By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Beebe Badgers faced off with 5A-East leading Nettleton twice this week, but not in a doubleheader. The Badgers played a regularly-scheduled game against the Raiders on Monday, then traveled to Jonesboro for a makeup of the rained out nightcap on Tuesday.
Beebe dropped game one 2-1, but came back to win the next night8-4, moving to 10-10 overall and 6-4 in league play. The 5A East is nowhere near being settled. Nettleton is now tied with Wynne for the league lead at 8-2.
Beebe and Batesville are 6-4 and Greene County Tech is 4-4. Forrest City is also still mathematically in the running for a playoff spot at 4-6.
Beebe got on the board first in game two with two runs off Raider pitcher Braden Camp. Angus Denton started it off with a base hit and Dawson Burge reached base on an error that also allowed Denton to score. Jonathan Underwood then got a base hit to score Burge and give the Badgers a 2-0 lead.
Nettleton tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the second, only to see Beebe reclaim the lead with a single run in the third. The Raiders then took the lead in the bottom of the third with two more runs off relief pitcher Justin Browning. Kord Simpson started on the mound for the Badgers, but left the game with one out in the second inning.
The two runs off Browning in the third inning were Nettleton’s last, as Browning gave up only three hits while striking out four and walking none through the final four innings.
Meanwhile, Beebe re-claimed the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth, then added a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to set the final margin.
Denton finished the game going 2 for 3 at the plate with a double, two RBIs, two walks and a run scored. Browning went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.
Despite the eight runs scored, the Badgers missed a few other opportunities to put runs on the board. The team totaled eight base hits, drew six walks and four batters were hit by pitches, but Beebe left 10 base runners stranded over the course of the game.
The Badgers hosted Cabot in a nonconference game on Friday, and gets back to conference play on Thursday with a home doubleheader against Batesville.
