Harding Academy takes advantage of Ashdown miscues, secures Arkansas 3A baseball crown

By Jeff Halpern | Photos by Jimmy Jones 

BENTON — Ashdown made the mistakes and Harding Academy took advantage of them in a 4-2 victory in the Class 3A baseball state championship game at the Everett Baseball Field on Saturday.

Trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Wildcats scored four runs, one of which was earned in coming from behind to win its second consecutive state championship. 

“We knew if we were going to stay in this game, we couldn’t make mistakes and we made them, said Ashdown head coach Charles Cross.

Down 2-0, Cooper Welch led off the fifth with a single to left. Daniel Henley followed with a ground ball to the second baseball Jaxon Jester, who booted it, which put runners on first and second. Eli Wallis followed with a singe to right to load the bases. Isaac Baker put the Wildcats on the scoreboard when he hit into a fielder’s choice allowing Welch to score to make it 2-1. Kyler Hoover followed with another fielder’s choice scoring Henley to tie the game. After a walk to Arkansas commitment Kade Smith, Gavin Alveti, who was named MVP of the state finals, singled to left to score Hoover to make it 3-2. After Levi Lang singled to load the bases, Chris Anderson grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

“This was one of those games where it was tight,” said Harding head coach Shane Fullerton. “The last few games we’ve played, we’ve had some separation, but we have a lot of crunch-time scrimmages where we like to say we’re down 2 with 3 innings to play and we had one of those today.

“They made a few mistakes today, but when they make them, you better be prepared to to take advantage and we scored.”

Smith came in for Alveti, who moved to catcher when Baker’s back finally gave out on him. Working around an infield hit to Derek Hilton and Walt Jones, Smith got Caleb Blankenship to pop out, Braedon Walton to fly out and struck out Leland Garrett to end the inning.

“Isaac had a bad back but, he was good today so we went with Gavin since he catches Gavin, but late in the game, I had to tell Kade to get ready which is why I pinch ran for him in the fifth,” Fullerton said. “He hadn’t pitched much since he broke his hand earlier in the year, but I had no doubt he’d come in and get the job done.”

Alveti allowed 2 runs on 3 hits in 5 innings while striking out 9 and walking 1. At the plate, he went 2-for-3.

In the sixth inning, Welch opened with a walk which prompted Cross to take out his starter Alex Keilbach and bring in Hilton. Welch moved to second on a passed ball by the catcher Blankenship. Henley came up and hit a grounder to Hilton, who made a bad throw to first, allowing Welch to move to third. Welch then scored on a wild pitch to end the scoring.

“Alex was a warrior today,” said Cross. “I’ve coached him since seventh grade and when I came out to get him, I knew it was the last time I was going to coach him.”

Kielbach allowed 4 runs — 1 earned — on 5 hits in 5 innings for the Panthers.

Smith then retired the side in the seventh to end the game.

Ashdown took a 2-0 lead in the third when Kielbach singled to right to score Patterson, who singled with one out and stole second. After Jester was hit by a pitch, Hilton singled to left to score Nash Brown, who was running for Kielbach.

After that inning, Ashdown didn’t get another baserunner until the fifth when Patterson reached on a wild pitch after striking out and was thrown out trying to steal home. Ashdown didn’t get another hit until the sixth.

“We had stolen home in the regional and they were 0-2 on the batter and we had a chance to do it,” said Cross.

Fullerton said Alveti was able to make some adjustments after the third inning and keep Ashdown off the board.

“Our guys put in the work all week and came in knowing we were giving ourselves the best shot to win the game and that’s what we did,” said Alveti. “ I’m so proud of them. Our catcher Isaac Baker got hurt and I had to come in and catch. Kade came in and I had all the confidence in him. He’s an Arkansas commit for a reason. He went out and did his thing and got us a championship. This one was a lot closer so this one was a little more exciting.”