NHS GRIZZLIES FALL AT HOME TO NLR

A four-run top of the first gave North Little Rock pitcher Grant Shahan room to work in Tuesday’s 6A-Central game against Northside. The Charging Wildcats then gave Shahan even more support with eight runs over the final three innings as they posted a 13-2 win against the Grizzlies at Hunts Park. “So far, we haven’t been able to put it together yet,” Northside coach Brian Fry said. “We have so many new faces and a lot of them are trying to settle in and right now, one game we may pitch it and we won’t field it and then the next game, we may hit it and not pitch it, so right now we’re just trying to put it together. “We’ve given ourselves a chance in a lot of ballgames this year. ... We just have to finish pretty much.” NLR (6-8, 1-3) got four runs in the top of the first in leading from start to finish. The Grizzlies (2-13, 1-3) were able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second when Luke Rotert scored on a two-out error. But the following inning, the Charging Wildcats’ Luke Rice — who went 5-for-5 — tripled and scored to give his team a four-run advantage right back. NLR then scored three in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 8-1 before adding two in the sixth and three more in the seventh. “What our guys have to figure out is how to handle a little adversity and put that behind them and still come out and play hard, and we didn’t do that,” Fry said. “We never tried to gain the momentum back at all.” Rice drove in five runs and scored three more as part of his big evening. He opened the scoring in the first with an RBI double. Later in the fifth, Rice had a two-run single and then had RBI singles in each of the last two innings, the latter capping the Charging Wildcats’ scoring in the seventh. Also for NLR, Alex Cauley was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four runs scored. He drove in a run as well. Shahan went the distance, throwing a total of 107 pitches. He gave up one earned run on eight hits while walking three and striking out nine. For the Grizzlies, Kadin Hyatt and Kyle Nevels each went 2-for-3. William Sanders also went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI single in the fifth which brought in Derrick Wise for Northside’s final run. Khaden Washington started on the mound for the Grizzlies and went four-plus innings and allowed seven runs, five of those earned, on just four hits. He struck out five batters. The Grizzlies will step out of conference play Thursday with a home game against Rogers Heritage before resuming 6A-Central action Friday on the road at Cabot.

NHS GRIZZLIES FALL AT HOME TO NLR

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 4/3/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie Mitchell