Taylor uses big sixth inning to run past Nemo Vista for Arkansas 1A baseball crown

By Jeff Halpern | Photos by Jimmy Jones 

BENTON — A four-run sixth inning broke open a competitive Class 1A state championship game and helped give the state title to the Taylor Tigers (19-5-2) in a 10-4 victory over Nemo Vista (20-10) on Friday at Everett Baseball Field.

The Tigers sent the entire order to the plate and scored 4 runs on 3 hits with 1 error and 3 walks off reliever Cash McClelland, who needed 39 pitches to get out of the inning, allowing 4 runs on 3 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts and 3 wild pitches.

“That inning turned things around,” said Nemo Vista head Ccach Cuyler Martin. “We trusted Cash all year and I had no reason not to trust him. I wanted him to get through it so I could bring Patrick [Perry] for a clean seventh.”

Leading 6-3 going into the sixth inning, Peyton Smith led off the inning with a single and stole second and took throw on a throwing error by Nemo Vista Catcher Jax Andrews. Rayne Cranford, who was named state finals MVP after going 4-for-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI, singled to score Smith to make it 7-3. After a walk to Josh Lindsey, McClelland threw a wild pitch to allow Cranford and Kaleb Downs, who was running for Lindsey, to move to second and third. After a walk to Preston Smith loaded the bases, Waylon Woodell struck out. Mason Lindsey singled to center to score Cranford to make it 8-3. After a wild pitch by McClelland, Downs scored to make it 9-3. After Gage Ryan struck out, another wild pitch by McClelland allowed Preston Smith to score to make it 10-3.

Nemo Vista added one more run in the bottom of the sixth when Logan Harper scored on McClelland’s sacrifice fly.

“This is so great. Most of us remember the loss in 2019,” said Cranford. “I was a freshman then. We didn’t want to feel that way again. We went out today and did what the game plan called for and took every pitch at a time.”

Taylor head coach Brian Fowler said, “Our whole philosophy is not to win the state title, but it is to win the pitch and not get ahead of yourself.”

Cranfiord said in the sixth inning, the Tigers were a lot more focused and took better at-bats in putting the game away. “We did have that one big inning. We got in that dugout and noticed that some of us were having selfish at bats and not doing what the game called for. We turned it around and had unselfish at bats and that’s what led to the big inning and led to us winning the game.”

While Cranford led the Tigers at the plate, Josh Lindsey allowed 3 runs — 2 earned — in 5 innings with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks before Jessie Umpires pitched the final two innings.

“When we got that big lead, I was able to give it to our freshman [Jessie] and he did a great job,” said Fowler.

On Cranford, Fowler said, “There’s not much more to say than what he did. He is a super kid and carried us today."

The Tigers jumped on Nemo Vista in the first inning when Preston Smith tripled to to score Cranford and Woodell had an infield hits to score Preston Smith to make it 2-0.

Nemo Vista came back in the bottom of the second when Harper doubled and score on an errant pickoff throw to close it to 2-1.

Taylor came back with two in the third when Peyton Smith was hit by a pitch, Cranford had an infield hit. However, a bad throw by the third baseman Cordell Sims allowed Peyton Smith to score to make it 3-1 and allowed Cranford to move to third. Josh Lindsey put down a sacrifice bunt to score Cranford to make it 4-1.

Nemo Vista closed to 4-2 in the bottom of the third when Perry singled, stole second and scored on Christian Rodelo’s single to make it 4-2.

In the top of the fourth, Aiden Hosley singled and moved to second on a fielding error by the left fielder Jude Condray. After Peyton Smith was hit by a pitch, Cranford singled to score Hosley to make it 5-2. After a wild pitch by Wesley Honeycutt allowed Peyton Smith t move to third, Preston Smith’s sacrifice fly allowed Peyton Smith to score to make it 6-2.

Nemo Vista closed to 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Ben Desalvo singled moved to third on Sims’ double and scored on Perry’s ground out.

“They put it on us early and hit the ball really well,” said Marty on having to play from behind. “They bunted well and squeezed in some runs and did all things better than us today.”

Desalvo led the Red Hawks going 2-for-4 and scored 1 run. Logan Harper went 2-for-3 and scored 2 runs.

Despite the loss, Marty was proud of the way his team advanced to the finals. “I’m proud of the way we got here. We went toe to toe with them, but didn’t get the breaks, but came a long way. It’ all I can ask for.”