Coach Nate Henderson talks with his players while Sloan-Hendrix brings out a new pitcher [Click to enlarge]

With their ticket to the state tournament at Pine Bluff already punched, the Cougars were playing for seeding and a chance at the regional crown when they squared off with Marked Tree in the 2A North Regional Tournament semifinals Monday night in Tuckerman.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be for the boys from Rector. The Cougars fell to the Indians by a final of 10-5.

A series of bad breaks hurt the boys in blue, as Marked Tree plated four runs that could have been avoided: two from errors and two from bases loaded walks.

"Those things hurt us," Rector skipper Nate Henderson said. "We had some mistakes that proved costly."

Sophomore Mason Knight took the loss for the Cougars. Knight threw five innings, allowing eight runs, six of which were earned, on nine hits while striking out six and walking three. Logan Buck worked two innings in relief, giving up an earned run on three hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

Clint Hawkins picked up the win for Marked Tree, giving up five runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking two.

The Cougars, who have scored 10 or more runs in eight of their last 10 games, had some difficulties making things happen at the plate.

"We got some hits, but we couldn't really string anything together like we have been," Henderson said. "We also hit into three double plays. Those really kill your momentum."

Tyler Small continues to cook at the plate for Rector. Small went 2-3 in the game and scored three runs. Buck was 2-4 and scored twice, while Dalton Shaw was 1-3 with an RBI. Clinton Haley and Knight were also 1-3 in the loss.

The Cougars were slated to play Riverside in a consolation game on Tuesday. With a win, Rector would earn the third seed and face the second seed from the 2A South region at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Pine Bluff. A loss would see them face the number one seed from 2A South at noon on Friday.

Headed for state

Rector earned their trip to the state tourney with a 12-2 demolishing of the Greyhounds of Sloan-Hendrix Saturday at Tuckerman in the 2A North Regional Tournament.

Sloan-Hendrix appeared to have wandered too far from the shallows, as they seemed to be in way over their head. For the game, Sloan-Hendrix hit six Cougars batters.

At no point was this total lack of control more evident than in the fifth, and final, inning. Knight began the inning off with a single down the third base line for Rector, who came into the frame ahead, 6-2. The next batter, Justin Duke, was hit in the back and moved on to first. Alex Roofe drew a walk on four straight pitches to load the bases. Buck and Small were hit by pitches in consecutive at bats to bring in two runs without the need to swing the bat even once, moving Rector to an 8-2 lead. Daniel Hester faced a new pitcher, but with a similar result, bringing a run across on a walk. Shaw, a junior, euthanized the Greyhounds by sending a shot to shallow center for a base-clearing triple that put rector ahead by 10, 12-2, and brought a swift end to the ugly affair. Rector tallied five runs on the day which were brought in either via a walk or a hit batter.

Sloan-Hendrix took advantage of a shaky start in the field by the Cougars, bringing in two unearned runs on a ball that got away in the outfield in the first inning.

The Cougars plated six in the bottom of the third to claim the lead. Singled by Duke and Buck sandwiched a Roofe walk to load the bases with no outs in the frame. Small watched four bad pitches go by to walk in the first Rector run of the day. Hester and Shaw were each struck by a pitch for another two easy RBIs. James Bradshaw would reach on a fielder's choice later in the inning as Small was tagged out at the plate. Hester swiped home on a wild pitch moments before Knight hit a bloop double to left-center that brought in Shaw and Bradshaw. Suddenly, Rector led 6-2 with very little self-started offense.

Knight picked up the win for Rector, coming in for Buck in the third inning. Knight came out a house afire, striking out the first five Greyhounds he faced and retiring six of seven in a row. He allowed no hits by Sloan-Hendrix in his three innings of work, striking out eight, walking two and hitting a batter.

The game's sluggish, unwieldy pace didn't take away from the beauty of its outcome.

"It wasn't our best game, that's for sure," Henderson said. "But, we hung in there and took what they gave us and came away with the win. My guys have been playing their hearts out these last few weeks and now they have the opportunity to go to the state tournament."