CONWAY — In the ratings war to control public perception what’s portrayed on TV as reality is based upon an underlying script — take note.
In the world of print media, truth can be stranger than fiction, and in the annals of Prairie Grove baseball what was nonfactual reporting one week turned into reality five days later.
In an ironic twist, unintentional “fake news” based upon Prairie Grove’s May 11, Class 4A State semifinal win with numerous sports stories erroneously reporting Tristan Hall as making the game-winning hit became the “real game story” on May 16.
The week before the State Finals, Prairie Grove rallied to defeat Farmington, 4-2, in the Class 4A State semifinals at Gravette on Saturday, May 11, and an assortment of errors slipped into print.
The game winning hit bashed out by catcher Spencer Allen, who drove in a pair of runs with a single in the bottom of the fifth inning, got incorrectly attributed to his teammate, Hall, across multiple publications.
With the May 11, game tied 2-2 Prairie Grove tried to manufacture a run, but couldn’t get a bunt down and failed to score on a squeeze play. Instead the Tigers wound up with a strikeout. Allen, the next batter up, solved the problem with a clutch hit that only not gave Prairie Grove its first lead in the rivalry contest, but also padded the margin with an insurance run.
The Tigers carried that surge to a hard-fought 4-2 victory, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth without giving up a run to hold off the Cardinals on Saturday, May 11, at Gravette and punched their ticket to their first appearance in the State Finals since current Colorado Rockies pitcher Jalen Beeks led Prairie Grove into the 2011 title game.
In the 2024 State Finals at Bear Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas at Conway, where Beeks’ cousin, Ty Tice, played college baseball before getting drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017, drama on the field again involved both Allen and Hall, who hit two spots apart in the lineup.
On Thursday, May 16, the Tigers found themselves down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning against Joe T. Robinson. The Senators’ starter, Logan Eichler (5 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts) threw two wild pitches and walked leadoff batter Caleb Carte (1 for 2, run scored, walk), then jumped ahead of Allen. Allen showed bunt and took two called strikes, then was hit by a pitch.
Prairie Grove fans sensed a swing of momentum as reliever Spencer Watson came on for Robinson and courtesy runner Carter Flumm replaced Allen at first.
Luke Cesena executed in crunch time by laying down a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position and when Hall (1 for 2, 2 RBIs, run scored) came to the plate Tiger fans rocked the place. Hall ducked a 1-0 pitch and got ahead 3-0 in the count.
Now it was Hall’s turn to drive in the go-ahead run as he belted a single that scored two runs and put Prairie Grove in front, 3-2 and the applause resounded throughout Bear Stadium, but he wasn’t done yet.
Conner Hubbs (2 for 4, run scored) singled and Hall went to second. Luke Vance ground out to first and the runners advanced. Hall then stole home and scored providing an important insurance run that staked the Tigers to a 4-2 lead.
Robinson’s delayed reaction with a late throw to the plate allowed Hubbs to go to third. He scored on Asher Linn’s single which increased Prairie Grove’s cushion to 5-2 as Tiger fans reveled in Hall’s daring play. They’d win by that score.
Now Hall was in the spotlight, hailed as hero stealing home and scoring a crucial insurance run, it’s undisputed he made his mark in the state championship game.
Asked about the mix-up in the papers the week before, Hall shrugged it off.
“I can’t really say anything. Spencer Allen did his part. We both played a heckuva game,” Hall said.
Hall downplayed the errors that got printed in the press. He’s grateful for all-around contributions.
“I’m thankful for everything, everything that I have,” Hall said.
At catcher, Allen didn’t allow any passed balls. There were no miscues that caused problems or opened any doors for Robinson as Hubbs (7 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk) retired the Senators in order in the top of the seventh to conclude the game and earn Most Valuable Player honors.
Both Allen and Hall will go down as making outstanding, game-winning plays when the Tigers needed them most during a historic championship season.
“We were great defensively. I don’t think we had any errors and we all hit together in that sixth inning when we just kind of strung them all together and scored,” Allen said. “We all kind of knew that sealed the deal right there in the bottom of the sixth.”
Tiger fans will bask in that reality for a long, long time.
Mark Humphrey is a sports writer for the Enterprise-Leader. The opinions expressed are the author’s own.
