By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Two five-inning games met with very different results on Sunday when Conway MBNC visited Kevin McReynolds Field to play the Sylvan Hills Optimist Bruins in an afternoon American Legion junior doubleheader.
The Bruins took a narrow 4-3 win in the opener before Conway busted Game 2 wide open to claim a 12-1 win.
Michael Lock threw a complete-game for the win in Game 1. Lock gave up eight hits and a walk while striking out seven in 104 pitches.
Conway took the initial lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second, but the Bruins responded in the bottom of the frame.
Cleanup hitter Austin Spears led off the inning and was hit by a pitch, and advanced to third on a double to left field by Blake Rasdon.
Brian Chastain drove Spears in with a single to left center, and Jake Dillon singled in Rasdon to tie the game. Cormier then gave Sylvan Hills the lead when he singled to left, driving in Chastain to make it 3-2.
The Bruins added an insurance run in the bottom of the third. Spears doubled to left, and scored three batters later on a single by Chastain.
Conway’s two-hole hitter tried to spark a rally in the top of the fifth inning when he hit a solo home run to lead off the inning, but Lock forced a groundout and two pop ups to right fielder Rasdon to end it.
Chastain was 2 of 2 with two RBI. Spears was 1 of 1 with a double and two runs scored. Rasdon and Dillon also recorded hits for Sylvan Hills.
There wasn’t much for Bruins fans to cheer about in Game 2, with the exception of a solo home-run by Greg Atchinson in the bottom of the fourth inning for Sylvan Hills’ only score of the game.
Four different hurlers tried slowing down the MBNC bats to little avail. Conway put two runners on with singles and scored them both on errors in the top of the second before adding three runs in the third to take a 5-0 lead. It then put the game out of contention with a seven-run spree in the top of the fourth inning.
In all, the Bruins pitching gave up 12 hits. The defense behind also committed five errors, while the SH offense managed only four hits.
The Bruins hosted Maumelle last night for a game played after Leader deadlines. The senior Bruins also played Maumelle last night.
The junior zone tournament begins this weekend.
