The sun is out here in the five A state championship.

Hello everyone, I'm RJ honk along with Bobby Swofford for today's game between Marion and Van Buren at the Benton Athletic Complex.

And boy, we have had some dandies of games over the last two days here at the athletic complex.

And I would imagine we're gonna have the same type of game that we've seen so far.

Both these teams between Van Buren and Marion put up a lot of runs, seven runs apiece through both of these teams put up, and we'll start with Mary and Bobby.

And this is a team.

It's their first trip to the finals and, and they've gotten better each and every year.

This is a team that's going back to 2018.

They started with 18 wins and they went with 21.

Then they had the COVID year 21 they got 24 wins and this year they're 28 and five, and they're playing their best baseball.

In the season, at the absolute right time, this is the state championship that I had circled for the weekend.

That is probably gonna be the best, at least featuring the two best teams from their classification.

But for Marion they haven't given up a run in five games, they've won 15 straight.

They haven't lost since April the 9th, a span of 52 days.

How do they handle the pressure of being in the state championship game against the defending champion?

Well, they handled the state tournament pretty well.

How about winds of 10?

Nothing 5, nothing and seven.

Nothing over some pretty good squad.

Yeah, it's a heck of a job.

These patriots have done let's go to the flip side now with Van Buren.

They come in 26 and five on the year.

They are the defending state champions and we've got a highlight reel from last year when they were right here at the Benton Athletic Complex.

And, well, I tell you what they were bombing away in that game last year.

I would imagine being having a little bit more familiarity with this ballpark.

They they have a little comfort factor here, yeah, and they came in and jumped on Jonesboro early last year.

Then the rains came and then the flood of runs came for the pointers as they routed Jonesboro 12 to one.

In that championship game, and they haven't really slowed down either.

They're playing their best baseball this year at the right time.

They've won 12 of 13, and that's what they're hoping to do again today, because that Dogpile feels pretty good when it's the last game of the season.

Unless you're the person at the very bottom, that's very true.

Feel very good, but hey, you know these two teams met last year and Marion lost to Van Buren in the second round last year, and they're hoping to avenge that loss.

Let's go and take a look at the starting lineups for Marion, and then we'll get the Van Buren picture here in just a second.

But Maria's.

Line up so far is really a dominant lineup.

Bobby.

This is a lineup for Marion that you've got six guys going to play college baseball somewhere.

Gage Watson leads the way and he's a guy going to Mizzou to play.

And then you've got pain boils Dylan Kite, chase Armstrong, Connor Taylor, Matthew Kearney, Luke Bullins, Connor Brinkley and Caleb Kat of that.

Six of those guys are head to play college baseball.

Yeah, you mentioned gauge watching going to the University of Missouri.

Also chase.

We're going to see on the mound going to Arkansas State, so they got some talent, but the pointers do on the other side as well.

Gavin Gattis is the starting pitcher today, 4 Van Buren.

He comes in working 68 two thirds innings.

He's nine and two on the year with a 1.83 ERA.

He's at 80 strikeouts with 24 walks.

He's left 59 runners on the bags this baseball season.

We're just underway as Gage Walston Watson is under.

In the batters box, and he'll take a first pitch strike.

You mentioned the numbers for Devin Gaddis.

He's not gonna overpower your.

He's even velocities, probably just average, but you saw the Bender.

It is the open up there.

He can control the breaking ball and that gets him a head fastball at 92 misses outside, and it's one in one.

As we said, Dad is going to the University of Missouri next year.

Adding 276 with three home runs and 27 RBI's that misses outside and it's two in one.

Doesn't matter if you played this game last year.

Of course nerves are going to be there for both teams.

We've seen that already this weekend.

RJ, who settles in first.

There's another curveball that swollen out to second base.

Dudley's got it.

He lost the handle on it on the exchange.

And so Watson's on the bags with an error by the 2nd baseman.

That's exactly what I'm talking about.

Just a a simple ground ball.

Should be a routine 43 put out in the scorebook but instead Dudley can't control it.

Loses the handle of it and Marian has the leadoff man.

Thanks for the air.

Well, Peyton Voiles is up next as he's batting 281 with five home runs and 18 RBI.

This year he'll be headed to Graceland College.

I can only imagine where Graceland is.

So Pink Cadillac out from the park.

Runner at first base he shows Bunt, pulls it back and it's outside for a ball.

On deck is Dylan kite.

Just under way here in the five A state championship game.

As Voyles is gonna show bun again and it'll be low and brings the count to two and then.

It's Marion team has a little patience, not a ton 150 walks drawn this year.

They've struck out 254 times.

The Gattis has got to come attack now, down two in the count.

20 is in there for a strike.

Tell you one thing boils better.

Watch out because he stands in that box after the bunt and they he's pumped the the catcher Connor Brett.

He's pumped twice and he's been in the way both times.

Yeah, Watson's taking a pretty big secondary lead over at first.

Our throwback to 1st.

They're gonna try to hold him on and.

Watson's the guy that is.

Been known to steal a few bases if he gets on.

There's a 21 that's swung on and fouled off the ankle.

To the job by Gattis to fight back after falling behind in the count.

To start, two good pitches evens up the count of two apiece.

2 balls, two strikes as we are in the top of the first inning.

The throwback over to first base the defensive lineman for Van Buren.

You've got Eli Gilruth at third base brecken waters.

It's short.

Dylan Dudley at second base and Jackson Robert at first base.

Here's the two two as it's outside to make the count three and two in the outfield.

Presley Nichols is in left for Van Buren, Kyle Henry's in center, and Joshua Nowatney is in right field with Connor Brady back behind the dish.

Here's the three two and it's the ball outside.

And now Marion has runners at first and second after the walk.

That's exactly what you want the top of your order to do.

Find a way to get on base.

Watson puts the ball in play, reaches on the air, now moves over to second because of the base on balls.

Gattis has to settle in.

Can't afford to give up a big inning early.

Dylan Kyle comes to the plate.

He's the catcher today.

341 average two home runs, 21 RBI.

Headed to Rich Mountain University of Arkansas.

Rich Mountain that is.

You'll see a fastball at 92 on the inside half and it's own one you know, for those of you who haven't heard of UA Rich mountain new Junior College in the last few years.

Do a nice job of recruiting across the state, giving some high school kids from our state chance to play at the next level.

There's the 01 sliding in there.

Nice job at 71 it's 1/2.

The breaking balls have been there for Gattis.

It's the fastball he hasn't quite commanded.

02 that's swung on and missed, and that's the first down here in the first inning.

Big big bounce back at Bath there for the Van Buren pitcher Devin Gattis.

Good morning, good afternoon, good night.

Big strikeout for the first out of the frame.

So now Chase Armstrong comes up.

He's the pitcher today for Marion.

That's three of 3234 RBI.

Armstrong headed to Arkansas State next year to play baseball.

First pitch is swung on and lifted into left center field.

That's going way back all the way to the warning track and bounces off the bottom of the wall.

Runners had to hold up because they didn't know if the outfielder was going to get to it.

Now, bases are loaded.

For Connor Taylor, Chase Armstrong gave that one a drive, hits it to the deepest part of the ballpark.

But he knows Kyle Henry can track it down.

Has to wait and make sure that one's not cocked.

That's why the runner can't score on the one of the longest singles you'll ever see.

That went a long way, you know around the field.

It's 320 down the line it's 355 in the gaps, 375 at Dead Center.

And it hit right there, probably about 360, as we've got a ball, and so that's gonna score run.

So Watson comes into score after the ball.

That'll put boils at third base, Armstrong at second base.

You can see the the umpire in the field there make the signal saying that he didn't pause long enough before he started his motion towards the plates.

The rules of the block, and it's a freebie for the Patriots.

So now Connor Taylor, the first baseman, is at the play batting 267 with a home run in 19 RBI.

It's a curveball in there, called the strike.

01 that's swung on a Miss boy.

He has got some dirty stuff when he when he's in the zone.

It makes it look like it's coming in as a fastball and just falls off the table.

It has really good men command of that breaking ball.

It's the fastball that Mario's been able to jump on.

So no balls, two strikes for Connor Taylor.

There's one out here in the top of the first inning.

That's chopped high to first base.

They'll throw it back home and he said.

The great job by Voyles he was going on contact.

The big hop took just enough time to land in the glove with the first baseman, Jackson Roder, his throat, just a touch late, and Marion pushes another one across.

So it's an RBI for Connor Taylor, Matthew Kearney's up next.

Goes down as a fielder's choice in the scorebook.

Also gonna prompt the mountain visit for the Van Buren coaching staff so Armstrong is gonna be at third base with Taylor at first.

Kearney's at the plate.

Kearney's only batting 188th this year.

He's got the lowest average in the starting lineup.

If you're.

If you're the head coach, Luke Weatherford right now, what are you telling your starting pitcher?

It's gotta settle in.

I mean, you're not only talking with your picture, you're talking to your infield as well.

Because I mean likely, that's a play that rotor should step on first base and get the sheer out and make sure you get the second out of the inning because he wasn't playing in.

He was behind the bag, so it was going to be a difficult play for him to make the settle down.

Make the easy play.

Make the easy throw.

Make sure you're doing the right things to get yourself out of this inning in a four and avoid a huge frame by Marion.

Yeah, I was a little shocked that he didn't touch the back.

Because I mean he was standing right beside it when he caught it early 2 steps away from it.

So the third baseman, Matthew Kearney, is in the play.

Now that is the 3rd baseman #25 Matthew Kearney.

So far, Marion two runs one hit.

He put down a bunt down a first base side.

Pitcher has to run a long way, gets the flip run scores.

And so now it's three to nothing after the sacrifice bunt, and that'll put Connor Taylor at second base and his perfect execution there for Matthew Kearney lays the **** down, does his job, and pushes in the run across.

Really bored look noens so now Luke Bolins is at the plate.

He's the left fielder today adding 302 and that one get out for short help and make a long play, but he sails it sails it all the way to the dugout of Marion and that'll score a run and that'll put bullins in.

Second base was a great diving stop by breaking waters out at short and just tried to rush the throw too much.

That one sails all the way into the Marion Dugat.

Another run comes across the score for the Patriots.

So it's a single for ballins, but then with the air he's gonna go to second base.

And now Connor Brinkley is going to be at the plane.

Well, this one's getting out of hand quick here in the first inning.

Yeah, pair of airs for Van Buren, leading to a couple runs.

The Marions doing what they're supposed to.

They're putting the ball in play, putting some pressure on this Van Buren defense.

And Brinkley showed a bunt.

He missed it and its own one.

This good things are going to happen when you put the ball in play.

Brinkley, who is headed to Southwest Tennessee Junior College.

01 is outside.

On deck is Caleb Cat.

11 the fastball outside.

It's now two and one.

21 is a curveball that misses outside, and it's now three in one.

Or any 23 pitches in this first inning for Gattis.

Curveball, he's gonna walk.

If you have a blueprint for what you don't want to do in the opening, Van Bureau would probably point to this.

A pair of walks.

A pair of airs, four runs across from Marion, and your pitchers already having a labor on a hot day here in Central Arkansas.

So now the 9th batter of the inning is Caleb Cat.

