SPORTS STORY >> Lonoke roughs up on Cardinals

By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor

The Lonoke baseball team stayed in first place in the 4A-2 Conference race with a 10-1 win over Dollarway on Monday. Starting pitcher Zack Risner left the game after throwing five innings of no-hit ball. He walked a runner in the second and Dollarway reached on an error in the fifth inning for the only two Cardinal base runners of the first five innings. Risner struck out eight to go with the one walk.


Blake Gooden took the mound in the sixth inning and after recording two quick outs, gave up back-to-back base hits and Dollarway’s only run of the game. He struck out the next batter for the last out of the sixth, then fanned the side in order to end the game with four Ks in just two innings of work.


Lonoke got eight base hits, walked five times and had six batters hit by pitches. The Jackrabbits had just two runs after three innings, and added a single run in the fourth for a 3-0 lead. They finally blew things open with five runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth to set the final margin.


Two-hole hitter Christian James was the only player in the game with multiple hits. The second baseman went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. He also reached once on a hit batsman and scored one run.


Lonoke’s first run was unearned. Gooden reached on a two-out error and moved to second when Guy Halbert was hit by a pitch. Madison James then singled to drive Gooden home.


Garrett Spears walked to lead off the second inning and moved into scoring position when Nick Graves was hit by a pitch. A grounder by Shane Pepper advanced the runners and a groundout by Christian James scored Spears.


Graves walked to lead off the fourth inning and stole second base. Pepper was hit by a pitch and a single by James loaded the bases. Graves then scored when Dollarway committed another error off the bat of Gooden.


The big fifth inning started with a single by Risner. Spears walked with one out and Graves singled to drive in Risner’s courtesy runner Cody Martin. Pepper then hit into a fielder’s choice where the throw went home, but the catcher dropped the ball, leaving Spears safe for the fifth run of the game. Christian James then singled to score Graves and Halbert doubled to drive in Pepper and James and make the score 8-0.


After a scoreless sixth, Graves led off the top of the seventh by again getting hit by a pitch. Pepper singled and two passed balls moved him to third and scored Graves. Christian James was hit and Pepper scored on a sacrifice fly by Gooden to set the final margin.


The Jackrabbits, 11-5, are scheduled to host a nonconference game against class 6A Sheridan on Thursday.