GOBLINS DELIVER IN POSTSEASON OPENER

SPRINGDALE — There’s no room for mercy in the playoffs.
Harrison’s opening round game in the 4A-1 District Tournament only needed six innings on Tuesday evening to send the Goblins into the semifinals and punch a ticket for the regional bracket.
The now 18-7 Harrison squad entered the game as the No. 3 seed from the conference and was paired against the 14-11 Pioneers from Gentry.
Runs were scored in every inning for the Goblins as Harrison rolled to an 11-1 win.
Entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Harrison held an 8-1 lead and needed three runs to end the game early.
Sloan Barrett faced a full count and drove the ball down the center of the field for a one-out single. Tyler Hutcheson followed with a line drive into right field for a single and then stole second base.
Beck Jones was the next batter. After the sophomore let a loose grip send his bat flying over the head of the third baseman, he was walked for the fourth time in the game to load the bases.
Cole Keylon then earned an easy RBI as he watched four pitches miss the strike zone to bring Barrett in for a score.
Three pitches into Dylan Block’s at bat, a strong swing rocketed the ball straight up into the air. As the ball traveled upward, Hutcheson and Jones each found their way around the final bases and across home plate before the ball landed untouched around 10 feet in front of home plate.
Harrison skipper Matt Rodden shouted “that’s ballgame” and the Goblins’ 11-1 win advanced them to the second round where they will play Shiloh Christian on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Keylon opened the game on the mound for Harrison and threw 5.2 innings allowing just one run. During that span, Harrison’s offense put eight runs on the board.
Trey Richardson scored the first run of the game after pinch running for Jones who sent a first-pitch fastball deep to left field for a standup double. Richardson’s run came off a bunt by Moix that resulted in a Gentry error on the throw to first.
Barrett hit a single in the bottom of the second and scored when Moix pulled the ball to left field.
In the bottom of the third, Block crushed a one-two pitch into the gap in left-center field for a double and later scored when Cy Madden hit a Texas Leaguer on a two-one pitch that made it a 3-0 game after three innings.
Harrison’s biggest inning came in the bottom of the fourth. Richardson got his second run of the game by pinch running when Jones was walked to begin the inning. Moix hit a single after dropping the ball into short centerfield and sent Richardson to third.
Richardson then scored on a wild pitch and a four-three grounder from Keylon moved Moix to third. Block was hit by a pitch and then stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Breckin Duck then earned two RBI when he dropped a full-count pitch into short left field that made it a 6-0 Harrison lead when Moix and Block scored.
Tristan Thompson ran for Duck and added a run as Madden hit the first pitch he seen to the wall in right-center field.
Harrison began the bottom of the fifth inning leading by a 7-0 score and Jones was walked again with Richardson pinch running. Richardson went to second after another successful bunt by Moix and trotted to third during a passed ball during Block’s at bat. Duck tallied a RBI when he was walked with the bases loaded to send Richardson in for the lone run of the frame.
Gentry earned their only run after a batter was walked and worked around the bases in the top of the sixth.
Richardson finished the game with four runs. Block and Barrett each made it home twice while Moix, Hutcheson and Quandt added one run apiece.
Duck finished with three RBI. Block and Madden had two RBI each and Moix and Keylon hit in one run apiece.
Moix registered four hits, Block, Madden and Barrett each had two hits and Jones, Keylon, Duck and Hutcheson had one hit each.
Keylon got the win on the mound throwing 5.2 innings allowing one run on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Block finished the game throwing one pitch before picking off a runner at third base to end his presence on the mound while leaving two Gentry runners stranded.