He's a right fielder, batting 250 runners at 1st and 2nd.

Her balls gonna miss outside.

Fastball caught the outside corner that time at 76.

There's a curveball in there for a strike.

It's one and two now.

And this is outside and it's now two and two.

Well, the crazy thing about this is Devin Gattis came into the ball game with a nine and two record with a 1.83 ERA.

Here's the two two that's swung on and driven into left center.

That's going all the way back and he's gonna run for a little while.

It hit off the bottom of the wall.

One run scores two run scores.

He's gonna have a AAA stand up triple.

Marion just found it a way to put the ball in the power alley.

Twice now they've put it out to the deepest part of the park and left center field.

That time they go opposite field and that's just a good looking swing.

Stays down on it and drives it the other way.

And just get on the merry go round for the periods the Patriots excuse me as they pushed across two more runs and so they batted around and now back to the top.

The line goes Gabe Watson and it looks like they're going to make a pitching change.

As coach, whether Weatherford makes his way to the mound.

And.

We're gonna have a conversation.

It was one of the look on the Marion stats to see if.

For Caleb Katz.

That is, Cat's first triple of the season.

And I said they were gonna make a pitching change, but they're gonna leave Devin Gattis in there.

Six runs on three hits, two airs, also a pair of walks.

In this first inning for Marion.

You're wearing red, white and blue.

Today everything has gone your way so far.

First pitch to Watson is outside, but as we saw last night RJ and the four A state championship game, there is a lot of baseball left, yeah?

One ohh, swung on and ripped in the right field, another run scores.

So, Bobby you you look down the lineup part and everybody has scored except for two two players.

You mentioned that the stats that the MARIONS put up all season long.

You gotta be able to hit from top to bottom.

That's why they're in the state championship game.

10 Nothing over Wyatt Hall 5 nothing over bitten.

7 Nothing over shared, and that's their resume to get to the title game in the state tournament, there's a foul tip off the ankle for Peyton Boyles.

And they're not slowing down today.

Well, if you are.

Chase Armstrong, the pitcher for Marion.

Coming into the game, he hadn't been on the mound yet and to come in.

And you've got a seven run cushion to work with.

Can't have any nerves when you have that kind of cushion.

That's swung on and bound off.

The only complaint he could have is he's having to wait too long before he gets on the mounds.

Yeah, may have to warm up again.

We're about at 18 minutes for the top half of this frame right now.

Devin Gattis has thrown 33 pitches here in the first inning.

And mind you, Bobby, that they've done all these runs.

Well, the majority of the runs with two outs.

As throw down to second gets away and he's gonna hit her head to 3rd now.

And there was nobody covering the third base bag, and so Watson's gonna go all the way to third base.

And it's going to be an error.

Gonna roll the strike outs all did they all that's negated?

OK, I didn't see the the official plate called the strikeout.

So either way, Boyle strikes out that's going to retire this the side, but not until Marion puts up seven runs off four base hits.

There were two errors.

We head to the bottom of the first inning.

Where in Van Buren is going to get a shot at him.

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Daniel Beggs State Baseball championships in Arkansas.

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Back here in Benton has it's 7 to nothing.

Marion leads Van Buren.

Now it's Marion or Van Buren's time at the play.

Let's go over the starting lineup for Van Buren and they will start with Kyle Henry, the center fielder, Presley Nichols, the left fielders batting second.

Eli Gilreath is the third baseman batting third.

Connor Brady is the catcher in the cleanup spot.

Then you've got Jackson roller, the first baseman.

The DHD is Hayden Hurst who's batting 6th brecken waters, the shortstop batting 7th.

Joshua Nowatney is the 8th batter and then Devin Gattis.

The pitchers batting 9th.

Your Van Buren that line up.

You just went through RJ chip away.

You're not going to be able to hit any seven run homers today, unfortunately.

So you just got to start to chip away at this lead.

Hope your pitching staff and your defense settles in.

So Kai Henry's up first and he'll have one sail over his head a lot of time left in this contest.

A lot of baseball to be played.

Here's the 10.

That goes over his head as well.

Think Armstrong's a little juiced up, yeah, and two that he just tries to overthrow leaves at the top of the zone King Henry's gotta keep his head on a swivel.

And Bobby, remind me, is this the same Kai Henry's that that is the wide receiver for the football team?

It is, and an outstanding season.

He is a got college prospect written all over him.

Already got a few offers and those Central Arkansas few from the Ivy League of offered him.

Here's the two.

Oh that's inside and it misses.

It's three and oh good athlete.

Good football family Dad just got promoted to head coach for the pointers.

Future is bright for Kai.

Here's the three O pitch that is a little high, and so that's gonna be a leadoff walk for Kai Henry.

And as you might imagine, he's got speed to burn on the base pass, 15 stolen bases, cotton, just three times this year.

So keep an eye on number one over at 1st and see if he decides to try to swipe a free bag so Presley Nichols is up next.

He's the left fielder batting 266 with two home runs and 26 RBI.

That one comes in at 87 miles an hour on a fastball, but it misses outside.

Yeah, if you're Van Buren and you're Presley Nichols here.

I'm sitting here.

I'm not taking the bat off my shoulder until Armstrong proves to me he can throw a strike and he started this contest with five consecutive balls.

10 There's a strike with a fastball at 88 on the inside.

That's called speaking it into existence.

Yeah, he's by far been the hardest thrower that we've seen this weekend has.

He's touching 88.

11 swung on out to second base, and he bobbled it.

Everybody's safe that time.

The second baseman for Marion Boyles.

He looked at second before he took the exchange, and now you've got runners at 1st and 2nd.

Very similar start to what we had on the other side.

Walk in an air the previous inning was an air, then a walk.

So now Eli Gilreath, the third baseman, comes to the plate batting 352 with two home runs and twenty RBI.

But Bobby get this.

He leads the team in On Base Percentage at 5:24.

Shows that he's got patience at the plate.

And he swings at one on the outside at 90 miles an hour.

Contact rate is a number that I like to look at and on base percentage and you know look at the number of strikeouts.

Van Buren's gonna put the bat on the ball, put some pressure on a defense and they're going to certainly do that today to try to get back in this contest.

Here's the old one curveball.

It's in there 65 miles an hour.

Boy, you go from 90 to 65.

That's slowing things down.

It's almost impossible as a hitter to convince yourself to swing at it, yeah?

The fastball outside gets past the catcher and.

Runners will now be at 2nd and 3rd.

Armstrong, this may be a little juiced up at the on the mound.

He's got to settle in.

This command has not been there here in the home half of the 1st.

One ball 2 strikes fastball, misses outside.

It's now two and two.

That's swung on a high fly ball is going to go right in front the Marion dugout.

He catches it for the out.

That's a lot of foul territory that he had to go to, but he got the out.

That's a big first out there to retire the three hole hitter you mentioned.

The On Base Percentage anytime you can retire.

Eli Gilruth, you've done a job.

Now that in the picture of the number 882, home runs and 28 RBI.

It's a curve ball in the dirt.

Here's the 10 that's swung on.

It was kind of a check swing that bowed off Bobby.

You know you and I have talked a lot about this turf field here in Benton, and if you notice at home plate, they've got those rugs that they're kind of detachable you.

You can kind of see them right there on this screen.

As the one one comes and it's inside high and tight lines, accounts two and one while talking with Mark Ballas there and he said when those things got put in, he said they didn't really stick all that well initially.

And so the first game that they played on him, they had a kid from Benton that came running in.

He slid.

He said he rolled it up and it looked like a fruit roll up when he rolled it up as that one's high and went three and one he said he rolled it up and it was all gravel and he stood on the gravel to home plate.

Is that sticks now though.

Yeah, after Kim to go through the asphalt, you could imagine they're trying to maybe put some super glue down.

It is Velcro holding that down.

Here's the three one and it's now three and two after the swing.

Yeah, Connor.

Brady was sitting dead red fastball on that one swung through it.

You're vampire and you got to find a way to push.

Both of these runs across that are in scoring position with one out and start to chip away at this Marion touchdown advantage.

Here's the three two pitch that swung on, popped up on the infield.

The shortstop Brinkley's calling for it, and he's got it.

So now there's two outs in the inning, with runners at 2nd and 3rd and Jackson Rotert set the plate.

The first baseman batting 325, three to 21 RBI.

Senator Roger as that one's outside and it's one to know.

And that's at 91 Mrs Hines two and two.

And Oh yeah, the velocity.

Certainly there.

For Armstrong.

You can see why he's committed to play at the next level.

He's got a live arm.

And he's he's certainly missed up in the zone here in this first.

Two's on the way that's outside 91 again.

Doesn't really matter how fast you're throwing.

If you can't throw strikes, they'll locate.

So the counts 3 and oh.

That's in there for a strike at 90.

Ran ones on the way.

And it's happening.

It's called a strike.

The Council at three and two now big pitch coming up right here for Chase Armstrong, even though he hasn't had the the best of command.

If he can find a way to get out of this inning without allowing a run to feel pretty good about the rest of his day.

32 swung on and found off.

Came back with the fastball.

24 pitches now for Armstrong, so both of these pitchers having to work in the opening frame.

Great news on the way curveball and he walks in.

That is an outstanding event from Jackson Rotor because that took a heck of a patience there to not swing at that or offer at that pitch cause that looked like a strike about 50 feet to the plate in the last 10 or 15 feet.

Just dropped off the edge of the table.

I mean, it's hers.

It's a ball.

I mean, that's a great shot by our camera guys.

So now Hayden Hurst, the DH is up.

Fastball that's low.

Here's the 10.

Here's the fastball in there.

Took some something off that one at 88.

It's now one in one.

Find a way to just settle down.

They just loaded a huge spot for Van Buren.

Find a way to push across one or a couple.

Here's the 11 curveball that's in their first strike.

One ball 2 strikes wrong on.

Popped up back behind home plate.

Keep scannet one and two.

You know none of these.

Runners are earned runs as curveball.

This is inside it's two and two.

Six of the seven in the opening inning were unearned from Marion and if I'm hearing happens to push anything across here, they would be on earning as well.

So the counts 3 and two.

If you're having a little bit of discussion with the count actually is.

So they don't bars those three and two.

I've got two and two on my book.

I just adjusted the score, the scoreboard.

Now they're gonna get together and converse.

Yeah, I mean I I had two and two on my book.

I think the officials are now looking up to the scores the official scorebook is here in the press box.

So now the home plate umpire gonna go with confirmation from right there.

So two and two.

64 pitches we've seen in the first inning today.

You know we did, and we're not done yet.

And the game that we did earlier today.

We didn't have 64 pitches through the 5th inning.

Here's the two, two and that's the little chin music.

Yeah, that's big too, because now the runners are going to go on 1st movement.

You put one of the gap.

Van Buren could push three across.

3 twos high and that's score run.

Good patient there by waters or works.

The counts earns the walk and gets a cheap PRI in the process.

So that will put.

Nichols at third base, roded at 2nd and Hurst at.

1st.

And now we'll have a meeting of the.

When Armstrong is missing, he's missing up RJ.

Now it's consistently and through this contest.

I mean he's walked three now hasn't allowed a hit.

