Clutch doubles power Hot Springs past MNB

MALVERN -- The pitching and hitting fed off each other for Hot Springs.

After Ethan O'Riley threw his first of four straight scoreless innings to end the game, the lineup erupted for five runs on booming doubles by Korey Wasson and Brandon Stovall in a 6-2 American Legion win over Class AA Malvern National Bank Wednesday night in the second game of a doubleheader.

Wasson's two-base blast just over right fielder Austin Wright's glove drove in three runs for a 4-2 lead in the fifth. Stovall's nearly identical opposite-field shot scored Zac Rednour and Max Harris in the sixth.

"That's what we want right there," Hot Springs coach Matt Metcalf said. "Anytime you hit the ball the opposite way with runners on, you're going to score. That's the key we want to focus on, not just pulling the ball or hitting to center but going to the opposite side."

Jake Golden and Tashaun Hart held Hot Springs, a junior legion team that used two AA-age players (Harris and Bryan Rosburg), to one hit before Harris dumped an opposite-field double to right with one out in the fifth. Hart walked Stovall and hit Josh Smeltzer with two outs ahead of Wasson's key hit.

"Wasson came up clutch for us," O'Riley said. "We're not in the game without his bomb, and Stovall came in and did the same thing. Those two hits got us the lead and gave us momentum."

Rednour singled and Harris walked before Stovall's double in the sixth.

O'Riley tossed a complete game after allowed unearned runs in the second and third, Hart scoring the first when Ashton Holyfield singled and Jarrett Austin threw wildly to second after taking the throw to third. Dalton Bray walked in the third, reached third on Trace Collie's infield hit and an error and came home on Golden's one-out comebacker, O'Riley opting to throw to second trying to start a double play.

Malvern managed two hits the rest of the game, Collie lobbing an infield hit over the mound in the fifth and Holyfield leading off the seventh with ground-ball single to left. After the latter, O'Riley got the last two of his eight strikeouts before Drew Golden bounced a 3-0 pitch to first baseman Walker Glisson.

"After they got the lead, we lost our discipline" at the plane, Malvern coach Brian Golden said.

O'Riley was helped by Glisson's running catch in foul ground down the right-field line in the fifth and Harris' sliding grab of Whit Jones' drive to right-center in the sixth.

"I had good backup," O'Riley said. "When they stroked the ball, (the fielders) went and got it for me."

Harris' play reminded O'Riley of one the center fielder make in a high school game at Hope.

"When the game was on the line, they hit a fly ball to right-center and he came over and snagged it. It was the same thing tonight," O'Riley said. "I've got trust in by outfield and my infield."

Six of O'Riley's strikeouts came in the last five innings. He walked two, both in the third.

"He kept us off-balance," Golden said. "He threw strikes. We've got to do a better job getting ahead in the count. When we get behind we lose our discipline."

Metcalf said O'Riley's most effective pitch was his fastball, adding, "He likes to mix it up. His fastball is what he gets (outs) with the most, and he always finds the perfect time to mix it up -- fastball, curveball, fastball. He gets you thinking it's going to be the curveball and blows the fastball right by you."

"The curveball was working excellently today," O'Riley said. "The fastball took a while to start working. Keeping them off-balance is what was working."

Both teams had five hits, Holyfield and Collie both going 2-for-3. Stovall and Rosburg were each 1-for-2 with two free passes.

Harris and Rosburg, who played second base Wednesday, are graduated Hot Springs seniors who are not age-eligible for the junior postseason.

Malvern's extended high school team won the first game 6-1 behind Bray's complete game.

The teams meet again Wednesday at Malvern National Bank Field in Hot Spring's last two regular-season games. The Zone 4 Tournament begins the nest day at Sheridan.

Hot Springs 001 032 0 - 6 5 5

Malvern 011 000 0 - 2 5 2

W-O'Riley. L-Hart. 2B-HS, Harris, Wasson, Stovall. SB-HS, Harris 2, Stovall, O'Riley.

Sports on 07/03/2015

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