GOBLINS TAKE HARDWARE IN OZARKS CLASSIC

Baseball season is in full swing and the fields were busy over the weekend with the Ozarks Baseball Classic held at the Equity Bank Sports Complex.
Harrison’s Golden Goblins used the opportunity to climb into a winning record as they won three-straight games and the championship.
On Saturday afternoon, the home team got an early look at a conference opponent and entertained the fans with a 16-13 win over Pea Ridge in the finals.
Harrison advanced to the finals with a 13-4 victory over Woodlawn in the semifinals after opening the tournament with a 12-2 thumping of McDonald County, Mo.
“This tournament has been the spark that gets us going,” Harrison skipper Matt Rodden commented after the wins. “It was a lot tougher this year with some really good teams.
“I was happy to see our starting pitching take off,” the coach continued. “Cy Madden and Dylan Block had some really good outings. Our offense came around and helped out as well. It was good to see our bats get going. We finally got our timing back and we’re beginning to take off a little bit.”

Championship
Harrison 16, Pea Ridge 13
The championship game of the Ozarks Classic came down to the final inning.
Harrison entered the seventh frame down by a 13-12 score but rallied for four runs and held Pea Ridge scoreless during their last attempt to push the Goblins to a 16-13 victory and the tournament title.
“In the finals we threw everybody in,” Rodden reflected. “We had confidence at the plate. Even when we got down, we didn’t feel like we were going to lose that game.”
Pea Ridge had the one-point edge as the Goblins began the seventh inning. Block led the bats with a double to left field followed by Beck Jones smacking the ball to centerfield to send in Block and tie the game at 13 apiece. Madden then reached on an error followed by a Logan Plumlee grounder that beat the throw to first.
Timber Crenwelge then reached to load the bases. Tristan Thompson earned a RBI by getting hit by a pitch to send in Madden. Plumlee made it a 15-13 game after a wild pitch and Crenwelge was the final Goblin to round the bases and set the final score. The Blackhawks were unable to get the offense rolling in the bottom of the seventh and Plumlee earned the win after getting the final three outs from the mound.
Sloan Barrett and Block opened the game with the first two runs but Pea Ridge came back to take a 3-2 lead after one.
The roles were flipped in the second as Block hit a three-run homerun with Barrett and Block on base to move it to a 5-3 advantage. Pea Ridge responded with two more runs in the inning to tie the game at five each.
Missed opportunities kept the Goblins away from rounding the bases in the third while Pea Ridge added two more runs and retook the lead.
Both teams were scoreless in the fourth before Harrison got runs from Crenwelge, Thompson and Wilson in the fifth to move ahead, 8-7.
Pea Ridge watched the Goblins produce four runs in the sixth as Jones, Madden, Crenwelge and Kaden Quandt crossed home plate. The Blackhawks responded with a six-run sixth to take the one-point lead before Harrison pulled away in the seventh.
Plumlee won the game pitching 1.2 innings with three strikeouts. Thompson, Gilliam and Wilson each threw 1.2 innings as well with Thompson collecting a pair of strikeouts. Crenwelge added to the Goblin pitching staff with 1.1 innings.
Block and Crenwelge score three runs each, Barrett, Madden and Wilson two apiece and Jones, Plumlee, Thompson and Quandt one each.
Semifinals
Harrison 13, Woodlawn 4
The Goblins led through three innings before the Bears tied the game in the fourth. Harrison then lit a fire under its offense and pulled away for a 13-4 victory.
Block scored in the first off a Madden RBI, and a solo homerun by Barrett in the third gave Harrison a 2-0 lead before Pea Ridge tied the game in the fourth.
“Barrett has been on an absolute tear lately,” said Rodden. “He’s been on base 75% of the time. That’s unreal from the leadoff spot. Block and Cy with Beck behind him has been some good bats. They are all starting to hit.”
Barrett led off the fifth with a single followed by by hits from Block, and Jones reached on hits. Madden drove in two runs with a double to left field. All four runners scored during the frame and Brody Gilliam added the fifth score of the inning after a double past the shortstop and then rounded bases with a sacrifice fly from Crenwelge and fielding errors from the defense.
Pea Ridge scored two more runs in the sixth but Harrison got them both back in a hurry when Block was walked and Jones earned a homer with a hit over center field.
Harrison began the seventh with a 9-4 lead and tallied four more runs in the seventh with Jones earning his fourth RBI of the game by driving in Barrett and Block with a double followed by Madden hitting in Jones. A sacrifice fly by Plumlee put Madden over home plate to set the final score and move the Goblins into the finals.
Madden earned the win on the mound throwing 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts. Plumlee finished the pitching for 1.2 innings and four strikeouts.
Block rounded the bases four times in the win. Barrett and Jones scored three runs and Madden, Gilliam and Wilson one apiece.
Opening Round
Harrison 12, McDonald Co., Mo. 2
The Goblins began the tournament with an offensive aggression and defeated the Mustangs of McDonald County, 12-2.
“We have nine seniors and two juniors who are all battle tested,” said the Goblin coach. “That’s a good thing to have. They have all been through the fire before. They are very competitive and good leaders.”
Harrison began the first trailing by a 1-0 score. Barrett was then walked and Block connected on a pitch for a two-run homerun. Jones followed with a double and later scored on a wild pitch.
After the Mustangs managed a run in the second, Barrett and Block scored in the frame after a two-RBI double from Jones that made it a 5-2 game. Gilliam and Crenwelge were then walked after Madden reached and scored. Quandt earned two RBI with a double and all seven Goblins found home plate for runs.
Madden and Plumlee added the finals runs in the third after a Crenwelge triple to right field drove in both runners.
Block earned the win on the mound with a complete game and three strikeouts.
Barrett, Block, Jones and Madden scored two runs apiece while Plumlee, Gilliam, Crenwelge and Quandt had one each.