home series with Eastern Kentucky this weekend.

You said UAPB's got a series as well.

Yeah, they're home with Grambling that series starting into Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

A lot of.

A lot of schools doing the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, final week of the regular season to kind of get a little bit more travel time ahead of conference tournaments.

So the counts at two and two.

Basically, if you wanna get out and see some some baseball this weekend across state, whether it's here at the state finals in Benton, or you know wherever you wanna go, there's gonna be a lot of baseball going on around the state of Arkansas and thankfully the weather is going to cooperate all weekend long.

Here's the two two that is a change up that was brought on the outside corner for the second half of the ball or the 5th inning.

Absolute pinpoint there from Edmonds for the punch out.

Period.

So now Carter Alexander, who's owed for two on the day.

He flied to, right flied to left, and now he comes to the plate with nobody on, and two outs here in the top of the fifth inning.

Gotta give Wilmott a shout out too, for that nice framing there on that last strikeout as well.

That's swan and foul back.

And that's kind of one of the things we talked about just early on in this game with Edmonds, you know, coming back, you know, from a UCL injury.

That elbow, ligament injury and.

01 is inside it's one in one.

No state finals.

MVP a year ago struck out nine.

He's kind of already kind of getting close to that same track today.

You know I had a shoulder surgery one time, but I never never use CL.

Here's the one one as.

Let's say fastball that caught that outside corners one and two.

Edmonds looking for another punch out and you know?

Has certainly been accurate in this 5th inning.

Tom said, here's the one too curveball chopped high over the third.

Gonna be a throw by Butler and they get the third out here in the top of the third inning or 5th inning.

Excuse me.

123 goes the Panthers as we head to the bottom of the fifth inning.

Woodlawn leads Bigelow Seven to two.

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We're loving it.

Well, back here in Benton as Woodlawn leads at 72 and that would bring in our my former broadcast partner, Bobby Swofford, who is now the the glowing ray of hope for the AAA.

And I tell you, Bobby, it's a little bit different, but you made the the made the move in right after basketball season.

You were hired on.

Yeah, we always remember Derek.

Well, Derek Walter, who was doing your job and now you're gonna be the new PR communications guy for the AAA.

Has stepped in just what I got.

Been on the job for about a month now and just to try to hit the ground and roll and of course we got the state championship.

This is this game one of 20 this weekend so it's gonna be a busy busy time here at the Benton Athletic Complex.

Of course soccer fires up tomorrow.

Softball comes up at 1:00 o'clock.

A lot of games, a lot of championships are gonna be here this weekend and I know earlier in the top of the fifth inning I said you went to the dark side.

And here's the thing, that's not a that's not a bad thing.

It's just when you go from broadcast to now you're you're talking for folks.

You're not part of the broadcast team anymore.

That's all we're saying.

Actually broadcasting a game tonight I I don't.

I don't want, I don't want anybody to get all sensitive on me or anything.

Well so either way we start off Owen one here in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Gotta remember people like Luke Skywalker more than Darth Vader.

You're exactly right.

Is Dylan Butler's at the plate?

And it's one in one?

For Butler here in the fifth.

Well, how, how's the job been so far?

Things are good, you know hit the ground running.

Of course people like to think this is the slow time of year.

It's really not.

We've got all the championships.

Of course you can't forget about the track championships of the last couple of weeks.

Of course we got the Kathlyn hip Kathleen going on right now up in Northwest Arkansas.

Also a busy time of course.

And we hit the summer months and try to get ready for football season.

Which by the way is not that far away.

One ball 2 strikes to Dylan Butler.

He's oh for two on the day.

You know we were just talking about that last inning with the.

Reclassifications of everything you've got jonesburg going over to the highest classification.

Gonna be a little bit different for fans and even broadcasters as the 1/2 is swan and missed for the first out here in the 5th.

