HOT SPRINGS- Majestic Park in beautiful Hot Springs National Park was the setting last week for the first three rounds of the 3A state baseball tournament. Hot Springs, with a long and proud tradition of supporting major league baseball as an annual spring training location in the days of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, has embraced its legacy with a beautiful Majestic Park baseball and softball facility. And this year’s tournament lived up to expectations at the outstanding facility.
The first round of the baseball side of the tournament featured a “David and Goliath” match-up between last year’s defending 3A state champion, Harding Academy, and the fourth seeded Paris Eagles. Very few people honestly expected the Eagles to compete with the Wildcats. The game was also a rematch of the 2022 state semifinal match-up between the two schools that saw Harding Academy win handily over the Eagles on the way to the 2022 championship.
But no one told the Eagles that they were not supposed to win. Paris came out early and took a 1-0 lead over the Wildcats in the first inning. The inning also saw a run thrown out at the plate that could have increased the Eagles’ lead to 2-0 and would prove to be very important much later in the game.
Senior starting pitcher, Dawson Neumeier, got the start for the Eagles after pitching impressively in the district and regional tournaments. Neumeier would end up going the distance in a nine-inning affair that would not determine a winner until one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Neumeier’s iron man performance would outlast three Harding Academy pitchers. But in the bottom of the ninth, the Wildcats were finally able to get a runner aboard and eventually advance him to second base on a sacrifice bunt. The next hitter hit a line drive to center field that scored the runner in the walk off win for Harding Academy. It was a tough loss for Paris who gave a gutty performance.
Harding Academy survived the Eagles’ effort to advance to the second round, but the toll the win took on its pitching staff would cost the Wildcats in the second round. Harding Academy’s championship run ended the next day with a loss to Gosnell in the quarterfinals.
Congratulations to the Paris Eagles baseball team for their second trip to the state tournament in the past three seasons. Seniors Konnor Edwards and Dawson Neumeier played their final games after having led the team all season. Congratulations to both seniors on a job well done!
After losing just two seniors on this year’s team, Paris will be predicted to again compete for a 3A-4 title and yet another trip to the state tournament. Congratulations to the Eagles on a great season!