In the Van Buren has pushed across a run and has the bases loaded so they're all self inflicted wounds out there on the mound, and that's what his coach has got to be telling him they look.

They're not beating you, you currently beating yourself to finish the throw bend at the waist.

No, I'm not a pitching coach.

You can't tell him exactly what his fundamentals are wrong, but let's go ahead and finish it all.

The ball over the plate make them beat you.

So Brett and Waters the shortstops up next.

Batting 264 on the year with eleven RBI.

There's two outs here in the 7th.

Daughter score 7 to one.

What's inside you wanna know?

That's swung out and to the gap in left center.

1 Runner score two runs.

Will score and runners are gonna be at 1st and 2nd.

A great job by waters.

There it is, sits down on it and drives it right back up.

The middle picks up two RBI's and Van Buren right back in this contest.

That was a good piece of hitting right there by brick and waters.

And that's the first base hit for Van Buren.

Here in this game.

And now the 8 hole hitter Josh Nawat is gonna be at the plate.

That's the big hit that Van Buren's been looking for.

He can't afford, especially after giving up seven in the first at the top of the first.

Can't afford to leave the bases loaded.

And Bobby think about this, these three runs are the first runs that Marians giving up the entire state tournament.

Yep, so how do they handle this adversity?

We haven't had any adversity really in 50 days.

Haven't lost since April the 9th, you know?

Sure, they've got a seven.

They had a 7 nothing lead.

But well, not everything's going your way.

How do you handle it?

But it's a hot day, especially on that turf.

You think it's a little bit, and I guess we should ask Cook balesteri this thing is a little bit different.

Pitching on a turf mound than one that's that's made with dirt.

I don't think so, because a lot of times you'll see it like an indoor facility.

They're pitching off turf on a a wooden platform.

Yeah, so as long as the elevations the same which it is, it shouldn't be that big of a difference.

Nowatney founds the first pitch he sees off.

There's that mat that we were talking about.

That's not the one that got rolled up, though when they were sliding into home, but it's identical to that.

Here's 01 curveball hits him.

And now you've got bases loaded.

With the 9 hole hitter coming up, yeah, just another free pass.

Three walks and a hit batter in this inning to go along with the one base hit Devin Gattis.

The pitcher and boy you gotta think he's feeling a lot better right now.

Yeah, if he can get out here and help his cause, he's going to certainly feel a lot better about the way the first half of this inning went.

Now, that ain't literature number 42.

Devin Gattis Kevis Gattis on the year batting 255 with 17 RBI.

That's swan and mist.

And that one was right down Main Street and Gaddis couldn't put the barrel on.

What's going on?

Miss owing too boy Dennis.

Yeah, this looks like a grown man.

He's got that beard going.

I can't grow that beard at 38, yeah?

Looks like he's been in the workforce for a few years.

Here's the O2.

We found that one off just stuck it into the bat out there and found off.

And Armstrong's not wasting any time at this bad.

This is just three straight fastballs have caught a majority of the plate.

Chase Armstrong now has thrown 39 pitches.

Alright, found tipping to the globe of the catcher and that's gonna do it for the bottom of the first inning, but not until Van Buren.

They put three runs themselves on the board off of one base hit.

They left three.

We head to the top of the second inning where Marion leads Van Buren seven to three.

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Well, let's go back and take a look at go down memory lane and look at that first inning because there was a lot that happened as it took 46 minutes to play the first inning and it was run after run after run for Marion and they put up a seven spot in the top of the first inning and they were banging banging hits off the wall.

I mean everybody ever smiles everywhere.

74 pitches, 10 total runs and Van Buren already having to go to the bullpen.

Yeah, here in the second inning.

Runs aplenty, they're checking on it.

That might be the most runs ever scored combined between two teams in the state championship game.

So now the new pitcher for Van Buren is going to be Eli Gilruth.

Gilreath was in the lineup as the third baseman and so now he'll be the pitcher for today's contest.

Gareth actually has thrown the most innings of any Van Buren player this season.

69 innings of work ERA of 1.8 struck out 74 batters.

And walked just 1518.

Earned runs allowed a record of 10 and one on the season.

Looks like a third base.

Dylan Dudley has moved over to 3rd.

As the first pitch is swung on and missed by Dylan Kite.

Think it's a smart move by coach Weatherford to go ahead and go to the bullpen.

Now everybody in the Marion lineup.

Had seen Gattis.

We're in the right field for a base hit.

As I finished that thought, everybody had already seen Gattis.

One time through the lineup.

So maybe give them a different look.

But apparently it doesn't matter if Dylan Kite smokes that one through the hole on the right side.

By the way, Devin Gaddis, now playing second base for the Van Buren Pointers.

So that brings the plate chase.

Armstrong, he singled to center field back in the first inning.

It was a long single all the way to 19 Slade Inman.

Now I'm adding that picture #32 chase Armstrong.

So this note just got past me that first inning and I'll tell you this, after this is bad.

That's swung on and missed so that first inning we we put up 10 total runs, right?

It's the second most in a state championship game in an inning ever in an inning.

The first the the number one spot belongs to Parkers Chapel in Junction City in 2011.

They put up 12 total runs.

Parkers Chapel had an 11 spot in the first inning.

That's Swan and Miss Towing too.

To Walter Woody for the quick research.

Say he is a wealth of knowledge.

You don't even want to go down the rabbit hole.

What he's got on a on a hard drive as far as historical documents and stats going back and every sport in the state of Arkansas.

Here's the O2 as that's a.

Change up outside.

It's now one and two.

Runner at first base were in the top of the second inning.

Throw over the first ball.

Got away briefly.

You know, Bobby, they they were calling for weather for this ball game.

And it looks like it's kind of starting to.

Either go around us or go away.

One of the two.

Clear skies a little bit off to our left, the winds blowing pretty hard out there.

The flag and right.

There's the one too ripped out to left field, another base hit.

And now Mario's got runners at 1st and 2nd.

That's back to back singles for Chase Armstrong.

And now Connor Taylor comes to the play.

It's back to back base hits to start this second inning.

London Miller, now batting first baseman #11 Connor Taylor.

Landon Miller, by the way, is going to run for Armstrong at first base.

Armstrong's been busy.

Pair of hits already.

340 pitches, there's another one into right field.

And they're gonna make us throw home and everybody's gonna stay at first, second and third.

Nice strong throw in there from Nowatney in the outfield to keep the runner at third base, but a bases loaded already again for Marion and nobody out here in the second.

So now Matthew Kearney comes to the plate.

He had a SAC bunt back in the first inning which kind of an RBI.

Now he'll step up with bases juiced.

Here on the top of the second inning with no outs.

That swung on and popped up into foul territory.

And the catcher Connor Brady couldn't quite get to it.

So it's all in one.

You're fat have not had the luxury van mirror in their pitching staff, and their defense had the luxury of having an easy at bat to this point, only two batters have stepped up to the plate with nobody on base.

And that was the leadoff man for both innings.

Mario's now brought their hit count up to 7, so they've got seven runs off seven hits.

There's the 01 curveball in their first round.

Need strikeouts here?

If you're Gilruth can't afford mirroring to put the ball in play and push across any more runs.

I understand the Van Buren's got 6 innings left and put three up in the first, but.

The hole you dig yourself can all get so large there's a foul tip.

Count to 1/2.

The team barely back from 5 nothing yesterday.

Team scored four in the 7th to tie the Game force extra innings.

They want to say hello to my my buddy Ethan Robinson, Evan Atkins, who's watching today's ball game.

Hate to hear about the softball team that lost earlier.

Middle innings for Ashdown is just a little too much for the Lady Devils to overcome.

O2's account with bases loaded and there's a strike out?

For Eli Gilbert's big pitch, there just painted the black on the outside.

Huge first out of this frame.

So now that brings up Luke Bullen, the left fielder.

That's 20 placement there.

It's a really good pitch and Kearney knew it.

Collins had a single back in the first inning.

The first pitch misses outside.

Here's the 10 fastball misses outside board the the delivery process for Gilreath is a lot slower than what we saw in the Devon Gattis.

Yeah yeah.

I actually saw Mary and step out a few times trying to slow Gatti's delivery down.

And Gil were certainly much more methodical getting the signals, but also with runners in scoring position out at second base.

Gotta go through the signals and make sure they're not swiping signs.

Here's the two.

Oh, it misses outside.

It's three.

And oh.

Hello.

Slight wardrobe malfunction.

You know those?

Those uniforms are ohh he lost the button.

It's as hot as it is.

He probably just rather wear the T shirt, you know.

So.

We're gonna try to get him a safety pen to put his jersey back together so we have a legit wardrobe malfunction.

I mean.

No offense to Mr Gilreath.

He does not look like Janet Jackson, but this is a family friendly show.

So does does this.

Does this catcher have a pen that he's given him?

I think you have.

The catcher had a, the catcher had a pen on his jersey, so he said here you can have my safety pen.

They get the point or some buttons.

It's in a lot of delays in my day.

I haven't.

I've never seen a wardrobe malfunction.

I mean, Speaking of wardrobes, I don't know if we get a shot of this guy.

He's on the Van Buren side standing in the front row, and he's in a makeshift jump shoot with cut off shorts.

Yeah, if it is something that I want to see again, but also never see again, yeah.

But he's cool.

I'll tell you that much, that's true.

I mean, at this point, could you not?

Could you not trade out a jersey with somebody that's on the bench?

You could.

And then of course you got it.

There's there's who we're talking about.

That's a that's a work of art, I guess.

But you changed the reason you've got to change the number in the official scorebook.

And yeah, I mean, it just seems a lot.

A lot easier than going through safety pins.

Yeah, that guy in the stands he.

He put some effort into that.

Make sure it's the right line.

It's got the accessories though.

They've got the sweat bands on the upper arm to make the muscles look bigger.

I mean he he planned this out.

There's no doubt about it.

OK, back to action and.

Your walk.

Boland.

And that'll walk it to run.

Second RBI and as many innings for Mullins.

So the initial stock #333 second with Bullins at 1st and now the plane is going to be Connor Brinkley.

And that swung on and ripped the right build a little bit for a base hit, one rental score and they'll hold.

The whole Taylor up at 3rd and now we've got another one on the books here in the second.

Yeah, just the merry go round.

That was rolling so well in the first inning.

Do it again here in the second.

Starting to see why this Marian baseball squad is 29 and five on the season and hasn't lost it.

More than a month, Kaleb can't the 9 hole hitters up.

And he got a triple back in the first inning.

Watch the ball sail low.

There's not been much of a rhythm to this ball game.

We are 54 minutes into it and we've recorded 7 ounce.

Here's the 10.

That's down low and it's too low.

There's the two old pitch and it's outside three and oh.

So 3 balls, no strikes.

And it's the 4th ball.

I don't walk in another run.

But now.

That'll send Bullins to third base with Brinkley at 2nd and canned first base.

What you can't afford to do is a pitching staff to give up free bases and force across runs.

So now Luke Weatherford, the head coach going to make his way out and talk with his pitcher Eli Gilruth.

You know they batted around in the first inning and they're two batters away from doing it again.

Ten runs on eight hits.

You look at the stats sheet though.