Nice curveball for the strikeout with the new competitive balance ruler is going to be a lot of jockeying with conferences and not just at football at the largest classification with every sport and every classification.

So myself you guys, everybody involved is gonna have to, you know really learn their new conferences and but we also think it's going to be good for the sport too because you know.

Teams gonna be playing on more on a level playing field and and certainly it's gonna benefit some schools going the other direction who maybe had to play up because of the previous rules and that could actually play in a classification that they belong in Ohio and one after that called first strike to Jaden Wilmoth who on the day he had a base hit back in the third inning struck out back in the fifth or first excuse me as he found that one back as quickly.

Owen too.

Bobby what's what's really one of the biggest things you want to work on over the summer and I know you're getting ready for football but you know really?

The AAA and all high school sports are going so much digital these days where where you really want to focus on this summer.

You know, we've done a nice job as far as the Arkansas Activity Association being kind of ahead of that.

We've got a new website.

We've got a new mobile app you can download it if you've got a smartphone.

Whether it's an apple or an Android, you can stay up to date if you want to download or even just look at the program for the state championships this weekend.

It's right there at the the click of a button and just be more transparent too.

You know, with with the state media and local media, you know, being gobbled up by conglomerates you know maybe you don't get as much local coverage.

Used to in the past and so we want to get out there and promote our schools from what our student athletes promote our coaches and showcase what they're able to do on the field on a more broad level.

As he draws the walk there, I'll take over your job.

I mean, you're the boss now.

I mean, just do whatever you want so we just want to be able to promote our student athletes.

And do that on any platform possible.

There social media, website, television, you name it.

We want to get the word out awesome.

Well, I know that you guys have and Derek.

Well, let's not let's not take anything Derek's done a great job there.

Laid the foundation to be quite honest and and Derek you know he just had a baby and he's got a got a new business so he's he's got he's gonna be he'll still be around I think he's roaming around the the Championships this weekend as we've got a really did draw walk that time did draw walk he originally walked to 1st and they had the count.

Messed up, so the second pitch, so now he's at first base with a walk is Jace Bishop will be at the plate and Annie pinch runner.

4 Woodlawn Dylan Lunsford now at first for the Bears.

Now Jace Bishop is at the plate.

He flied to right field back in the third inning, he walked in the 1st.

But no, Derek did a great job and and you know you and I have known each other for quite some time, so I was quite thrilled when I found out that my broadcast partner was leaving me.

Yeah, we've called a lot of games together.

We have done a lot of games and we're doing a couple this weekend as well.

I think I'm doing 2 baseball and three softball games this weekend, so I'm not completely out of the business yet.

But after this weekend I might be.

I really should have talked to Lance about renegotiating my contract and saying that Bobby still had to come do ball games, but Chris has done a great job so far.

So here's the one O as that's a nice fastball to hit at the knees and it's one in one.

I mean, I'm I'm a rookie at this, so like the first game off the bat.

And definitely.

Quality game.

Between Woodlawn and Bigelow, so far it's four and a half innings so far, and I've already heard rave reviews for Chris, so you gotta worry about Chris taking your job.

Not so much.

Maybe that's a good point.

Here's the one one, as that's a fastball caught on the outside called the strike.

It's one and two.

Runner at first base for Wood Line because we have one out here in the inning.

Soccer Championships are going on right now as well, right?

Yeah, they fire up tomorrow.

10:00 AM go 1012.

Two and four both tomorrow and Saturday.

So the the bitten athletic complex is gonna pick up the traffic really starting tomorrow.

So is this going to be a thing?

That is an every year thing for baseball and soccer to be here or is it going to be on a year by year basis?

Well, I mean open it up for the bid processes like you do for the for the state tournaments that are spread out across the state.

But we like the idea of the week.

If weekend of champions.

Like having baseball, softball, soccer at the same place we we've had it at the University of Arkansas in the past.

Now that Arkansas softball and among other things now they're competing for a regional.

