THE ROAD TO STATE: 4A North Regional at Harrison

— Friday, May 4

Pea Ridge 10, Booneville 0

The Blackhawks headed to the Class 4A state tournament after blanking Booneville.

The No. 3 seed Blackhawks bashed 12 hits against the No. 2 seed Bearcats.

Pea Ridge pushed its lead to 8-0 in the fifth on a tworun-double by Dusty Morgan. The Blackhawks were led by Austin Easterling (2-for-4), Isaac Mangrum (3-for-5) and Evan Tillman (2-for-4). Ethan Higgins pitched a complete game to earn his fifth win of the season, while going 2-for-5 at the plate.

Saturday, May 5

Shiloh Christian 17, Pea Ridge 6

The Saints advanced to Monday’s regional championship game with a run-rule over Pea Ridge in the semifinals of the 4A North Regional Tournament on Saturday.

J.T. Rhodes went four innings to get the win, scattering seven hits. Austin Easterling took the loss.

Drew Tyler was 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a home run and four RBIs to power the Saints (23-5). David Petrino blasted a pair of homers, his fifth and sixth homers of the season, and had five RBIs. Jacob May was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Rhoades was 2-for-2.

Dusty Morgan and Dakota Canaday each had two hits for the Blackhawks.

Pea Ridge faced Gentry Monday in the third-place game.

Monday, May 7 Pea Ridge 2, Gentry 1

The Blackhawks pushed across two runs in the top of the first inning and leaned on starter Ryan Roughton to do the rest, as they earned theNo. 3 seed from the regional for the state tournament.

Roughton tossed a complete-game, two-hitter, allowing no earned runs.

“It always helps when you can get an early lead in these games,” Pea Ridge coach John King. “We would haveliked to keep the offense rolling, but Roughton was a nice surprise today on the hill. He has had an up and down season, but he was money when we needed it today.”

Isaac Mangrum and Ethan Higgins provided RBI singles for the Blackhawks.

Sports, Pages 10 on 05/16/2012