FORT SMITH, Ark. — After an 11-inning, season-opening loss by just one run and a stormy second game that led to a postponement, the Texarkana Rhinos were back in action on Saturday with another extra-inning contest.
And they evened their record after a 6-5 victory over the Fort Smith Marshals in 10 innings at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s Crowder Field.
Like in the season opener, Texarkana (1-1) made a statement early with a three-run first inning. After loading the bases, third baseman Kyle Dekerf walked in a run, and right fielder Yuto Mimura reached on a Fort Smith (1-1) throwing error, which allowed Antonio Sabala and Lane Epperson to score to give the Rhinos a 3-0 lead.
Coleton Payton took the loss for the Marshals to drop his record to 1-1.
Texarkana extended its lead in the top of the third on Mimura’s sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Jackson Glymph.
Fort Smith stopped the bleeding in the bottom of the frame with two runs. Designated hitter Elijia West and catcher Nick Chavez tagged up on back-to-back sacrifice flies to cut into the deficit to make it 4-2.
The Rhinos extended their lead in the sixth inning when leadoff hitter Wyatt Cunningham hit an RBI single to left field, scoring second baseman Matt Beuka. Cunningham was thrown out at second on the play.
The Marshals scored three in the bottom of the eighth inning, and neither team scored in the ninth to take it into extra innings.
But, this time, Texarkana sealed the win after Dekerf ripped a double down the right-field line to allow Epperson to score what would be the winning run.
Shortstop Rylan Evans led Texarkana with two hits. Epperson, who hit a home run in the season opener, finished with two runs, and Dekerf recorded two RBIs in the win.
The Rhinos used four pitchers. Mason Sellers, who got the start, threw four innings. He was relieved by Sabala, Conor Francesconi (1-1), who got the win, and Landon Richey (1-for-1 on save opportunities this season). Sabala and Francesconi both had four strikeouts, with the latter fanning four of the seven batters he faced.
They closed out their four-game series with a 15-0 loss to Fort Smith on Sunday and fell to 1-2 on the year. Fort Smith improved to 2-1. The postponed game from Friday night, which was tied 0-0 in the fifth inning when suspended, will be made up on June 8 in Fort Smith.
Texarkana will travel to West Texas on Tuesday to begin a three-game stand against the league-leading Abilene Flying Bison (4-0), before coming home for its home opener against Fort Smith on Friday at George Dobson Field at Spring Lake Park.