The Van Buren says, already walked four batters couple of hairs.

They're not doing themselves any favors are the pointers.

Well, we're in the top of the second inning.

It's 2:50 and and here's the thing, Bobby, if you look at the state tournament run for Marion.

I mean they kind of doing what what they did throughout there as far as lots of big scores had ten runs against Whitehall.

They had five against Benton and seven against Sheridan.

Van Buren just gotta settle.

Settle down the pitching staff.

They just throw strikes.

Trust your defense.

Because you get passed Gilruth and the experience as far as the the pitching numbers goes drastically down.

Only fresh, freshly Nichols has pitched more than 30 innings according to the stats given to us by coach Weatherford.

Now that ending this interview, we're #1 gauge Watson.

So Gage Watson has now played.

He's the leadoff guy and today he he's had a single and he got on in the first inning because of an error by the 2nd baseman.

First pitch is outside low.

It's ball one.

And Bobby, if you're a banner right now from Marian.

It's kind of stand there, and so you get some strikes, yeah, just make them throw you something over the plate.

Clearly struggling to find the zone.

Here's the 10 swung on ripped, the right field and it's gonna be found.

Or just swing away and hammer one right down the right field line.

What do we know, yeah.

And you know a picture struggling to find the strike zone, so you assume that he's going to try to throw one over the plate, and it's just so hard as a hitter when you see it and you think it's in the zone that you want to tell you something not to swing at it.

Whether you've got the red light from the coaching staff or not, you just want to let it fly.

Especially when the bases are loaded.

One in one's account that one sails way outside.

There's two in one.

We're on our first, second, and third from Marion.

One out here at the top of the second.

That's foul back.

Two and two now.

Here's the two, two fouled off down the left field side.

Shows pretty impressive back control there for watts, and that one was halfway into the.

Opposite batters box, it just flips the bat out there and fouls it away.

2 balls and two strikes.

They're gonna call Tom and play.

They have ambulance.

The signals are lengthy.

The indicators the 12th signal gives out there.

We played an inning and a third and an hour and 4 minutes as the first, or the two twos outbound are out of play.

Gotta say, it's probably the the longest inning and a third that I've ever been a part of.

There's a lot of crooked numbers on that board, and not a single zero in any column.

Not I mean nothing on the board is 0.

There's the two two swung on lifting the right center field and coming in to make a diving touch was Gage Watson for the second out, but it will bring in a run.

It's a great job there by Kyle Henry to track that one down, but a run still comes across the score.

Yes, it Gage wants and Amit Guy Henry and when he was able to you were right on the speed he was able to get over and cover some ground quick.

Either way that Ron does come home from third.

Watson gets an RBI for the sack fly.

So now Peyton boils at the plate.

Voiles is the 2nd baseman and he walked back in the 1st and then struck out.

Also in the 1st.

He is the 9th batter here in the second inning.

Very decent, has sent 20 to the plate already.

Through the 1st 2 innings ending in 2/3 to be exact.

And there is strike while letting you get your number 2 Clayton Boyles.

Ohh, throwback to 1st.

I you know.

Honestly, I think Bobby.

That's the least of his worries.

Is the guy at first base.

I always want to make sure they don't just swipe an extra bag and go into scoring position, but now there's a big hole over on the right side with the left handed batter up at the plate as they're holding that runner on.

Here's the old one.

I had to go with a drag, but now they're gonna throw down the currently throws them out.

He threw out Connor Brinkley.

It goes 2/5 on the put out for the third out.

Both Brinkley and the Marion coach are a little befuddled by the call.

They're trying to get an explanation.

So for Marion, they put up four runs in the second inning.

I now have 11.

It's 1103 over Van Buren.

You're watching the Centennial Bank State baseball championships in Arkansas.

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We never gonna start.

You want to relive all the action from the first inning and a half of this game.

You can do it next week.

Just go to youtube.com/arkansas PBS just to make sure you've got an hour and 3 minutes to watch.

The first thing I have because it's taking a while.

Yeah, they're I don't know if they're going to have enough hard drive space and memory on the YouTube channel for this one.

The bump up to the premium subscription for this.

Ohh it's 11 to three.

We're in the bottom of the second inning.

Van Buren's gonna be at the play.

They've got three runs off one hit.

So far, Marion today eleven runs off eight hits.

And Kyle Henry's gonna be at the plane.

And he got hit.

Second time the leadoff man for Van Buren's been on base.

Walked in the first well drilled right between the shoulder blades.

Start the 2nd.

That's what's wild is, you know, Mario's got an 8 run lead in Van Buren.

It has the leadoff man starting the second inning as well.

Yeah, I know.

I mean, both of these teams are just putting runners on base for free, just far too often.

But here's the other crazy thing Armstrong came in the ball game with a 1 ERA.

He was three and one with a one Gattis came in with a 1.83.

Alright, yeah, well, there's not many earned runs today.

Well true, all six of the seven and the first that Van Buren gave up from Gattis.

We're unarmed, all three in the first remarry, and that they allowed were unearned.

But I mean, when you see that though you think that they're gonna have some control, and I mean there's a 10, that's called a strike to Presley Nichols.

So maybe what the the uncharacteristic side of it is, is the defensive miscues?

Yeah, but I mean, there's been three errors.

Yeah, but timely errors and allowed extra runner?

Or give a team a fourth out, yeah?

Here's the one one that's that's that's what that's kind of funny about.

In this, you have to really dive into the weeds about baseball statistics.

Is anything after an air after two outs, everything is unearned, so all three.

Even though Van Buren scored because of hits or walks or whatever the case may be.

There were unearned because it happened after the third out should have been recorded.

Either way, though, I mean Tom Emanski taught me all that yeah and him and his defensive drills tapes.

They're sponsored by Fred McGriff, by the way.

I guess my point was that both these pictures were really good coming in AS22 swab popped up on the infield.

And they'll have to drift back, that being Brinkley, and he'll make the catch for the first down.

Now Eli Gilroy's gonna come to the plane.

Gilruth fouled out down the first base line over the first inning.

Now that even the pitcher #24 Eli Gillery.

Fastball outside misses Connor Brady, the catcher's on deck.

Here's the 10 that's Swan missed.

Gilruth not cheated on that swing, he was trying to put one into the.

The woods out in left field trying to wake up Bigfoot.

One ball one strike.

Runner goes, it's foul back.

For those of you who didn't watch the game last night before a championship game, we established that Bigfoot lives out in those woods.

Well, there's there's a set of woods that are off the left field wall, and I contend that there's a lot of foul balls that just have found a home down there.

You know, Benton High School is actually on the other side of those trees, but there's a.

There's a nice gap of trees in between there.

Maybe that's where they keep the Panther.

There's those trees we were talking about.

I mean, it's thick.

Whatever high school has a live mascot, right?

So they have to have a Panther somewhere, as the curveball is outside the Van Buren has a pointer.

Is that a dog, yeah.

Well, I mean, Conway doesn't have a wampus cat.

Sure they do.

Keep it in the new indoor facility.

Here's the two two that's swung on, giving a ride to the field.

And that is gonna be here 375.

That is the second home run of the weekend and by far the farthest spot in the ballpark that was touched.

Absolutely hammered by Gilreath.

The wind started to pick up a little bit, but that one is absolutely hammered.

He just got up into the jet stream which not supposed to exist here at Benton, we're talking with coach Balesteri.

He might said there might have been 15 home runs ever at this ballpark, and that one was a bomb over the cameras in center field.

Yeah, that that left in a hurry.

You know, when I first saw it, I was like I was hard hit ball but it's gonna hit about the wall.

Yeah, that just kept carrying.

Clears it by plenty.

If you parked out there beyond the center field wall, you might want to check all your windshields, yeah?

So it's now A6 run lead for Marion and they're gonna pull Armstrong when they bring out the new picture.

We'll take a break and get you all the info on him as you're watching the Centennial Bank State baseball championships in Arkansas.

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Well, the new pitcher for Marion is Benjamin Gerard and he comes in with a 1.49 ERA with 84 strikeouts.

21 walks.

He's only hit two batters this entire season.

That might change today as at the rate we're going.

But either way, Benjamin Gerard is the new pitcher for Marion after the monster bomb that took place by.

Eli gilruth here's a replay of the home run we were just talking during the break.

This may be the longest home run we've ever seen here.

Getting here.

And I mean he got great contact and it just went right over that 375 marker and.

You know we I've seen a lot of baseball games here and coach Ballast area as well and not too many folks have gotten to that area of the ballpark.

Just when you thought this game was over 7, nothing 11 to 3 pointers not going away.

So Connor Brady now has at the plate.

And as we're in the bottom of the second inning so that again, we are at the bottom of the second, as there's a strike on the outside.

So in one, yeah, no.

We we have officially played an hour and 17 minutes.

As that one's up top, it's one in one.

Wanna say hello to our good friend Tim Terry up in Greenwood?

He's watching today on the broadcast.

And that swan right back up to the box in the center field.

It's cut off by the 2nd baseman, but now before they ruled a hit.

No double T. He's called a lot of state championship games in his day.

Well, you know he's texting right now and says that Eli Gilruth who just hit the home run a little bit ago, was dating his niece.

Ohh, so I mean, he got pretty excited to see that home run.

They were made.

Didn't think of a lot of people that I want to be related to someone I'm dating.

Yeah, just Terry's pretty good people.

He's really good, be bad, Jackson wrote.

It is up next.

He's the first baseman for Van Buren.

He walked back in the first inning.

Always remember to text him happy birthday every year, mainly because it's the same day as my birthday.

I think that helps.

Yeah, the first pitch is up high.

I mean, Tim is like the man of Greenwood like Oh no doubt he's the voice of the Bulldogs.

For every sport he's.

I think he's like mayor or City Councilman or something like that and so.

You need your tire changed.

You called Tim.

He goes and gets that done for you.

He's not mayor.

Probably shouldn't but vote for him, but I think he is on the City Council.

It's not.

There's nothing the man can't do.

I mean he is.

He is a man of many talents.

2 balls, no strikes.

I know that the people that don't know Tim, they're wondering who we're talking about as pitch sales inside it's three, and oh.

One out here in the bottom of the second inning.

Benjamin Garrard took over here in the inning.

Pitch is on the way and it's low and it's a walk.

Second straight inning.

Jackson Roberts earned a walk.

Well, you know I I.

Was thinking back to what you said after marrying.

Put up the seven spot in the 1st and you said to quote, you know there's a lot of baseball left here.

I know there's a lot of baseball players in the next inning and a half.

There's gonna be a lot of baseball left to be played.

It's 11 to 5.

Might want to clear your dinner plans.

Hayden Hurst at the plate runners at 1st and 2nd.

That's swung on a mess.

Boy, did you see the the Razorback baseball score?

So they're down 18 to three.

Yeah, I kind of quit quit paying attention after that one.

Got a text that the 9 hole hitter hit a Grand Slam on him.

I wish they're scuffling a little bit.

Here's the old one curveball out to second base.

Gonna try to roll it up.

Got the out at second back to first twin killing.

The 463 double play.

And that's going to retire the side.

So 4.

Van Buren, they put up two runs in the inning on one base or two base hits.