They're hosting a regional this weekend, so Bogle Park was out of the equation and some other factors that came into it.

That's why bent now has it.

But of course, there's as more resources are pumped into spring sports and facilities.

There's going to be more complex, as across the state that can house all three in the same location, so I think it's going to be really interesting to see where we can have champions lands in the future.

Bishop strikes out.

Here in the 5th and that will bring up Brighton Jones who's owned for two on the day.

He grounded out to shortstop back in the 3rd and struck out back in the first.

So with a runner on, Jones will be at the plate with two outs here in the 5th inning.

Woodlawn leads at seven to two over Bigelow.

Still on the mound working his boat Billick for Bigelow, Nice outside pitch there in the previous AB for the punch out.

To kind of really get the momentum back for Bigelow with two out now in the end.

Aspall sworn on and missed.

Does seem like all the momentum they started this game that two run first inning and everything has just been rolling downhill against them as Woodlawn has really taken control of this contest.

Bobby if somebody's watching and and they don't have a lot of plans either tomorrow or Saturday and want to come out to watch the ball games.

What they do got to do to get a ticket?

Can they just walk up to the gate and grab a ticket?

Now you know all tickets are digital now for Arkansas Association of Athletics Association.

All you gotta do is go to the website or consult the search Arkansas Activities Association.

There's gonna be a tab at the top says tickets.

Stick your right to it.

Or there.

Or you could come to the gate.

So there is a QR code that you can stand right the scan right there with your phone.

You can take your right to the Go fan app and buy ticket with the beauty of all games being right here.

You don't have to buy a ticket for three different contests if you want to stick around all day you once you're in the complex, you're good.

Now if you leave, you got to buy a new ticket, but once you're in the complex you can stick around and watch four or five championship games in the same day.

If you want to.

What's the ticket?

Cost $7.00, that's not bad.

One ball, one strike, two ounce here in the 5th.

7 bucks to see baseball and softball and soccer going on Saturdays or tomorrow.

So yeah, you know that's that's not a bad deal if you wanna bring a family on.

Yeah, so there's 4 championship games in building played today.

8 being playable tomorrow and Saturday, and a short walk between all three.

And you can't ask for more than that.

2 balls.

One strike was pitched by Billick, and that's swung on Nice fastball inside.

And it's now two and two up next is Tate Hall if we if Jones is able to get on.

Jones is the 8 hole hitter for Woodlawn.

So deuces are wild here in the 5th.

As Bill's gonna throw over to first base.

Well, so are you?

Did you get Derek of a parting gift and say hey get out of my office like did you get anything?

I actually tried to convince him to keep his off because we're gonna overlap for for another month and I I told him I'd go work in the bullpen but but but he wouldn't do it.

He was actually very gracious.

Delivered some a few things to me, but the day before I even started gave up his office and he's more of a Packer at than I am so I've had to do a little work to thin out the herd that was his desk as the throw down is short of the bag and it's.

Stolen base by woman.

Well, I like to give Derek a hard time.

You know, if it weren't for Derek, you and I would have been doing these ball games and and he kind of got this whole thing with Arkansas PBS going.

And I I think it's been a great thing across the state to be able to call these games no matter what point.

As to where you are in the state, you'll be able to watch these games.

Yeah, you're exactly right.

And it started with just football.

And of course we added basketball.

Then last year baseball softball.

So tip of the cap to everybody you know at the AAA for making it happen.

But also Arkansas.

CBS there's a lot of people behind the scenes that you know, moved mountains to make sure that these things happen and and the quality of the broadcast.

I mean, you watched that the outfield camera and then the shots that we're getting today.

It's this is not what you would expect.

High school baseball look like on television.

This is top notch.

Well, here's the thing.

I know Ed's watching and you now you make the decision.

So I I wanna be the play by play for the E sports like I went when we do that you might have to fight me for that one.

I enjoy the E sports as the curveballs up top.

