Sunday, May 14, 2017

UAM's Halbert named to all-tournament team

UAM baseball player Guy Halbert is pictured with his mother Dena during senior day festivities last month. Halbert was named to the Great American Conference all-tournament team.. (Courtesy of UAM Sports Information)


By Mark Buffalo
Staff Writer

ARKADELPHIA — Former Lonoke Jackrabbits baseball player and current Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevil Guy Halbert was named to the Great American Conference All-Tournament team following his team’s sweep of the conference Final Four tournament Sunday at Henderson State. 
Halbert, who graduated from Lonoke High School in 2013, played two years at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock before transferring to UAM, an NCAA Division II school. 
Halbert hit two home runs in the tournament, including a grand slam in the opener against Arkansas Tech. He was 5 for 12 in the three-game set. 
Halbert, who is the designated hitter, is tied for the team lead in home runs with seven. He also has 34 runs batted in this season.
UAM will find out their NCAA Division II Tournament destination Monday. 

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Jackrabbits outhit Scrappers but season ends with 4-2 loss

Lonoke's Keith Lingo makes contact on an RBI single in the fifth inning against Nashville on Saturday. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)



By Mark Buffalo
Staff Writer

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits couldn’t get a timely hit when they needed it and it cost them in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state tournament Saturday at the Lonoke Ball Park.
Nashville scored two runs late to beat Lonoke 4-2, ending the Jackrabbits season at 21-13.
Lonoke led 10 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the fourth. The Jackrabbits also outhit the Scrappers 8-4 but Nashville earned four walks and had two batters hit by pitches. 
“I don’t really feel like they earned a lot, as far as driving in runs,” said first-year Lonoke coach Chris Foor. “We helped them with walks and untimely errors. And we allowed innings to continue.” 
Lonoke also had several more base runners thrown out at second and third bases. 
“We’re aggressive on the base paths,” Foor said. “But we made some errors on the base paths that were just not fundamentally sound. We had a couple of missed signals.”
Despite all that, Foor was proud of the way his team fought against Nashville. 
“We showed them that we belong right there with them,” he said. “We just couldn’t get that one hit to put us over the edge.”
Lonoke scored the game’s first run in the top of the first. Dalton Smith reached on a fielder’s choice and scored when Tallon Swint reached on an error. 
Nashville scored twice in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-1 lead. Zach Jamison walked and reached second on a error, which allowed Trace Beene on first base. They scored later in the frame.
Lonoke had a chance to do some damage in the second inning, loading the bases with one out. But a double play ended the threat.
The Jackrabbits loaded the bases again in the fourth. With two outs, Christian Cooper and Kameron Cole were on third and second respectively when Nashville intentionally walked Casey Martin to load the bases. However, the threat ended on a called third strike. 
Nashville loaded the bases in the fourth but Lonoke pitcher Haven Hunter worked out of the jam.
Lonoke finally tied the game in the top of the fifth. Hunter reached on an error and scored on a two-out single by Keith Lingo.
The tie was short lived. With two outs in the fifth, Nashville’s Austin Bowman doubled to center field. Martin relieved Hunter on the mound and got an infield ground ball but an error allowed the go-ahead run to score. 
The Scrappers added a run in the sixth Jamison tripled with two outs and scored on a single by Chris Willard.
Lonoke had a chance in the top of the seventh. Hunter led off with a single and Kade Stuart walked. Swint then hit into a double play, leaving Hunter at third base. Lingo popped out for the final out of the game. 
Cole led Lonoke at the plate, going 2 for 3. Hunter was 2 for 4. Also getting hits were Stuart, Lingo and Caleb Horton. 
Hunter got the loss, despite giving up only two hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. He struck out six.
Foor said he enjoyed his first year of coaching at Lonoke. 
“I love the people here,” Foor said. “People say that to be politically correct but those that have gotten to know me in this town know that it is not who I am. I’m a truthful person and I love the people of Lonoke. If you are up front and honest, I truly believe the people here would give you the shirt off their backs if you asked them.”
Foor said that it starts with the kids. 
“The kids at the high school are fun and energetic,” he said. “When you get onto the ball field, they’ve got fire to them. They want to succeed. They want to learn. It makes it enjoyable to be around and it’s fun to watch them grow when they have that kind of attitude.”

Lonoke pitcher Haven Hunter makes a delivery against Nashville. 




Thursday, May 11, 2017

Jackrabbits win first state tourney game since 2012

Lonoke first baseman Keith Lingo awaits a throw during the regional tournament at Trumann. (Photo courtesy of Nathan McGowan)


By Mark Buffalo
Staff Writer

LONOKE — For the first time since the 2012 season, the Lonoke Jackrabbits have won a state tournament game.
On Thursday, the Jackrabbits overcame a 1-0 deficit to beat Pottsville 5-1 in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament, which is being played at the Lonoke Ball Park. Lonoke will play Nashville on Friday at 10 a.m. 
Lonoke’s last victory in state tournament action was an 8-7 win over Pulaski Academy in 12 innings in the state semifinals at Harrison. The Jackrabbits then lost to Shiloh Christian 4-0 in the state championship game at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
In Thursday’s victory, Pottsville led 1-0 after the top of the second. Lonoke tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame when Keith Lingo singled and scored. 
The Jackrabbits took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Haven Hunter doubled and scored on a single by Talon Swint. 
The score remained the same until the fifth inning when Kade Stuart doubled and scored when Lingo reached on an error.
Lonoke’s final two runs came courtesy of Casey Martin’s 10th home run of the year. Kameron Cole led off the sixth with a walk and scored when Martin went deep to make the score 5-1. 
If the Jackrabbits beat Nashville, they will play in the state semifinals Saturday at noon against the winner of Booneville and Monticello.

Other first-round scores include: 
Monticello 7, Heber Springs 0
Shiloh Christian 3, Arkadelphia 0
Pea Ridge 5, Jonesboro Westside 2