(February 19, 2022) Mena, Arkansas – The Bucks and Bobcats reconvened at Union Bank Field this morning to continue their series. Coming off a split yesterday at McMillan Park, the Bucks were looking for a series win on a beautiful Saturday.

GAME ONE

Jackson Wells (Rogers, AR) got the start on the bump for the Bucks in the rubber match. He would go 4.2 innings, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits. Jack struck out 6 and walked 3 on the day.

After a scoreless first inning, the Bucks broke open the scoring in the bottom of the second. Mason Reynolds (Fort Worth, TX) hit a 2-out double. Next at-bat, Cole Clark (Clarksville, AR) hit a RBI single before a walk put runners on first and second base. Trace Watkins (Sheridan, AR) would then reach on an error, allowing Clark to score from second. The Bucks took a 2-0 lead after two innings.

After a scoreless third inning, the duo that got it started in the bottom of the second got it started in the bottom of the fourth. Mason Reynolds led off with a double and would score on the next at-bat by Cole Clark. Cole singled to right field to give the Bucks a 3-0 lead.

The Bobcats answered in the top of the fifth inning, scoring 5 runs and chasing Wells from the game. SAU transfer Dakota Frachiseur (Grannis, AR) came on in relief for the Bucks. He would give up 3 runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend the Frontier lead to 8-3 going into the seventh.

Frachiseur threw a scoreless top of the seventh, and the Bucks would have to score 5 runs to extend the game. A hit by pitch and double led off the inning for the Bucks. With 1 out, Luke Rice (Scott, AR) hit a 2 RBI double to right field. Two hitters later with 2 outs, Reynolds reached on an error that scored Rice. Next at-bat, Cole Clark would once again single to score Reynolds that brought pinch hitter Cooper White (Benton, AR) to the plate. He made the most of the opportunity with a walk-off 2-run homer over the right field fence to give the Bucks the 9-8 win in walk-off fashion.

Dakota Frachiseur (1-0) picked up the win, throwing 2.1 innings. He would give up 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits and walked a lone hitter.

GAME TWO

After the exciting finish in the rubber match, the Bucks were looking for the series win. Randy Little Jr. (Pine Bluff, AR) got the start on the mound and had a great outing. He would pitch 4.2 innings, giving up 3 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits with 8 strikeout and a walk.

The Bucks picked up where they left off last game offensively. In the bottom of the first, a walk, hit by pitch, and another walk loaded the bases for Luke Rice, and he came through on a 2 RBI single to centerfield and advanced to second on the throw. Next at-bat, the Bucks added a run on a passed ball, and after a walk, Rice scored on another passed ball to make it 4-0 after an inning.

Frontier added a run in the top of the second, third, and fourth innings. The Bucks would add 2 runs in the second and third innings. In the second, Isaac Price (Siloam Springs, AR) hit a sac fly before Mason Reynolds hit a RBI single to centerfield. An inning later with 2 outs, the Bucks capitalized on an error and plated a run before Eli Garrison (Little Rock, AR) hit a RBI triple. The Bucks went scoreless in the fourth and held a 8-3 lead.

In the top of fifth, Jackson Wilson (Palestine, AR) came on in relief for the Bucks and picked up the final out of the inning. In the bottom half, with 2 runners on and 2 outs, Brayden Sites (Sheridan, AR) scored on a passed ball to make it 9-3 after five innings.

The Bobcats wouldn't go down without a fight and plated 2 runs on a homer in the top half of the sixth to chase Wilson from the contest. Carson Crawford (Humnoke, AR) came on in relief and prevented more damage. The Bucks went scoreless in the bottom half to hold a 9-5 lead after six.

Daegan Covington (Taylor, AR), who picked up the save yesterday, came on to pitch the top of the seventh and made short work of the Bobcats. In the bottom half, the bases were loaded with no outs after a single and a couple walks for Luke Rice. He would deliver on a 2 RBI single to right field and advanced on the throw to third. With 1 out, Mason Reynolds picked up a RBI on the ground out. Cole Clark then reached on an error to score another run for the Bucks to make it 13-5 after seven.

The eighth inning was scoreless, and Covington came back out in the nineth to close out the game. Bucks win 13-5 and pick up the series win against Frontier.

Randy Little Jr. (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, while Daegan Covington pitched three scoreless innings to close out the contest.

#GOBUCKS