But I I want I want to be able to at least sit ringside.

For the the E sports, yeah, we're going to start doing E Sports Championships live and in person starting in the fall as well.

So all five Championships 6 championships has ever adding actually NBA2K this fall.

So whatever we can do to give more kids the opportunity to compete is what we're all about at the AAA and that includes NBA2K22 this fall I mean I mean FIFA on the sticks.

I may have a shot NBA2K not so much.

All I know is that here's the one one real quick that's swung on and slapped the right field.

That'll be the third out real quick, you know.

I wish that this whole E sports thing would have been around whenever I was coming through college, because I pretty sure I could have made some money on this deal.

Madden 96 was my jam.

Yes, you're exactly right Bobby.

Hey, thanks so much for the time.

And congratulations on the new gig and we will see you throughout the weekend.

I appreciate it fellas.

Good job he is Bobby Swofford, the new communications director for the Arkansas Activities Association and you're watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball championships in Arkansas.

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Hey, moving forward we are in the top of the sixth inning and Woodlawn leads at seven to two over Bigelow.

Both teams have five hits in the ball.

Game Bungalow has three errors.

Woodlawn has two.

And do up for Bigelow here in the.

6th inning you've got Bo Billick along with Evan.

Or excuse me, Brant Tipton and Evan Reagan, the 5456 headers.

Kyle Edmonds, still on the mound for Woodlawn, as he'll have a first pitch fastball at 81 miles an hour.

He's only getting better, isn't he?

Absolutely now 84 pitches on the day where it was a shaky first inning, about 20 some odd pitches there in the first, but ever since then it's grown a whole lot more comfortable in the Mount Bigelow with a couple hits here and there, and there's another some nice base hit by Billick as he's on the bags for the second time today.

So he gets his first base hit to center field.

Going Oppo, as they say, nice shot there to the left center field for a leadoff hit, especially if you're a big yellow at this point of the game.

Yeah, since you got 6 outs to work with, you're down 5.

Brandon, you need all the hits you can get.

Yeah, Brant tippins at the plate.

Now he's one for two on the day.

He had a strike out back in the 1st and then got a base hit in the 4th.

Swan and foul back.

Let's start off on one for a seven to two ball game.

Not a lot of hits between the two teams.

We got eleven hits total.

But I think the big stat to circle in this one errors.

You know, big lows had had three errors in the ball game.

Woodlawn 2 on the day.

Here's the old one.

Check swing, did it go.

They're going to peel down and say no.

That was that was pretty close.

Or that from my my view.

From my view, that's pretty close.

Look we look at it from behind the plate and from where we were.

I thought he may have gone through.

Let's look at the replay and.

Right there on the border adds.

I would probably call them strike, but I'm that's why I'm not an official has.

Here's a double play ball as they'll touch.

Second throw to furnished and they do get the double play.

6 three on the put out.

Jackson case I said he had Immaculate lettuce and that was pretty much an Immaculate double play ball textbook.

Double play ball scoop.

Step on 2nd rifle to 1st.

And a huge double play for Woodlawn to get back in.

Have momentum back in their favor.

Now two out in the top of the sixth.

Well, that'll bring up Evan Reagan to the plate and he's one for two on the day.

He'll see it called first strike with a curveball on the inside corner of the plate.

Two outs here in the 6th.

One another curveball, call the strike boy.

He has got that curveball working nicely.

12-6 curveball and.

And what I've noticed, he's used it a whole lot more later in the inning.

He's kind of started the inning with more fastballs and off speed and then kind of switch things up with the curveball.

Here's a swinging is lifted to center field.

That'll be a base hit.

Second base hit for Reagan of the day.

He just kind of was almost like a check swing that he popped the bat out there and was able to get a shallow center field base hit.

Now newmyer's gonna be his plane he's owed for two on the day.

No lined up the barrel and style there to keep the inning alive for the Panthers.

