Like their AA counterparts, the rust was evident early for Taylor Ambulance as they returned to action for the first time in four days as rain forced the postponement of Friday's conference double-header with Paragould.
Newport committed three errors in the first inning to help Pocahontas build a 5-0 lead after a half-inning. However, Taylor Ambulance battled back to pick up a come-from-behind 15-9 victory over Pocahontas's AA squad Monday night at Clay Curtner Field.
Taylor Ambulance, lethargic in the early going, began to settle in during the third inning as they sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs to take their first lead of the night.
Second baseman Gage Weaver got the rally started with a basehit to right-field. Back-to-back one-out walks to Jim DuPree and Ryan McGaughey loaded the bases for Taylor Ambulance. Matthew Duvall's swinging bunt down the third-base line scored Weaver and kept the bases loaded for Grant Black who cut the lead to 5-3 with a double. Aaron Coots followed with a walk to reload the bases and Devante Neal's single scored Duvall and Black to tie the score at 5-5. Zack McArthur's groundout plated Coots for the final run of the frame for Newport.
Pocahontas answered with a four-run inning in the top of the fourth to regain the lead 9-6 but the Taylor Ambulance offense was not finished as they exploded again in the fifth inning.
Duvall led off the inning with a single but was forced out at second by Black. Coots followed with a ground-rule double and Neal followed with an RBI single and moved to second base on the throw home. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Weaver lined sharply to the Pocahontas shortstop who overthrew first allowing Neal to score and Weaver to move up 90 feet. Michael Reynolds followed with a long double to drive home a run and DuPree singled with Reynolds scoring from second base on the infield hit. McGaughey singled and Duvall walked to load the bases for Black once more, who responded with his second double of the night to clear the bases.
Newport added a single tally in the sixth inning when McArthur singled with one-out and scored on a two-out single by Reynolds.
Duvall's three hits and one RBI and Black's two hits and five RBIs paced the Newport offense. Reynolds and Neal each drove in two runs on two hits while McArthur had one hit and an RBI. Dupree, McGaughey, Coots and Weaver had one hit each for Taylor Ambulance.
Reynolds (1-0) picked up the victory as he tossed 3.2 innings of relief allowing one hit and striking out six while walking two. Coots worked three innings of relief allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out three. McGaughey pitched one-third of an inning allowing five runs on four hits and walked two.
Jonesboro Seams 16
Taylor Ambulance 12
On a night when little went right for Taylor Ambulance, they still found themselves in the end with a chance to win the game only to fall short 16-12 to Jonesboro Seams last Wednesday night at George Kell Park.
Five pitches into the contest Coach Michael Long's starting pitcher Matthew Duvall was struck in the pitching hand by a line-drive and knocked out of the contest.
In the third inning, pitcher Colton Shadwick was struck in the head and suffered what was later diagnosed as a concussion and has been out of the lineup and practice since.
In the eighth inning, catcher Devante Neal was ejected from the contest for barreling over the Jonesboro catcher at home plate.
Yet, Newport had the tying run in the on-deck circle in the bottom of the ninth inning before a strikeout ended the marathon 16-12.
Taylor Ambulance scored six times in the first inning as they received five walks and an error from Jonesboro to take a 6-2 lead. Aaron Coots drew a bases-loaded walk and Shadwick and Michael Reynolds each drove in two runs with base hits in the frame.
Jonesboro regained the lead with a five-run fourth inning before the Taylor Ambulance offense went to work again responding with four runs in the fifth inning to regain the lead 10-7.
Grant Black doubled to start the inning and scored on an RBI double by Ryan McGaughey, who scored on an RBI double by Coots. Shadwick's RBI double plated McGaughey. Zack McArthur's RBI single scored Shadwick for the final run of the inning.
Seams put together a five-run top of the sixth inning to again take the lead 12-10. They added a single run in the seventh and three insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Taylor Ambulance picked up their final runs of the night in the sixth inning as McGaughey, who had reached on a fielder's choice, scored on Shadwick's third RBI hit of the night. He would later score on a Jonesboro error.
Shadwick led the Newport offense with three hits and four runs batted in. Reynolds and McArthur had two hits and an RBI each, while DuPree also had two hits. Coots had one hit and two RBIs while Black and McGaughey had a hit each.
Coots (1-1), the fifth Newport pitcher suffered the loss as he allowed six runs on five hits in 3.2 innings of relief. He struck out one and walked five. Black worked two innings allowing three runs on one hit and walked four while striking out one. Shadwick allowed five runs on seven hits and walked one in 1.1 innings of work. Reynolds allowed two runs on three hits while striking out one in 1.2 innings. Duvall retired the only man he faced before leaving the contest.
Taylor Ambulance begins play Friday night at 5:45 p.m. as they take on the winner of Tuckerman and Jonesboro Seams in the second round of the annual George Kell Classic Wooden Bat Tournament.
Tuckerman and Seams will open the tournament Thursday evening at 5:45 on Clay Curtner Field at George Kell Park.
