Harrison gives up big lead, holds on in extra innings to beat Valley View for Arkansas 4A baseball title
By Jeff Halpern | Photos by Jimmy Jones
BENTON — Cylan Madden redeemed himself in a big way Friday night.
Madden delivered the game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Harrison a 10-9 victory over Valley View for the Class 5A state championship at Everett Baseball Field.
Tied at 9 going into the bottom the 10th, Sloan Barrett led off with a triple to the left-center gap. That forced Valley View head coach Josh Allison to intentionally walk Dylan Blocs and Beck Jones to load the bases and bring five infielders in, ready to make a throw to the plate for a force out. However, Madden delivered a fly ball deep enough into center field to score Barrett for the winning run.
“I hadn’t had a good night at the plate tonight,” said Madden who went 1-for-5. “It wasn’t just me. As you can tell Sloan had the big triple and then they walked those two guys. I just put it together.”
Harrison head coach Matt Rodden said he discussed bunting with Madden since he said Madden is one of the team’s better bunters, but Madden told him he could get the ball in the air to score Barrett.
Allison knew his team up was up against it when Barrett led off with the triple, forcing his team to come up with the five-man infield hoping they could get a ground ball to keep the game going.
“When you have a runner on third with no out, it’s desperation time, and you’re hoping for a roll over ground ball,” Allison said. “When they get the ball in the air, you hope you can get a good throw to get the runner.”
In top of the seventh inning, after Block gave up three singles and walked a batter to allow a 9-3 lead to get reduced to 9-8, Madden struggled to protect the lead. After Block gave up a single to Tyler Hoskins had a single to score Slade Caldwell. Cooper Lutz had a single to score Lawson Ward and Hoskins after Madden bobble the ball for an error.
Madden committed a balk which allowed Nick Deniston, who was running for Cooper Lutz, to move to second. After striking out Preston Watlington for the second out, he gave up a base hit to Carter Saulsbury which scored Deniston to tie the game.
“In our league, we play a lot of games where you can’t score enough runs,” said Rodden. “I thought Cy did a great job tonight coming up with the hit and Logan Plumlee did a great job on the mound when we got into extra innings.”
When asked if he stayed too long with Block, who threw 111 pitches and allowed 5 runs in the first six innings, but none since the second inning, Rodden said he trusted Block because he is the team’s ace and was hoping to get a pop up or ground out to get out of the inning.
Both teams had chances to win the game late.
Harrison had a chance to win the game in the seventh when Logan Plumlee, who was named MVP of the state finals after pitching 3 scoreless innings to get the victory, walked to open the inning. After being sacrificed to second by Timber Crenwelge, Brodey Gilliam was intentionally walked and Tristan Thompson flied out and Jarrett Wilson struck out to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Valley View had a chance to win it. Ward was hit by a pitch and Tyler Hoskins reached on a fielder’s choice in which Caldwell was retired at third by Wilson for the second out and Carson Tosh struck out to end the inning.
The bottom of the eighth, Block singled and Beck Jones reached on a fielder’s choice where second baseman Carson Turley’s relay throw to shortstop Jackson Stouts was late, allowing Block and Jones to be safe. Madden grounded out and Plumlee struck out to end the threat.
With one out in the top of the ninth, Saulsbury and Turley open the inning with singles, but Stouts lined to center and Sauslbury was promptly doubled off second to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Tristan Thompson drew a two-out walk before Wilson struck out.
I the top of the 10th, Ward singled with two out and was thrown out trying to steal second.
“You can’t be more proud of a team,” Madden said. “We’ve been playing together since we were 6 or 7. For this to finally come true is a dream. They beat us out of the state tournament before Covid and then last year. This means a lot to the program and us.
“Those guys are good and they know how to play baseball. They know how to play baseball, but tonight I think we were the tougher team.”