That first pitch is swung on, came inside with a fastball that time, so when one.

He gets on the bags.

Braden Winningham will be at the plate.

01 Chop found on the right field side it's O2, it'll be Edmonds 95th pitch of the ball game coming up in a chance to get out of the inning where it looked like to start.

Bigelow had control early with that leadoff hit, but then the double Play Ball really changed the fortunes for Woodlawn.

Here's the O2 that is a change up that missed outside, and it's one and two.

Even like slowly started that walk off the mound, thought it was gonna blue is going to ring him up, but not to be there on that pitch.

Was outside just touch.

It was yeah, frame it back in yeah.

Here's the 1/2 that misses low and away, and it's now two and two great shot by our center field camera guy.

Getting that shot right at the plate.

So deuces are wild here in the top of the six.

I'm thinking either curveball or you go high and inside.

Welcome back.

Why would the curve ball and got the swing?

That's gonna do it for the top of the sixth inning so Bigelow they get 1 runner on our one base hit.

Excuse me, but the double play happened and then they left one stranded.

So with that being said, we head to the bottom of the sixth inning where Woodlawn leads at 72 and you're watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.

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Now we head to the bottom of the sixth inning, where Woodlawn Lakes Bigelow Seven to two I'm RJ Hong.

As.

With all the fans making their way back in just Hutchinson, standing in with me is.

You're the first pitches slapped in the right field that will be in for a base hit right down the right field line.

And making his way in the second half tribe for a triple to slide in and they're gonna call him out.

Try to get a little green at that time.

For Woodlawn, that was Parker rotten.

And he'll be called out at third base.

Boy and I think the skipper was telling him to hold on 2nd.

But hey, if you hit it hit the ball.

Well like that.

I kind of don't blame you you you've been aggressive at the plate most of the afternoon and it's paid off so I can kind of understand and rotten shoes.

Wanting to stretch that double into a triple.

But on the flip side, great work by the Panthers, relaying it in to get the out.

First pitch to Kyle Edmonds is.

Outside called the ball.

I mean, so you still scored a 44 broken, but then you go with the 945 put out as.

No, you had whole and and Curtis starting the the the relay chain there and newmeyer finishing it off at third base, applying the tag.

11's account.

That's swung on and found off the plate to bring it to one and two.

And you're seeing Billock settle down there on the mound after giving up that leadoff hit, here's the 1-2 fastball misses outside it's two and two.

Curveball, Swan, and found back it's now two and two.

One out here in the bottom of the sixth inning, we.

Have a seven to two score in favor of Woodlawn.

Curveball swung on and missed, and that's two ounce down here in the 6th.

And that curveball had a whole lot of zipping your Bigelow what a way to bounce back where you're thinking.

The second the ball leaves the barrel.

It may be a double or triple, and you got runners in scoring position here in a hole, but you bounce back with a great real relay throw and then even better strikeout pitch there from billet to get now two quick outs.

So now.

Rolling Stone's at the plate, he scored twice in the game.

He's walked twice in the game and then he had a triple back in the first.

He's been a little busy.

This ball game and he's only a sophomore.

Let's say definitely in the conversation for.

Finals MVP, I'd say.

Yeah, I mean.

He's been very productive at the plate and maybe not so much in the actual hitting the ball.

You know he did get the triple in the first, but.

It seems like anytime he comes to the plate he comes back around, across and score, yeah?

Seeing there.

Nice chat there, two out in the inning.

Now, bottom of the sixth inning, Woodlawn up 7 to 2.

On the doorstep of back to back state championships.

Fastball misses outside now two in one.

That'll be outside again to go three in one.

Jackson case is on deck four Woodlawn.

In case has had a productive ball game, he's another guy you could think of Finals MVP today.

He's gotten two base hits.

He did fly to centerfield but he scored twice as well.

31 swung on.

Lift it high to left field.

