Marion Athletics -

With four games to play, the Marion baseball team is right where it needs to be, albeit with work to do.

The Marion Nine moved into sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot from the 5A East on Tuesday evening after sweeping 5A East conference foe and county rival West Memphis 11-1 and 14-4 inside First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium, home of John Robbins Field.

Marion closes out its 5A East schedule with a massive home doubleheader on Tuesday, April 28, against Batesville, before playing its final conference series on Tuesday, May 5, at Greene County Tech.

The Pats set the tone early in the opener, scoring once in the first inning, twice in the second, before tossing up four runs apiece in the fourth and sixth frames to cruise to the 11-1 victory.

Marion starter and Ouachita Baptist signee Coleman Barnett picked up the victory in the lid-lifter after working three shutout innings, striking out six, and allowing just three hits. Righty Ben Bateman spun the final three frames to pick up the save.

At the plate, Marion got a 3-4 night from left-fielder Brody Byrd (3-4), who also scored once and drove in a run. Barnett helped his own cause by going 1-4 with a run and an RBI. Max Molloy (1-3 with two RBI and a run), Ladd Langley (1-3 with a run and an RBI), Solomon Flores (1-2 with three RBI), Robert Hall (1-3 with a run and an RBI), and Sully McKewen (1-3 with a run and an RBI) accounted for Marion's 10 hits.

Hall took the ball for the nightcap, striking out four batters in two innings, allowing just one run, before giving way to Byrd, who worked the last three frames to earn the victory.

Marion muscled out 13 hits in the second contest, including multiple-hit games from Liam Henry (2-3 with two runs), Molloy (2-3 with two RBI and a run), Flores (2-3 with two runs and an RBI), and Hall (2-2 with two runs and two RBI). Langley scored two times and drove in a pair, and Barnett drove in three and scored once.

The Pats scored two times in the second, third, and fifth innings, wrapped around an eight-run uprising in the bottom of the fourth.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Marion hosts Dyer County (TN.) on Friday afternoon for a varsity/junior varsity doubleheader, and the Patriots will also celebrate Senior Night. Senior Night festivities will be held between games, and the varsity contest begins the day at 4:30 p.m.
The Patriots host Batesville for a 5A East doubleheader on Tuesday, April 28, and the twinbill begins at 4:30.
Neither contest will be available on the Marion Patriots Activities Network.

5A EAST RESULTS FROM 4/21
Marion 11, W. Memphis 1
Marion 14, W. Memphis 4

Valley View 4, Greene Co. Tech 3
Valley View 8, Greene Co. Tech 5

Searcy 12, Batesville 5
Batesville 14, Searcy 13

Paragould 10, Nettleton 0
Paragould 11, Nettleton 1

5A EAST STANDINGS ON 4/22
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
Valley View 10-0
Searcy 9-1
Greene Co. Tech 8-2
Marion 5-5
Batesville 4-6
Paragould 4-6
Nettleton 0-10
W. Memphis 0-10

5A EAST SERIES ON 4/28
Batesville at Marion
Searcy at Greene Co. Tech
Valley View at Paragould
W. Memphis at Nettleton