The Airline Vikings and Benton Tigers opened District 1-5A series with victories Thursday.
Airline knocked off defending champion Captain Shreve 6-2 at Airline, and Benton downed Parkway 10-6 at Parkway.
In a non-district doubleheader, Haughton swept Calvary Baptist 13-3 and 11-1 at Haughton.
At Airline, the Vikings’ Silas Endris came within an out of pitching a complete game. He allowed five hits and struck out three with no walks.
Airline got eight hits and drew seven walks. Jack Henry Smith went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Austin Smith went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The Vikings scored one in the second, three in the third and two in the fifth for a 6-0 lead. Bo Carter, Ayden Hawn, Jack Henry Smith and Austin Smith had consecutive singles in the third.
The Vikings (11-5, 5-0) and Gators (13-4, 4-1) are scheduled to complete the series Saturday at 1 p.m. at Captain Shreve. Airline has won eight in a row. Shreve had a nine-game winning streak snapped.
At Parkway, Benton trailed 6-4 after four innings then put up six in the top of the fifth,
Jackson Jones led off the sixth with a double. He scored on Rydon McCormack’s one-out single. Brody Turnipseed’s double tied it.
Kannon Greer was hit by a pitch. Case Jorden then hit a grand slam home run.
Jorden also had a triple. He went 2-for-3 with five RBI.
Griffin Sibley went 2-for-3. Jones went 2-for-4.
Benton starter Tanner Webb allowed six hits, struck out four and walked five in four innings. Jax Prewitt didn’t allow a hit in three innings of relief. He struck out four and walked two.
Parkway’s Abel Thetford went 2-for-3. Colby Donaldson went 2-for-4 with a double. Kamron Blackshire and Trent Howard had two RBI each.
The Tigers (17-1, 3-0) and Panthers (4-9, 0-3) are scheduled to complete the series Saturday at 1 at Benton.
At Calvary, Haughton led 4-3 after 4 1:2 innings then put nine on the board in the bottom of the fifth in the first game.
Troy Fielding went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Maddox Williams went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Seth Breen went 2-for-3.
Landon Rolland went four innings for the win in the five-inning game.
Williams went 3-for-3 in the five-inning second game. The Bucs had seven hits and took advantage of nine walks.
Trent McGowan went three innings for the win.
The Bucs (14-3) and the Cavaliers (12-7) are scheduled to complete the series Saturday at noon at Calvary.