They'll stay in play and it's coming over to make the catch is winning him and he'll get it.

That'll retire the side so we head to the top of the 7th where Bigelow is going to try to scratch across five runs to at least tie this ball game is Woodlawn leads at 7:00 to 2:00 and you're watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.

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Good.

Well, we've got softball funnels coming up next here on Arkansas.

PBS sports?

You've got Tuckerman taking on East points at County and the two way softball finals right directly behind us here at the Benton Complex.

And Chris, well, you know, these two teams extremely.

Those are those are all your people.

Oh yeah, Northeast Arkansas guaranteed to win A state championship.

Lady Bulldogs looking for back to back state championships in that entire team was essentially the 2021 team and then East Poinsett County Lady Warriors in the state finals for the first time in program history.

Way we thought.

We haven't really said for people all over the state.

You are the news director of sports, sports, Sports sports director.

I mean ohh well I wish I had the news director power but I certainly do not.

I apologize.

I'm sports director at KIT in Jonesboro.

We pretty much cover everything you can think of in Northeast Arkansas.

Yeah, yeah.

So here's the first pitch to Winningham as he'll lead things off in the top of the seventh.

They've got the 891 hitters in Winningham Paul and Curtis.

And you wonder now, top of the 7th.

Do you kind of look and kind of more aggressive at the plate early on trying to make something happen, but on the flip side, Edmond.

Has a shot at a complete game and let's stop mentioning, you know he's got 99 pitches he's thrown so far.

He the limit he can go to is one 10110.

That's right, and there's that swing and a foul.

A few more feet on the inside and that could have been something, but no now Kyle Edmonds.

100 pitches.

So he's got 10 pitches to go.

Yeah, now if he starts in a in a bat and he gets to that 110, he'll be able to finish the at bat, but then he'll have to come out.

But I think if you're Woodlawn you're hoping you don't have to get to that point, and then on the flip side, if you're bigger now, this is definitely the time you wanna eat up the pitch count.

Here's a curveball, swan.

I fly ball left field and it's a catch.

That's one out here in the 7th.

Nice job by Parker rottens.

Tracking that down in left field for the out and.

A whole bunch of Woodlawn folks and white shirts.

They're feeling it now.

Two outs away from a two peat.

As they say, Ethan Hall is up next.

The 9 hole hitter he struck out twice today in the second inning, and the 4th inning.

First pitch is a fastball outside corner tone, one stop.

If you've heard heard this before.

Kill Edmonds ahead in the count, yeah.

Definitely been a theme all day long.

Ohh 1 Swan and missed it's 02.

I think a curveball is coming.

What do you think?

I don't know.

He's been pumping that fastball here the last last couple of.

Pitches that you might be right.

Here's the O2 fastball comes inside and misses and it's one and two.

I think he knows that he's got a.

He's got essentially 6 pitches left.

That yeah, just firing fastballs to try to get strikes.

Well.

Here's the 1-2 fastball fouled off.

He's thrown 105 pitches now.

Bigelow, on the day two runs, seven hits, three errors.

Woodlawn, Seven runs, five hits and two errors.

Here's the one too curveball, Mrs Hyde, outside it's two and two, and that was pretty.

That was pretty close.

Whole lot of bear fans less than pleased with the call there.

So 2 balls, two strikes pitch on the way and fastball called strike three.

Al Woodlawn one out away from claiming another or she may yeah Woodlawn.

One out away from claiming another state championship as they go back to the top of the order here with Bigelow and Connor, Curtis and Edmonds one out away from a complete game in what away.

To finish a comeback story after you know, coming back from an elbow injury early on in the season.

Curveball in there for strike one.

This, regardless, will be the last, even if there's a base hit, this will be the last batter that he'll face because he's now at 108 pitches most likely.

Hunter Alexander for Bigelows on deck.

Here's the 01 another curveball called the Strike.

O2's the count 2 outs everybody's on their feet here in Benton?