They strand one and we head to the top of the third inning.

Hit the 11:05 Marion you're watching this Centennial Bank State baseball championships in Arkansas.

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These are great championship keepsakes.

Action going on here in the five a game you know we were talking about colleges earlier and there who all going from Marion and we failed to mention the colleges that some of the Van Buren guys are going to.

It's like Gilroy's going to eat to Missouri, southern Brady, eastern Oklahoma, and then Gavin is going down to Hot Springs National Park National Park.

Yeah, yeah.

Big shout out to Chad Fraser hooking us up with some info.

It's always nice to get text from coaches from around the state who are watching the contest.

Like we got a new picture in the ball game.

Poor Van Buren.

That's the catcher braiding most of the mouths.

Brady will be up.

We'll see that you can see, right the middle of his jersey there.

He's stolen the safety pin back.

The safety pin is popular these days.

Brady comes in with a 4.3 ERA.

As he's had 38 strikeouts, 17 walks or 24 innings so far this year.

So you change it.

The third baseman is number 24.

Eli glory.

So Connor Brady is on the mound.

Peyton Pashir, now behind the plates 23.

Changes abound, so if you're keeping score at home, hope you're filling out that score.

Book and pen sole, not pen.

I'm using a Sharpie, so yeah, that really screwed it up.

So Peyton Boyles is gonna lead things off for Marion here in the top of the third inning.

As the first pitch at 89 miles an hour is up top.

The last ball touches the outside corner.

It's one or inside corner.

It's one and one.

Another fastball for strike.

It's one and two.

It's the 234 hitters do up for Marion here in the inning.

It swung on, popped up on the infield.

Waters is going to come in and make the catch.

It took until the top of the third inning, but the leadoff hitter has been retired and neither side have been able to retire to leadoff man until that point.

But now Dylan Kyle comes to the plate.

He had a single back in the second inning at the right field.

He also struck out back in the 1st.

This ***** is a ball.

We've got five a softball coming up next right.

5A softball the host school, the bit and the Lady Panthers.

Trying to cap off a second straight perfect season.

Taking on Greene County Tech first pitch scheduled keyword there for 7:05.

One one account.

Long on out to second base, and Gattis has got it.

Throws it over for the four three put out.

Now that brings up.

Armstrong to the blank.

Now that is 1/3 baseman #32.

Armstrong today has had two singles.

He had the big shot to center and then he singled the left field last in him.

Balls up high.

There's a 10 and this is low and it's two, no.

2 balls, no strikes.

That swung on.

It's a high fly ball in the infield.

Who's gonna get it?

Third baseman says he's got it that Dudley and that's gonna do it.

It's a 123 third inning.

I've been able to say that the entire game we head to the bottom of the third, where Marion leads Van Buren 11 to 5 you're watching this Centennial Bank State baseball championships on Arkansas.

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Sports is so important to this state and the fabric of the state, and I appreciate Arkansas.

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.

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Graphic up of Jake a little bit later on, but Jake is our 5A Division One.

Scholar athlete leading off the third inning.

It's 1105 Marion over Van Buren.

And brecken waters comes to the plate for Van Buren.

It's the 789 hitters.

Waters got a base hit back in the first inning.

The first pitch is going to miss outside to be one to know.

Two RBI single back in the first for waters.

Here's the two oh pitch.

2 balls, no strikes that misses outside.

It's three and oh.

You've got Waters, then you've got Nowatney and Gettis all due up to sinning.

Benjamin Garrard is on the mound for Marion as he delivers a strike on three O.

Here's the three one pitch that's a shop route to short.

His Brinkley is gonna throw it across for the first out.

So now Joshua Nowatney is at the plane.

He got hit by a pitch back in the 1st.

Now letting the right builder #4 Joshua the Rodney.

Through there and now, Mary Ann has finally retired the leadoff man.

Here's the first pitch, and that's a nice curveball in there for strike 61 on that Bender.

No walls one strike.

Here's the pitch fastball at 87 where you go from 87 to 61.

Yeah, talking about having to speed the bat up or slow it down.

You almost have no chance if you're sitting curveball on that 87 mile an hour heater shows up.

You're not catching up with it.

Here's the O2 and curveball got out of his hand a little bit, and it's now one and two.

Ball 2 strikes.

It's going to miss inside and out two and two.

Boy, all the scoring that took place early on.

Marion scored seven in the first in England, four in the second.

Van Buren answered with three in the first and two in the second.

That's swung on and missed from the second out.

Now the 9 hole winner Devin Gattis is at the plate.

He struck out back in the first inning.

Now letting the 2nd baseman #42 Evan Gattis.

Fastball misses high.

Bobby, you're going to be on the call the softball game coming up alright?

That's the word.

Here's the 10.

Alongside Eric King, we'll have the call right here on Arkansas PBS.

What you're saying is that they start that you're gonna have to.

I'm gonna be going solo on this cool.

We're going to go to the bullpen and make sure you're not left alone.

Here's the one one we know that you're not to be trusted alone.

Send in some supervision.

Ball 2 strikes 2 outs here in the third.

The team players around here.

I think we'll be done by the time that softball game gets going.

Here's the one too.

It's up top.

It's now two and two.

I like the thought process I do.

I mean, it's still an hour and a half away.

It is.

That'll put us in about the 4th inning on the pace we're at.

Again, like I can't, here's the two two curveball in there.

Strike three.

Nasty hook that is a good looking curveball, and that's gonna get us out of the 3rd 123.

Go to the pointers.

We head to the top of the fourth inning where Marion leads to the left of five.

You're watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball Championships, an Arkansas PBS sports.

Hey, I'm Rick Steves.

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Let me take you for a ride on the baseline.

Let's go.

OK, I said last thing I want to recognize Jake Jones and there's Jake Jones from Benton High School.

He's a pitcher, a third baseman, a junior with a 3.3 GPA, and he's going to our alma mater play baseball Central Arkansas and we want to say congratulations to Jake Jones for being the five A Division One.

Player of the year.

As chosen by us.

Ah, the University of great athletes.

Ohh Central Arkansas.

I mean that place, yes.

So do *** is Connor Taylor.

He's the five hole hitter.

And he'll take a strike at 88.

It's Taylor, Matthew Kearney and Luke Bullen the hitters in this go round.

No one is another fastball for a strike.

O2's account pitch by?

Brady and it's a chopper out to 2nd.

And there to make the catch and the toss over the first was Gattis and one out, now here in the top of the fourth in Gerard.

I think the nerves have settled down the the the excitement level of the ballpark is settled down.

Those two teams are now going to get locked in and.

Trying to battle it out of course.

Marion got a six run lead.

So now Gerard is at the plate.

He'll be.

It'll be his first plate appearance today.

Well, look at a curveball and never be a strike.

Here's the old one.

Fastball this is low and it's one in one.

It's pretty impressive crowd.

For Saturday afternoon, with weather threatening, 11 Kirkwall called is trying.

I was one and two.

I was a little worried that the threat of weather might keep some of these fans away.

Certainly has not been the story.

Little rain never hurt nobody.

Van Buren to hers easily.

2 hours, maybe a little a little farther.

1 Twos found back in the net and Marian's got to be equal distance if not out there by Jonesborough touch farther.

This dude covered a football game two years ago.

These two played each other in the playoffs.

Here's a 12 pitch.

That's bound back.

Top of the fourth inning where Marion leads right now 11 to 5.

1/2 is popped up over in the foul territory.

Giving Chase is the first baseman.

He didn't make the catch.

He had it hit his glove and it just fell out and long long run over there for Rotert thought he might make the Ozil the over the shoulder catch.

Just couldn't corral it.

But still one and two.

Earth Ball misses high, now two and two.

2 balls, two strikes is.

I want to get clarification on the mound.

Fastball gets away from the catcher and takes out the three him too.

Here's the full count offering and that's swung on driving into center field.

Going back to the warning track, and it's caught right there.

Guard tried to give it a run.

And it was hauled in by Kyle Henry.

And now that brings up like balloons.

Brady's retired the five hitters he's faced that's coming in to pitch.

This ***** the balloons.

That's swollen and miss.

90 on the radar gun.

Had some hard throwers in this game, the radar guns feeling the temperatures are.

Brady's got a cannon attached to that right show.

There's the old 190 again.

Add hit out to 3rd.

Dudley will make the throne complete the inning.

5 three on the foot out.

And so we now head to the bottom of the fourth inning.

Five game you're watching?

This Centennial Bank State Baseball championships in Arkansas.

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Every community has a story to tell if somebody will tell it, it'll be interesting.

You know, I think sports are really big to a lot of people, and because it's an important part of our fabric in our community and the one good thing about what I've seen is it's high quality production.

You know, you think of the small communities all over Arkansas.

It's a big deal that they can turn on the TV or DVR or whatever.

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We are in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Where?

4 Van Buren.

They're going to send their 123 hitters to the plate.

Guy Henry Presley Nichols and Eli Gilruth.

And back on the mound for Marion will be Benjamin Gerard.

Ty Henry today has been walk once, then he got hit by a pitch.

And so we're just about getting ready to go.

Is pitcher and catcher they.

They get their instructions and they're right or wrong, leading off for the pointers.

The the most impressive thing.

Van Buren's only got three hits in this game.

Yeah, five runs, three hits.

They've been patient at the plate and they they picked up.

Handful of walks when hit by a pitch.

Curve balls in there for a ball and Kyle Henry's been on the pass multi times.

He stepped to the plate, scored both times as well.

Did exactly what a leadoff man is supposed to do.

10 is a fastball in there.

First strike, one in one.

If you would have asked the Van Buren coaching staff.

OK guy.

Henry's coming up to lead off the 4th and his third at bat.

They take that every time.

One ones down on the turf.

Takes accounts two and one.

All five runs scored for Van Buren have been scored by the top half of their lineup.

21 that's swung on and found out of play.

Honestly, that I think that's the first time that I've we've seen Henry actually make contact with the ball.

I haven't asked him to do a whole lot as far as the Marion pitchers walked him in the first hit him right in the back in the second.

So 2 balls, two strikes.

As that pitch is low, to take things full.

The good patience.

Good eyes leadoff man.

That's exactly what you want.

I mentioned the 15 stolen bases.

Just gotta find a way to get on, create some havoc on the path.

3/2 that bounces to the plate, and Kyle Henry once again is on the bags with another walk.

So now Presley Nichols the left fielder steps in.

He got on the bags back in the first inning because of the throwing error by the 2nd baseman and the second he lined out to the shortstop.

Guy Henry's now drawn 28 walks on the season that second most on the team On Base Percentage close to 500, staying true to the numbers.

Curve ball to him is a ball.

Here's the one open pitch as it's going to catch the outside corner for one in one.

On deck is Eli Gilruth.

Runner goes, it's a ball and he'll find himself.

And that's almost looked like a little bit of a delayed still by King Henry didn't really take off right as first movement from Garrard able to swipe second base easily stolen base.

#16 on the season.

So that takes account to two and one at the plate.

Talking about the bent baseball coach last night and I asked him, do you have to work on?

Baselining, you know.

Practice said, Oh yeah, he said we dedicated about an hour to every day to to sliding on the turf.

