By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
After trailing Beebe early, Carlisle rallied late, but the Badgers answered with a rally of their own and beat the Bison 8-4 in a competitive non-conference game Thursday at Carlisle.
Freshman Jacob Gordon started on the mound for Carlisle, and struck out seven without walking a single batter in six and one third innings of work, but the middle of Beebe’s lineup was too much for Gordon and the Bison to handle as the 2-5 hitters went for a combined 11 for 16 at the plate.
Beebe was equally effective running the bases as the Badgers tried to steal every base in front of them, and succeeded in doing so more times than not, which is something Beebe coach Mark Crafton likes to see.
“We were smart on the base paths the first half of the game, in the first four innings,” Crafton said. “Then we got lazy, but we took advantage of some of their miscues in the outfield on the base paths. We did hit the ball fairly well -- better than we’ve been hitting it in past games.
“We had some mental mistakes on the base paths late in the game that cost us some more runs, but we were able to push through it, and we got a good pitching performance out of senior Jacob Jones.”
Jones picked up his first win of the season for the Badgers, and did so with a complete game performance, striking out five and walking just two.
Beebe never trailed in the game, and wasted no time scoring by getting a run on the board in the top of the first when Jared Aschbrenner singled to drive in Dakota Lovston after Lovston singled and stole both second and third base.
Beebe scored again after Cody Todd singled to bring home Brandon Stane to put the Badgers up 2-0 after four.
The Badgers (11-8, 7-1) added four more runs in the fifth to take a six-run lead over Carlisle, but the Bison (15-5, 5-1) responded in the bottom part of the inning with three runs.
Carlisle held Beebe scoreless in the sixth, and was able to cut the deficit to two when Josh Mathis hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Tommy Inman to tag from the third.
Beebe scored its seventh run of the game after Stane doubled to send Aschbrenner home, and Stane scored from second after Todd, the next batter, singled to make the score 8-4.
“We had a couple of base-running mistakes,” said Carlisle coach B.J. Greene. “Hitting the ball, I can’t say that we hit it well. They did what a good team would do. They fielded the ball when you hit it to them, and that’s what you’re supposed to do.
“We had a senior swinging at the first pitch, when we were in mustard, which is take it till you get a strike, and he swings at the first pitch and pops out. Then we got picked off at first when we didn’t have any signals on. That was another big one.”
Lovston led Beebe, going 4 for 4 with a double and three singles. Stane went 3 for 4. Aschbrenner and Todd each went 2 for 4, while Matt Stillman and Byars Halford had a hit apiece.
Chris Hart and Deric Herring had two hits for Carlisle. Inman, Mathis, Hayden Hoover and Will Smith each had a hit.
Carlisle was able to get a win in non-conference play Tuesday, as the Bison traveled to Lonoke and beat the Jackrabbits 6-4.
Mathis earned the win as the Bison pitcher started strong and helped Carlisle jump out to a 5-0 lead. Lonoke scored the next four runs to make it a one-run game.
Freshman Dylan Brazeal came in to hit with two outs late in the game, and hit a hard double to right center that allowed Connor Fields to score from first. Fields scored the final run after sliding outside of the tag from the Lonoke catcher in a close play at the plate to set the final margin.
