BY RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
IN SHORT: The Sylvan Hills AAA team split two games in Mountain Home over the weekend in the Brooks Robinson Twin Lakes Classic.
The Sylvan Hills Bruins AAA team won one, lost one and had one rained out over the weekend in the Brooks Robinson Twin Lakes Classic in Mountain Home.
Sylvan Hills opened the tournament by suffering a 10-2 loss to Eureka, Missouri, but bounced back by trouncing Pontotoc, Miss., 13-5 in the second game of pool play.
A win in its third game would have moved Sylvan Hills into bracket play, but the game was rained out and the Bruins lost out on the tiebreaker rule.
“The first tiebreaker was runs allowed, and we gave up too many runs in that first game,” Sylvan Hills coach Mike Bromley said. “That’s been a problem all year. We’re hitting really well, but we’re not loaded down with pitching and we’ve been making too many errors.”
In the second game, the Bruins came out of the gates on fire, scoring four runs on five hits in the first inning. They added to that lead with some power in the second inning. Taylor Roark hit a solo home run with no outs. A few batters later, Jarrett Boles mashed a grand slam to give the Bruins a 9-0 lead after just two innings.
Sylvan Hills pitcher Carter Lance kept Pontotoc off balance most of the game, but hiccupped in the third inning and gave up five runs.
Three were earned as the north Mississippi team picked up four singles, a double and walked twice in the inning. There was also an error with two outs that one single and the double followed to give the visitors two extra runs.
Despite the big inning for Pontotoc, the game was still destined to end on the run rule.
Sylvan Hills scored four more runs in the bottom of the third to push the lead back to the run-rule limit of eight runs.
Lance aided his own cause with a two-run home run in that inning, and Sylvan Hills led 13-5.
Lance steadied himself in the fourth and fifth innings. The Bruins failed to score in the fourth, and didn’t have to bat in the bottom of the fifth due to the eight-run lead after five innings.
Lance gave up eight hits in the game, but threw a three hitter over the other four innings. He walked three and struck out eight Pontotoc batters.
Roark and Boles led the way at the plate, each picking up three hits and one home run.
Boles racked up five RBIs in the game. Tony Pavan also added two hits for the Bruins, who totaled 13 hits in the game.
The weekend’s totals left the Bruins with an 18-5 record. They hosted North Little Rock last night after Leader deadlines.
On Thursday, they will begin play in the Sheridan Wooden Bat Classic that runs through the weekend.
The Sylvan Hills A team will also be in action this week. They also faced North Little Rock last night, and will travel to Benton tonight and to Heber Springs on Thursday. They will close the week with a doubleheader at Hot Springs Saturday.
The Bryant Black Sox won the Brooks Robinson tournament, winning 13-2 in the final game.
