(May 3, 2024) Mena, Arkansas - After weather delay on Wednesday, the Bucks and Rockets returned to Union Bank Field this afternoon for to resume their game from Wednesday. Earlier this season, the men took all three games from SAU Tech.
The game resumed with SAU Tech lead 1-0 with 1 out and a pair of runners on in the first inning. Clint Lafferty (Seguin, TX) stranded the runners and brough the Bucks in to hit. The men got Lafferty the lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Bucks loaded the bases with 2 outs and plated the first run on a Jack Bilski (La Porte, TX) hit-by-pitch and another on a passed ball to lead 2-1 after an inning.
Lafferty stranded another pair of runners in the top of the second, while the Bucks scored in the bottom half. After a Caden Brown (Van Buren, AR) walk, he would steal second base and advance home on an SAU Tech error. The Rockets would scratch a run across in the top of the third to cut into the Bucks lead, 3-2.
After a scoreless fourth inning, SAU Tech scored a pair of runs to take a lead in the top of the fifth inning and extended their lead in the top of the seventh with 2 more runs, but the Bucks answered in the bottom of the seventh inning with a big inning. It started with a Trevor Flake (North Little Rock, AR) RBI single with the bases loaded. Next at-bat, Brett Justice (Jacksonville, AR) hit a sac fly to centerfield. After an out, Jack Bilski hit a RBI single to left field before a walk once again loaded the bases. Ethan Perry (Benton, AR) hit a 2-RBI single to right field before Caden Brown picked up a RBI on a line drive to left field to make it 9-6 in favor of the Bucks.
Both teams went scoreless in the eighth inning. Lafferty returned in the ninth inning to close out the win. Lafferty would record an out in the inning, but Camden Farmer (Paragould, AR) was called on with the bases loaded to close out the game. A pair of runs would score, but Farmer recorded back-to-back strikeouts to seal the win and get the save.
Clint Lafferty (6-2) pitched 8.1 innings in the win, striking out 7 on the day. He would give up 8 runs (7 earned) in the win.
The men now travel to Benton High School tomorrow to conclude the series with SAU Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm for the doubleheader.
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