Curveball misses outside, and it's one and two.

He he kind of motioned over the dugout a little bit, thought it was over because it was 110, but then he gets folks folks got to tell him it's like, hey, this is your last batter.

You better make it count.

I think that's what Coach said to him.

Here's the one too swung on out to short.

Case making the throw and woodline is back to back state champions in class 2A.

And a dogpile in a backflip for good measure for the Bears.

We said it going on in the game, a bear synonymous with dominance, and they certainly showed it today.

Your final score in Class 2A, it's Woodlawn 7.

Bigelow, two and a complete game by Kyle Edmonds.

Who who's been injured?

The first part of the season came back in the state tournament and now wins the state championship and complete completes the complete game.

To get the win.

Seven or two Woodlawn beats Bigelow.

And let's go ahead and take a break when we come back we will get the trophy presentation and wrap this thing up and get you ready for two a softball tonight.

As you're watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.

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There they are, the Champions, the community, the the fans, the players.

Everybody are state champions in Class 2A, the Woodlawn bears get it done in back to back years.

And really Chris, you've talked about it during the broadcast.

This is a team that has been no stranger to the state championship.

They've won a lot over the long course of the last seven years and just adds that trophy case today and especially for for head coach Tommy Richardson.

This is his eighth state championship.

Yeah, at the helm of the Woodlawn program, absolutely.

Dominance the Bears have had in two way in recent years well.

Kyle Edmonds is named your MVP of the ball game, so he'll come up and get his trophy.

And as it was announced there and we're waiting on final stats for the ball game.

But I can go ahead and tell you that with the complete game, Edmonds had a heck of a day today.

He really just overall between he started off a little bit slow, but then was really able to get into a groove in the second inning.

Edmonds went seven innings.

Gave up seven hits, two runs, one earned.

One walk had eight strikeouts in the ball game and had 111 pitches in this ball game and he got the MVP.

Overall individual stats so far in the ball game, wood for Woodlawn leading the way was Jackson case, who went two for three.

Two runs scored had an RBI.

Owen Stover went one for two with two runs scored.

He had two RBI in the ball game.

Those two guys really propelled Woodlawn here in the state championship.

Yeah, and especially the turning point was the bottom of the first inning.

Bigelow put up that two spot in the first, but Woodlawn responded with the four spot and the really honestly didn't look back.

The rest of the way, you know, had the the three key insurance runs in the third inning and end of the day.

Bears go back to back.

Yeah, for Bigelow, you look at Hunter Alexander who went two for three on the day.

One for four was Curtis Cannon excuse me, Canon Curtis and then Evan Reagan was also two for three on the day pitching for Bigelow Hunter.

Alexander went three innings, gave up five hits, seven runs, five earned runs, three walks.

He had four strikeouts.

Boat Billick had three innings of work.

He had one hit giving up, no runs.

He had three walks and.

4 strikeouts for Bigelow Kyle Edmonds gets the win of this one.

Alexander gets the loss and Woodlawn moves on to 29 and six to finish their year.

Bigelow drops to 15 and 9 but really you don't take anything away from Bigelow because of the way that they, the road that they took to get here.

The upsets that they they caused in the state tournament.

They just had a great season.

Absolutely not many.

4 seeds get to the state finals, much less make a run at it.

So the Panthers.

Definitely put it all together in Bee branch last week and then getting here to this point.

So a fantastic year for Bigelow ends.

One win short.

Well don't forget coming up next.

You've got two a softball action coming on here at the Benton Athletic Complex as Northeast Arkansas can be well represented over the softball complex and you can watch all the baseball and softball action right here on Arkansas.

PBS Sports for Chris Hutchinson.

I'm RJ hawk until.

4:00 o'clock when we bring baseball back to you here with the six a title game, it's been a lot of fun.

But your final score, Woodlawn, wins the two A state championship seven to two, and you've been watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.