I remember the first time we saw a championship games played on turf and I wanted to say it was a UCA that the games got moved there because they were arraigned in in Fayetteville and routinely teams were sliding over the bases and it finally later on that they went out there and started practicing sliding into the second into third.

So because they they ran themselves into a couple extra outs.

Or saw other teams do so.

Here's the two.

Two curveball misses outside.

It was a good shot at the synthetic grass.

That is not dirt, no.

And it's not chalk either.

We learned that the softball game today.

What's really interesting and most people want to understand, and I'm not sure if it's like this.

There's a lot of parks that the plate is actually just painted turf.

Yeah, that's right, that's swung on and found off.

No, and I think UCLA actually used to have.

I think they now got a real plate, but at when they first got there I want to say that they had a painted plate and it was always funny, because when the umpire would go, he paused and he goes sweep the plate.

You know what are you doing, man.

It's just happened is like, especially if you have the catcher.

Walks out to talk to his pitchers like you gotta do something to kill time and all of a sudden you realize.

Well, I can't really swipe that off.

There's there's a good look at it.

That is a real place here at Benton.

See the the lip of the the turf around it so that now that that plate needs to be dusted off.

It's got too many rubber pellets on it.

It's amazing how you think this is the playing surface changes how a game is played.

Yeah, it really does.

3 balls, two strikes.

That's swung on and went to the left.

Going back is bullins and he'll make the catch and Kyle Henry's going to advance the third base.

That's called trust in your speed, thereby Henry.

It will not.

Many players will try to tag from 2nd to 3rd on a flyball to left field.

He slides in head first, well ahead of the throat, gets himself to 3rd with just one out, and that's huge.

Because of course the pass ball or wild pitch.

You can score chip into this Patriot League.

Elon Giller Giller said the plane he had that monster home run back in the second inning.

Out the dead center field.

We think that Ball went 385 easy.

Yeah, it's kind of hard to tell how, how much it cleared the fence by.

Then falls into the turf for one and oak count just one of those flyballs that just continued to carry carry and the wind wasn't really helping it that much.

It would have been a home run and pretty much every high school park in the state.

A lot of college parks to say that's been a home run at Dickey Stephens Park.

Here's the one.

Oh well, I guess now it's 400 dead center.

Yeah, it might have got there though to be honest, as high as it was.

2O's account sealed line for Major League.

It's too high, no no.

It's too far.

Huh, the home run ball in the movie Major League?

Yes, I'm sorry, oh that's too high, yeah?

Here's the two.

Oh that's found back.

You know I'm not good at movie lines like I think the only one I'm really good at is like hey Dad, have a catch.

You know that one and that sounds like a serious movie.

I'm more of a comedy guy.

It's a it's a the one with the cornfield, feel the trees.

It's the most iconic line in the movie.

Yes, here's the two one as it misses outside and you gotta go into full character.

If you're gonna quote a movie line, you gotta like, you've gotta literally like, get into character and say it with the voice and the inflection.

Hey Dad, have a cats.

It's better good for you.

Look, I am terrible at movie lines and I finally I if I remember one and.

I have to go into character for he referenced Star Wars earlier this week 31, so there's that.

I did, yes I did.

It's full counting three and two.

Best baseball movie of all time for you.

The natural probably.

Yeah, I'm a big natural fan.

Here's the three two pitch that's swung on.

Looks about the right centerfield that'll get in the power alley and Henry will come in to score rounding first as Gilruth, he's gonna hold up at second base.

Gilreath done plenty of damage at the plate to run Homer back in the second RBI double here in the fourth.

Van Buren, staying alive, chipping away.

He now has three RBI today.

It's now A5 run lead.

And Connor Brady comes to the plate.

He had a single back in the second inning.

Now letting the catcher #8 Protter Brady.

You know the way this game started, you thought boy, this is going to get out of hand quick and you look up there now Bob and five runs or?

I mean that's nothing.

That's nothing exactly right.

Mary and Letted 7 nothing, then 11 to 3.

Curveball that misses.

One ball, no strikes.

That's swung on, it popped up about a plane.

Jason Roberts on deck.

Only one out here in the bottom of the fourth inning.

45 pitches now thrown for Garrard.

And that one swung on, popped up on the back side of the infield on the shortstop side.

And coming over to make the catch was Brinkley.

So there's two outs down the inning as Jackson Roberts come or rodents come comes to the plane.

Now Rogers walked to both this trip wanna play today?

The Walking scored in the first walked in.

Part of a double play in the second.

Here's the pitch for rotor.

It's a curveball calling the strike.

01 on the way fastball in there.

94 that's 1/2.

The right at the knees.

Really nice pitch there and gets ahead in the count 02.

And now, Roderick, who hasn't been forced to swing the bat yet today because of those two walks not to shorten up.

And trying to put one in play.

Here's the O2 pitch curveball.

Back out to the shortstop.

Brinkley's got it, he throws it over 6 three on the put out that's going to do it for Van Buren here in the bottom of the fourth inning.

They do score one run.

Hey got a base hit they strand 1 runner we head to the top of the fifth I think it's 11 to 6 Marion leads it you're watching this Centennial Bank State baseball championships in Arkansas.

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That guy has got more TV time today because of Bobby hey, you got to do what you have to do to get your fame.

If you were something like that, I will point it out.

So Mary's at the plant today.

The 891 hitters are due up 4 Marion Connor Brinkley gonna lead things off.

And.

Connor Brady's back on the mound for Van Buren.

First pitch is a ball.

We're in the top of the fifth inning.

So this game was officially 2 hours old at this point.

As.

First and second pitch is on strike to make it 1 in one.

It's not too bad.

I guess the way this one started.

Two on 2 hours and you're in the top of the fifth.

One once found out of what?

Here's the 1/2 offering that'll be lone inside to even the count at 2 apiece.

Send a quick congratulations to the Bentonville West Lady Wolverines.

Conway wampus cats.

They both claimed 6A Soccer championships today.

Here at the bottom.

Let it complex.

Here's the two two and it's found back.

You know we should look and get like Carlos Chicas to call those games one year they're on the National Federation High of high schools, streams.

Oh yeah, they're on the stream, yeah?

Carlos does a good job with soccer.

Here's the two two that's Swan ripped out.

The second Gattis is right there.

He'll throw it over for the first out.

We have to give a tip of the CAP to the way Connor Brady has pitched since he came in in the third.

He's retired all 7 batters he's faced.

Just came in and thrown strikes.

Does not have a strike out, just trusting his defense to make plays, forcing Marian to put it into play.

Good things are happening for the pointer pitcher now Caleb Katz's gonna be in the plane.

Cat today got a triple back in the first inning, then walked in the second.

And a bunt right back at the pitcher and he slipped.

He'll crow.

And he say.

He barely he got a bare hand on the ball, kind of bobbled it briefly.

I think that was just enough to not get the out.

Yep, nice job to by CAT to force pressure on the defense and running a little too hard right back at the pitcher.

But you see there.

A little bit of slip didn't handle it cleanly, and those clearly beat the throw at first.

So now back to the top of the lineup is gauge Watson comes up.

Had to base it back in the first inning.

He also got on because of an error in the first inning and then lined out to center field in the second.

First pitch killing the fastball, called a strike.

Our first base.

Here's the one that's up high and tight little chin music.

Let's say Brady is really concerned with runner at first, he's.

Paid him a lot of attention as.

Watson's been at the plate as that swung on.

Lift it out to center field.

Giving chases Henry and he'll make the catch.

So now Peyton Boyles have come to the plane.

Boils walk back in the first inning, then struck out in the first and popped up to the shortstop in the third.

Again, Lisa #2 Peyton Boyles.

Runner goes, he'll throw down to second hand.

It was off the mark and it'll be a stolen base.

Nice heads up base, running there by cat.

Put the pressure on the Van Buren defense.

We've had to see the pointers move players around already on the infield and the throw from Bashir kind of went to nobody.

Nobody got to the bag in time.

So two outs here in the 5th inning.

So 10 count to boils.

Bill and Kydes on deck.

Talked about it earlier, Voyles is gonna be headed to Graceland College.

There's the 10 driven into center field, Kyle Henry's right there at the line, drive to him, and that's gonna retire the side.

So for Ben or study for Marion, they got one base hit.

They strand a runner, no runs.

We head to the bottom of the fifth inning where Marion leads at 11 to 6 you're watching the Centennial Bank State Baseball championships in Arkansas.

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Those guys have to be hot underneath that.

No doubt, I mean and reason they're not dressing up for Halloween or anything.

It's we were literally supposed to get rain today and we've not had it in fact, looked at the radar a moment ago, and I think we may get lucky and it may not even hit us at all.

Well, if you have any water around you, but knock on it, please.

So the Van Buren pointers are at the plate here on the 5th inning and they'll send their 678 hitters to the plate, and Hayden, Hurst, Breck and Waters and Joshua in Milwaukee.

First, sees the curveball in there for a strike.

It's a 50th pitch.

My guard is.

He's coming in relief.

There's a fastball that misses outside and it's now one in one.

See some hard hit balls today, that's for sure.

There's one one is tap found on the right field side, now 1/2.

By the way, you found out where Graceland College is did.

The Google machine tells me it's Lamoni, Iowa.

So not anywhere close to where we were thinking.

One ball 2 strikes.

And that's a fastball that misses insides.

Now two and two.

Just underway here in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Here's the two two curveball hits the turf.

Five run lead for Marion.

1st.

And an RBI walk back in the first three RBI's are the best kind.

3/2's on the way, that's chopped out the third.

Dudley's got it excuse me, not, Dudley, that's actually Kearney's got it, and they get the purse down here in the 5th.

So now Breckon wanders comes up.

Waters got a single back in the first inning.

Delafield stock #3 back in the waters back in the third.

There's a fastball in 85 on the outside corners on one.

Talk about how much the the new picture for Van Buren Connor Brady has settled down guards on the exact same thing for Marion Curve Ball that's in front of the plate one in one.

So it's soccer done for today.

Soccer is done for today or for the year, then they are done for the year.

8 Championships handed out over the last two days.

A lot of championships.

Four on the boys side, 4 on the girls 11 fastball.

Misses outside.

It's now two and one.

Fewer classifications than soccer, of course, because fewer schools in the state play.

How many classifications are there in soccer 4/4?

654 and 3821 outside three and one.

It's very similar to volleyball.

Yeah, yeah, three or fewer classifications.

The fewer teams playing.

Here's the three one ***** that's swung on out to short.

And bring a little, pick it up and it's a bad throw.

He'll be on the bags and.

He'll get on because of a throwing error of the shortstop.

I tried to make the big wide turn but slipped.

It's hard to scamper back to the bag stays at first, but VB has a runner on.

Let her bring up Joshua and Nowatney.

Nowatney got hit by a pitch back in the first of them, struggling for just didn't know what the.

First pitch to him is a curveball for a strike.

And what is the number 8 hitter in the lineup?

There's the 01 fastball misses outside one in one.

I think we've hit the middle inning low.

These fans are getting restless.

Well, we kind of hit that in the first.

That's true.

And and it's just had peaks and valleys since that point.