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Like their AA counterparts, the rust was evident early for Taylor Ambulance as they returned to action for the first time in four days as rain forced the postponement of Friday's conference double-header with Paragould.
Newport committed three errors in the first inning to help Pocahontas build a 5-0 lead after a half-inning. However, Taylor Ambulance battled back to pick up a come-from-behind 15-9 victory over Pocahontas's AA squad Monday night at Clay Curtner Field.
Taylor Ambulance, lethargic in the early going, began to settle in during the third inning as they sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs to take their first lead of the night.
Second baseman Gage Weaver got the rally started with a basehit to right-field. Back-to-back one-out walks to Jim DuPree and Ryan McGaughey loaded the bases for Taylor Ambulance. Matthew Duvall's swinging bunt down the third-base line scored Weaver and kept the bases loaded for Grant Black who cut the lead to 5-3 with a double. Aaron Coots followed with a walk to reload the bases and Devante Neal's single scored Duvall and Black to tie the score at 5-5. Zack McArthur's groundout plated Coots for the final run of the frame for Newport.
Pocahontas answered with a four-run inning in the top of the fourth to regain the lead 9-6 but the Taylor Ambulance offense was not finished as they exploded again in the fifth inning.
Duvall led off the inning with a single but was forced out at second by Black. Coots followed with a ground-rule double and Neal followed with an RBI single and moved to second base on the throw home. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Weaver lined sharply to the Pocahontas shortstop who overthrew first allowing Neal to score and Weaver to move up 90 feet. Michael Reynolds followed with a long double to drive home a run and DuPree singled with Reynolds scoring from second base on the infield hit. McGaughey singled and Duvall walked to load the bases for Black once more, who responded with his second double of the night to clear the bases.
Newport added a single tally in the sixth inning when McArthur singled with one-out and scored on a two-out single by Reynolds.
Duvall's three hits and one RBI and Black's two hits and five RBIs paced the Newport offense. Reynolds and Neal each drove in two runs on two hits while McArthur had one hit and an RBI. Dupree, McGaughey, Coots and Weaver had one hit each for Taylor Ambulance.
Reynolds (1-0) picked up the victory as he tossed 3.2 innings of relief allowing one hit and striking out six while walking two. Coots worked three innings of relief allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out three. McGaughey pitched one-third of an inning allowing five runs on four hits and walked two.
Jonesboro Seams 16
Taylor Ambulance 12
On a night when little went right for Taylor Ambulance, they still found themselves in the end with a chance to win the game only to fall short 16-12 to Jonesboro Seams last Wednesday night at George Kell Park.
Five pitches into the contest Coach Michael Long's starting pitcher Matthew Duvall was struck in the pitching hand by a line-drive and knocked out of the contest.
In the third inning, pitcher Colton Shadwick was struck in the head and suffered what was later diagnosed as a concussion and has been out of the lineup and practice since.
In the eighth inning, catcher Devante Neal was ejected from the contest for barreling over the Jonesboro catcher at home plate.
Yet, Newport had the tying run in the on-deck circle in the bottom of the ninth inning before a strikeout ended the marathon 16-12.
Taylor Ambulance scored six times in the first inning as they received five walks and an error from Jonesboro to take a 6-2 lead. Aaron Coots drew a bases-loaded walk and Shadwick and Michael Reynolds each drove in two runs with base hits in the frame.
Jonesboro regained the lead with a five-run fourth inning before the Taylor Ambulance offense went to work again responding with four runs in the fifth inning to regain the lead 10-7.
Grant Black doubled to start the inning and scored on an RBI double by Ryan McGaughey, who scored on an RBI double by Coots. Shadwick's RBI double plated McGaughey. Zack McArthur's RBI single scored Shadwick for the final run of the inning.
Seams put together a five-run top of the sixth inning to again take the lead 12-10. They added a single run in the seventh and three insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Taylor Ambulance picked up their final runs of the night in the sixth inning as McGaughey, who had reached on a fielder's choice, scored on Shadwick's third RBI hit of the night. He would later score on a Jonesboro error.
Shadwick led the Newport offense with three hits and four runs batted in. Reynolds and McArthur had two hits and an RBI each, while DuPree also had two hits. Coots had one hit and two RBIs while Black and McGaughey had a hit each.
Coots (1-1), the fifth Newport pitcher suffered the loss as he allowed six runs on five hits in 3.2 innings of relief. He struck out one and walked five. Black worked two innings allowing three runs on one hit and walked four while striking out one. Shadwick allowed five runs on seven hits and walked one in 1.1 innings of work. Reynolds allowed two runs on three hits while striking out one in 1.2 innings. Duvall retired the only man he faced before leaving the contest.
Taylor Ambulance begins play Friday night at 5:45 p.m. as they take on the winner of Tuckerman and Jonesboro Seams in the second round of the annual George Kell Classic Wooden Bat Tournament.
Tuckerman and Seams will open the tournament Thursday evening at 5:45 on Clay Curtner Field at George Kell Park.
