Watson Chapel ended a 6-game skid Friday in run-rule fashion.
The Wildcat baseball team defeated Little Rock Parkview 21-11 in five innings in Pine Bluff.
First-year Watson Chapel coach Brandon Little said baserunning helped the Wildcats set a new season high in runs.
“I seen a lot of aggressiveness on the bases, for sure,” Little said. “I like that. We swung the bat well. It was a few mistakes that we had here and there that we gotta clean up, but we’re going to get back to practice, and we’re going to fix it.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Watson Chapel (4-8) starting pitcher Joseph Dockett ended the game with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning with a walk-off, 2-RBI single which scored relief pitcher Taariq Conner and third baseman Demarion Kye. Pinch hitter Emarion Pugh had already scored in the inning on a dropped fly ball in left field hit by Kye.
Dockett’s walk-off hit ended a perfect day at the plate for him. He finished the game 4 for 4 with 7 RBIs and 2 runs. He also reached on an error in the fourth inning on a groundball to first base.
“I was just focusing on hitting the ball the other way and up the middle,” Dockett said. “That’s what worked out for me.”
On the mound, Dockett pitched the first three innings with six strikeouts and six walks. He allowed 8 runs, 7 earned, on five hits. Conner took over to start the fourth and pitched the final two innings. He allowed 3 runs, 1 earned, on no hits and 4 walks. He struck out 2 hitters.
Watson Chapel scored in every inning but the third. The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the first inning after sending 9 hitters to the plate. Conner scored the game’s first run on an error.
Parkview (0-12) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the second. Shortstop Elliot Bumpers put the Patriots in front with a 2-RBI double, though the inning ended on the play as a third runner was tagged out at the plate.
The Wildcats responded with a 10-run bottom of the second in which they sent 14 hitters to the plate.
Trailing 13-4 didn’t faze Parkview, which scored 7 unanswered runs over the next two innings to make it 13-11. Watson Chapel pulled away with 5 runs in the fourth after the first 5 hitters reached base.
Little said he liked how his team responded to Parkview’s run.
“They stayed poised,” Little said. “We’ve played with a lot of adversity this year. We’ve been on the bad side of things here lately, but I just like the way they just stayed poised, and then competed, never gave up.”
Parkview third baseman DeAndre James drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth and advanced to second on a groundout. He was doubled off after the Wildcats caught a line drive and tagged second base to end the inning and set up the walk-off opportunity.