Marian fans have been baking in the sun for a few hours now.

Here's the 11.

That is, a fastball that misses inside.

It's now two in one.

Yeah, if you're the visiting team and you've got the evening game or the 4:00 o'clock game.

It's not a great spot to set, yeah?

You're the tough spot.

You know the home fans are in in the shade softball, you're.

You're not protected any point in the game.

You're just baking in the sun.

Here's the two one basketball misses outside.

It's now three in one.

You know, I was look kind of looking around a little bit ago before the game and.

They've actually got locker rooms inside those dugouts here at the ballpark.

So you can actually walk in.

There's a locker room back on the backside.

There's a door that goes back there.

Here's the three one.

It's up high.

It's a walk.

So that'll put waters at second base and the Watney at first with.

His second time on the bags.

Just trying to continue to keep pressure on Van Buren to only four hits today, but they've got the six runs.

Finding the strike zone has been a constant struggle for the Patriot pitching staff.

So GAT is a struck out twice today.

Seven base on balls issued by these Marian pitchers.

Dad has showed bond but pulled it back after it was too high.

Well, we've got time called and.

Just going to slow things down a little bit more here in the 5th.

They get groove.

17 runs, 13 hits, 4 errors.

Combined between these two squads through the 1st 4 1/2 innings.

There's the 10 calling the strike on the outside.

That's a busy week.

Well, half of the game that's a couple games right there.

But Van Buren is slowly trying to claw their way back into it.

The only inning they haven't scored in was the 3rd.

Here's the one one that's swung on and missed.

It's one and two.

Dad, I saw that one up around the eyes thought it was a beach ball.

So long right underneath it.

Here's the one two pitch curveball got him.

There's two outs now here in the 5th.

My dad has sold for three with three strikeouts.

Certainly a game he won't wanna think about anytime soon.

I don't know if he'll go back to that YouTube channel and.

Watch this one.

So now Kai Henry comes up.

Kyle Henry has scored three times.

The number one time Henry.

That's the first time he hasn't let off at any.

First pitch is they called fastball inside the half the plate.

01 swung on, and fouled off.

The walls, two strikes that two outs here in the 5th inning.

Kerbals left high and it's now one and two.

This is a big spot for Van Buren, trailing by five with seven ounce remaining, potentially in their season.

I can see them scratch one across here.

There's the one two pitch curveball back up into center field, and that's gonna try to score a run.

Here comes the throw.

It's way over the catcher.

But now we're treating back to third base was Waters.

And so.

Van Buren will have runners at 2nd and 3rd.

Kyle Henry just continues to find ways to get on base single back up the middle, but they slammed the brakes on at the end as now.

Brecon Waters, so you've got assets.

Second and third.

You've got bases loaded with Kai Henry over at first bench.

That's good looking to throw in from the outfield.

And of course the runner would have scored.

Have they sent him?

But they thought better of it.

Well, he was thinking about it and he got done halfway down and turned around and came on back.

So Presley Nichols the left fielders up now Nichols, has two home runs on the year.

But today.

He's over two with getting on with an error and that is found out of play.

Half the ticket advantage of the opportunities that you're giving RJ, and this is the big chance for Van Buren, an air walk.

And that single have the bases loaded here in the bottom of the fifth down.

Five single to the outfield would score a couple.

You think that give Van Buren the life and chances they need in the later innings.

So it's all in one.

Fastball gets past the catcher and.

The waters at third base.

He hesitated.

He had just didn't see it sneak through the wickets.

If you hesitate, you're better off staying put well, and I I think that Luke Weatherford was not happy with him because he was expecting to go.

Yeah, it's tough.

Sometimes it's tough, though.

You see the baseball get lost between the the legs and just squirts out from behind.

Should have been a run for Van Buren.

One in one.

Gal is shrinking the outside corners one and two.

Here's the 1-2 curveball there.

Strike three.

He got out of out of it with the bases loaded situation.

Scathe no runs giving up.

One base hit.

We head to the top of the sixth inning where Mary and leads at 11 to 6.

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We're going.

We've had a lot of action in this ball game and it was started in the first inning where Marion put up seven runs in the first inning, and they just kept coming home.

Look at those smiles all the way around and then Van Buren said, you know what we want to add some runs, so they added three in the bottom of the first inning.

Where it was seven to three, then comes the second, the second Anna.

This one all the fun happened because Gilruth got on top of 1 and sent over the 375 foot wall and we go to the top of the sixth anymore.

It's 11 to 6.

And leading things off for Marion is gonna be Dylan Kite.

First pitch to him sales high and it's one and oh.

You've got your 345 hitters do up for Marion.

King on the day has struck out and grounded at the second baseman, but he did get a base hit in the second.

Good look at coach Weatherford.

His first season as the head coach last year for Van Buren LED them to a state championship trying to repeat.

Now the.

There's a changed out change out balls against weather for what's excuse me.

Brady went to the the Rosin bag.

To warm out there on the playing surface, here's the 10.

Swung on and found off.

11 Now back again.

Those are kind of defensive swings, really.

Here's the one two pitch.

That's outside two and two.

Brady's being aggressive that one at 87 miles an hour.

Working in and out of the zone you mentioned the the defensive swings.

Brady's been really aggressive about coming on the inner third.

Here's the two two swim on a missed 85 mile an hour fastball.

Now that being the third race VIN number 32.

Chase Armstrong.

For now, Chase Armstrong comes to the plane.

Had two singles in the 1st and 2nd innings, then popped up to the third baseman in the third.

Your pop up on the right side here that one is gonna be right from the Marion dugout.

Gonna be caught.

So two quick outs here in the 6th as Connor Taylor comes to the plate.

Now that being the first basement #11 caught her Taylor.

First pitch to Taylor is that the knee is calling his strike.

No balls, one strike, curveball misses.

On deck is Benjamin Garrard, 45 pitches thrown from Brady.

That's in his fourth inning of work.

11 fastball misses outside.

Here's the two one pitch.

Fastball's gonna miss inside now.

31 that's swung on right back up by the pitchers face, and he'll go back into center field.

Brady thought he was out of danger when he moved from catcher to pitcher, but that one just buzzes of the tower.

Taylor smokes one in the center.

Second, his second hit.

Sorry, no, you're fine.

So now Ben Benjamin guard comes up.

He flies to centerfield back in the fourth inning.

At least Tom Cruise asked the buzz the tower, yeah, which by the way, you know that comes out this week.

Yeah, comes out on Tuesday.

The new Top Gun.

The new the sequel we never knew we didn't need help.

I am kind of excited about her.

Yeah, I guess.

I mean I'll watch it, but I don't know if I'm excited about it.

Think it's gonna be a great movie?

They're going to remake take my breath away.

Well they are.

I did see that they're gonna have a volleyball scene.

That comes out on Tuesday.

The runner at first base has guards in.

Oprah one other day.

As the first pitch is called a strike.

Containers #17 Tyler carry.

Here's the old one.

It's now and two.

Pump at the fastball, same spot.

It's right on the black at 83 and from the camera angle you might think OK, that's off the plates, but you gotta remember the camera angles a little offset.

It's not directly behind the picture, so something that catches the edge may appear on your screen to look a little too far outside.

Here's the O2.

It's up high.

Tricks of television.

How that works?

I mean you looking for center.

You see that's a little off center.

Just a touch.

I'm telling what those two guys that are out there on those cameras in center field.

They have been there all weekend long, was hanging out there on this on the scaffolding.

Just waving at folks.

Here they are.

Doing a good job, they're right, you know what they they were right beside where that home run went out.

It was just to the right of them.

And this guy.

Connor Brady looks a little frustrated and had a conversation with the the umpiring crew.

One ball 2 strikes.

Swan and found off.

On our first base for Marion 2 outs here in the 6th.

That's swung on and found out of play.

You said your next game starts at 7, right?

Allegedly and I I said you were going to make it, but I'm starting to think you might not have to tag out.

Likely after this half inning.

Bitten and Green County tech need me.

Here's one too swung on and missed.

And so that's gonna do it for.

The top of the sixth inning we head to the bottom of the sixth, where Marion leads at 11 to 6 over Van Buren.

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Well, that's the new voice.

Much like we've had a bunch of pitching changes in the game, we we had to go to the bullpen and get Bobby out of here.

And and Bobby had to go do softball and and we brought we're bringing Derek Walter now.

And what's up Derek?

Well, I am.

I think you're 86 partner this week and I'm glad to be here.

Yeah no.

I'm I'm enjoying it.

We've had a lot of folks roll through here this weekend, and in fact, our first battering up is gonna be Eli Gilreath, who takes a first pitch strike and he's had a heck of a day.

Had a double, had a home run, three RBI's so far.

As he'll chop one over the third base side, it'll go found, no, you're right, though we've had a lot of folks sit in that chair this weekend and.

Bobby's doing the play by play on the softball game that they're gonna carry that live in and live to tape.

So that's why he had to leave to go do that ball game.

Didn't think this game would would lead up right to softball.

I asked him about 45 minutes ago.

Wait for this pitch.

Here's the curveball, swung on a miss.

There's one out here in the 6th.

I asked him, I said do I need to start softball and he said why don't you just take over for me here and I said that's probably a good idea because you gotta prepare a lot.

I thought I've got a lot of homework to do if I'm going to do the the softball game.

And here's the thing like he may have missed like half the game over there in softball.

The way we've gone with this one very well.

Mine had an hour long first inning, so I had to walk across the facility here and I was going for a long time.

Here's a drive in the left field and a diving attempt by the left.

Weather for Marion that was bullens and it would go all the way to the wall.

It'll be a.

Double by Connor Brady.

Great effort there by by.

By bullies, to try to make the play.

Unfortunately just out of his reach and Van Buren's gonna have something going here with a double.

All way down by 5 you know.

You think that?

You think that the you see a five run line?

You're like, oh, that's a lot of runs, but in this game it's really not no.

I like I said I walked up in the bottom of the first I thought my gosh it's it's 7 to nothing.

And then I thought it must be the 3rd or 4th inning.

It was the 1st that was still the first yeah.

Jackson Rd it's gonna be at the plane.

With a runner at second, by the way, if you didn't notice the reason why Connor Brady didn't make it all the way to 3rd after him, that one to the wall, he fell down going around first base, and so now a pinch runner is going to come in for him.

Looks like Ronnie will be Caleb Adams.

But here's the replay as he was rounding first, he got tripped up and just slid.

And then just kind of jogged it into second base.

That base just kind of took him out.

I think it was the turf monster that actually got him right before he got to the base.

So now Robert's gonna be in.

With a runner at 2nd.

Here's the pitch.

It's driven into centerfield.

We're gonna hold him up at 3rd.

That's a big throw and.

They're gonna have runners at 2nd and 3rd, and I know coach.

Weatherford is wondering why didn't you send him?

And I think honestly, you're, you're trying to get as many as run as possible, and he knew how big of an arm the center fielder had.

Yeah, and that's Adams who came in to run for the picture there.

He's now at 3rd, but you're right on.

That's the second inning in a row for Van Buren.

Well, he probably could have seen him and they would have scored and I get you know, the fact that you don't.

