Up 5-4 late and down 8-5 even later, the Benton Panthers came back in the final inning to defeat the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats 9-8 in nonconference action at Vince DeSalvo Stadium in North Little Rock.
The Panthers led 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, and after starting senior left-hander Jake Croushore retired the first two batters, things went downhill quick. Croushore walked the next two batters and was relieved by senior Brinson Williams, who came in on a 2-0 count and walked the bases loaded. But that’s when Wildcat Zac Freeman took a 0-1 pitch over the right-field fence for a grand slam and NLR 8-5 lead.
“The kid just hit it good,” Benton Coach Mark Balisterri said of the grand slam. “That’s a pretty big blow right there, especially when you have one at-bat left.”