You don't want to get out at home, but right now you're you're getting short on house and you really need runs.

And so at this point I do think you got to start looking to send these guys and and hopefully cut this deficit.

So now Hayden Hurst is in walked back in the 1st and he grounded out to short in the third basement earlier.

Here's a curveball that misses, so it's one, and oh.

Down by 5 is Van Buren.

One oh pitch is outside.

It's now two and oh.

85 pitches for Gerard.

Can pitch 110 in a day, you know.

And yesterday we saw two pitchers in one game get to that.

Almost get to that 110 mark.

Last night's affair.

Here's the two.

Oh, and that's a fastball pumped in there for a strike.

It's two and one.

I think the first game of the tournament ended at 1:10 and 1:00.

Yeah, 110 yeah, yeah.

Complete game yeah.

Got the win.

It's a lot of pitches.

There's a lot of pitches.

You're exactly right so far today.

Van Buren's scored six runs on seven hits.

Here's the two one that's up high.

It's now three in one.

Van Buren 7 of 24.

On the day, as a team batting 292, six walks and six strikeouts.

To Marions 10 of 27, which is 370.

Here's the three one pitch fastball and they're calling strike.

Boy, he thought it was a ball yeah ball and he was headed down to first.

Now you got a full count where that's a.

Not good when it's a 3 two count now and you kind of showed the umpire up there by doing that.

I get it, it was closed.

It was close.

You know it was, but I hope you don't have a close pitch now cause yeah.

They don't take kindly well to the.

The bat flip on your way down the 1st.

3/2's account here it comes.

Had swung on, popped up on the infield.

Coming over is the third baseman, Kearney, and he'll make the catch for the second out to big out right there from Marion 2 outs.

Now Van Buren down to one here in the 6th, then obviously in the you're in the 6th inning.

You got to have runs.

You're down 11 to six.

We talked about setting.

Those runners potentially would have been 8 to 11 as we see that strike was low in the zone.

It was close enough.

It could have been a strike or or a ball and and give Dylan that credit.

Though he's a great frame there by the catcher.

Yeah, and usually if you're the better you just just pause for a second before you do the bat flip.

Now, here's Breck and Waters, the shortstop.

He had a single back in the first inning.

That one hits the turf.

Joshua Nowata is on deck.

10 That's Swan and it's right to the glove of it.

Jumping short, stop Brinkley, and that'll do it for the winning line out to.

Brinkley and that's gonna do it.

They sent 5 batters to the plane.

We head to the 7th.

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I've used that a couple times this weekend when I've texted, or when I've sent pictures about my broadcast partners.

I've sent out about 10 of them.

I mean, you are you on text.

Here's the deal.

I've done these championships now for four years between football, basketball, and baseball and.

I've usually had one or two broadcast partners in that entire time.

I've had more broadcast partners this week, this one week than I have in the last four years, which by the way.

It's been a fun for you.

It has brother, you know, for those who don't know, Derek, who's with the Arkansas Activities Association, is going on to to work on some of his own companies and he will be leaving after the championships over, and Bobby's gonna be taking over for you.

But if it weren't for Derek, Arkansas, PBS, and that whole partnership would have never happened, let's give credit where credits due.

And that's Tanisha Joe Connelly as well.

And you're exactly right on that is bowling is at the plate with a 10 count.

No, I mean between you and Tanisha and yourself and everybody got involved to to bring these games to everybody across the state to a large a large amount of people need to say thank you for for all the work that's been done and and look you've left things in a lot better shape than for Bobby than you know than.

You and some others have had and you're gonna be missed buddy, but I know you'll still be around.

Ohh yeah we'll come around and I'll tell you what's so cool about this partnership is that?

Something that you know I didn't come from a sports writing background.

And so when I was over media relations, I looked at it.

How can I help these student athletes will be the biggest game.

Probably they ever play in most of them.

Yeah.

How can we make it a big event?

Big time and I can't think of anything bigger than statewide television with professional sounding announcers like yourself with Scott Inman.

Over the years.

Bobby swafford.

There's a shot right at third base, and that'll be a line out to the third baseman, so it's one out now here in the seventh.

Great snag there about the third baseman.

But yeah, so it's exciting.

It's been a great partnership and will continue.

Bobby Will, will I know, carry the torch?

We always think about your career cause you've been here what?

345 years?

Now five and a half?

So would you say like the biggest thing you've done with the AAA was this or would you say it would be the dragonfly with with the website stuff going digital?

I mean what would you say is this one is tapped over to the second baseman?

Nice flip and he's out.

Brinkley was thrown out with a flip at first base.

Well, it was one of those nice flick with the Mitt.

Yeah that was a Bang Bang play.

I'm sure we'll see the replay.

Obviously a big put out for Van Buren.

They can't afford now from Marion to to have any more baserunners as we watch it right here again.

Yeah, it was just a nice flip and it's just right there.

I mean Bang Bang yeah, it's it's.

It's a good play.

It's Caleb Kat comes up.

Talib is and two base hits today.

And that'll be in there for ball, but they're going back.

I mean, would you?

What would you say I?

I would say this is one of the the greatest things that you know.

Like I said before, we had television, but it was really local.

It was Little Rock.

And you know, this is the Arkansas Activities Association that ones popped up.

The left field will continue this conversation in the next half inning, and that's going to do it for the 7th.

Three up, three down, we head to the bottom of the seventh inning where Van Buren if they want to win a state title.

They need five runs and you're watching this Centennial Bank State baseball championships on Arkansas.

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Let me take you for a ride on the base.

Baseball fans experience the action all over again next week.

Watch all the championship games at youtube.com/arkansas PBS, OK for Van Buren.

They've got their 891 hitters do up with Joshua Nowatney, Devin Gattis and Kai Henry.

If they want to win A state championship, they're gonna score five runs here in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Be a tall task begins.

Guard is still on the mound for Marion as the first pitch is in first strike.

That is pitch number 91 for guard and he came in relief guard.

You've just got to attack the zone, get three more outs and your state champs.

Here's 01 curveball up top ball one.

One ball, one strike just underway in the bottom of the seventh inning.

That swollen out to short there to get his Brinkley he makes the throw.

It's the first down.

Marion fans on their feet.

They can taste a state championship.

Never had a state state championship in Marion.

They've been in the finals twice.

So now that brings up Devin Gattis, who has struck out three times today.

Talk about drawing 4.2 innings pitch.

He's giving up five hits, one run, 1 earned run.

Three walks got 5 strikeouts, 92 pitches so far in this one.

That's going to be popped up on the right side in foul territory.

That's Taylor, and he'll make the catch in foul ground down to the final out.

They go back to the top of the lineup with Kyle Henry.

Henry has had a heck of a day.

He's walked twice.

He got hit by a pitch and then he got a base hit back in the 5th inning.

He scored three times today.

You can't say enough here about.

Gerard, he's got zeros in the third, the 4th.

The 5th, the 6th the 7th.

First pitch to Henry curveball.

In there for strike one.

01 on the way swung on found off it's owing.

2 Now down to their last strike.

See if Gerard can.

That's one across the plate for a state title.

Takes a deep breath there.

So the O two pitch is on the way, curveball.

It's knocked away from the catcher and it's one and two.

Hey, when you're heading to you don't have to throw, strike, throw it out of the zone, see if he'll chase it.

There's a good pitch.

So one ball 2 strikes.

There's two ounce Marion looked looking for their first state championship.

Here's the one too curveball in the dirt again.

It's now two and two.

Kyle Henry has one of the highest on base percentages on the entire team.

Here's the 22.

Curveball outside it's full at three and two.

Gerard has fallen behind now.

3/2 see if he can't.

You know you gotta do is get put the ball in play.

I mean right.

All he needs is a ground ball a pop up.

This is pitch number 100 fastball in there at the knee strike.

Three.

The Marion Patriots are state champions.

How about that in the game, on a strikeout called?

What a pitching performance from Gerard almost 100 pitches.

He did end the game with 100 pitches, 5 strike outs walk, three just a phenomenal performance to come in.

Didn't get the start, but came in and got married in their first ever state title and the fun feeling this evening.

Teams come through and get their first and boy they had a heck of a performance today with a long baseball game.

But it was a ton of fun and we will.

Talk about this one.

We'll recap it all as well as have the trophy performance here in a moment.

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

I would never be able to run as many cattle on here as I'm running now.

The old way I was doing it.

I'm sure there's a lot of farmers still today that they think they're doing a great job and and I and I understand exactly why they think that because they don't know any different, you know?

More than.

It's a living, breathing ecosystem.

Well, the trophies are starting to be given out.

They're gonna start with the van Van Buren pointers with their runner up trophy and.

The pointers, I mean, look pointers had a great season this year.

I mean they finished the year with a record of 26 and six.

And they have nothing to hang their heads about.

They look they they had some pitching woes to start this ball game, but they just ran into a team offensively that was that was better.

I mean they put up 10 hits on the board, scored eleven runs.

They capitalized on on some of the mistakes that the pitchers had, and but they have nothing to hang their heads on because they they had a heck of a season and they're going to get their runner up trophy right now.

Let's go over some final stats in this one for Marion Gage.

Watson went two for six.

Dylan Knight 2 for 8 Chase Armstrong 4 for 8 Connor Taylor 4 for eight Caleb Cat 4 for six on Van Buren side leading the way you had Connor Brady go 4 for eight Kai Henry 2 for four Breckon Waters 2 for eight and Jackson Rotor went two for four.

You know what's difficult?

You can't give up seven runs and the first standing, and that was the big difference here.

That's right today.

Let's check out what we got on tap for the softball game coming up.

It'll be in 5A action at the softball complex.

You've got the hometown Benton team taking on Greene County Tech that will be coming up next here on Arkansas.

PBS Sports here in about 7 of I guess about 12 minutes.

That one will be on over at softball complex.

Let me tell you, Benton is really good and green.

County take is really going to have to come playing in.

Benton Benton is undefeated.

Yeah, this year they're gonna try to continue that back to back state titles for them should be a great game.

You need to join Bobby Swafford and Eric King as they'll have the call.

But what a great performance here by Mary yeah, great performance by now.

Well, Derek, I look I. I'm actually kind of glad you got the fill in because and I'm you know look you when we were talking about a moment ago you brought all this on and the fact that you and I got to to close this thing out.

It's been been a lot of fun man I appreciate you for for allowing me bringing me on is one of the first ones to do these broadcast and man we're going to miss you around here but I know you'll still be around.

Well thank you and I appreciate all your help.

You really stepped in in the beginning and helped me.

Helped us find good talent.

People like yourself.

People like I said we mentioned we've had so many good guys come on here and and call games.

Our goal was to make this sound like you're watching a national televised ESPN broadcast, Fox broadcast and and that's what we try to do.

And so just glad to be a part of it.

Thank you for all you've done.

Thank you for AT&T Sports.

I'm sorry you used to be a Arkansas.

It's like back in the day, so hey, well Derek, thank you for Bobby Swofford, Derek Walter.

I'm RJ honking along with everybody at Arkansas.

CBS your final in this one.

Marion, 11, Van Buren 6 and you're watching this Centennial Bank State baseball championships on Arkansas PBS Sports.