The Benton Tigers have won the District 1-5A championship for the second consecutive year.
Benton defeated Natchitoches Central 7-3 Saturday afternoon in Natchitoches in its final regular season game, earning a split of the series.
Benton (27-5-2, 13-2) finished one game ahead of Airline (20-11, 12-3). The Vikings completed a two-game sweep of Haughton with a 2-1 victory at Airline.
At Natchitoches Central, Benton broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the top of the fourth. The Chiefs answered with three in the bottom of the inning.
The Tigers added one in the fifth and two in the seventh.
Benton had 11 hits, all singles. Kannon Greer went 2-for-3. Cole Snell and Hayden Millen both went 2-for-4.
Snell, Millen, Harrison Miller, Jake Hutchison and Kannon Greer all had hits in the fourth. Slade Stephens and Bud Burns had back-to-back sacrifice bunts.
Snell led off the fifth with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Miller.
The Tigers’ final two runs came on a two-out, bases-loaded single by Stephens in the seventh. Case Jorden led off with a single and Brody Turnipseed drew a walk. Millen singled with one out to load the bases.
Benton starter Bryson Gates allowed two hits and no runs in three innings. Tate Underwood gave up just one hit, struck out five and walked none in four innings of relief.
At Airline, the Vikings scored one in the first and one in the second.
Jack Henry Smith led off the first with a single and advanced to second on Austin Smith’s single with one out.
Bo Carter drew a walk with two outs to load the bases. Leo Heng was hit by a pitch.
Jack Henry Smith, Brock Jordan and Austin Smith had consecutive singles with two outs in the second.
Haughton scored in the top of the fourth. The Bucs loaded the bases with one out on a walk by Seth Jorstad and consecutive singles by CT Woodard and Carson Plant. Courtesy runner Mason Anderson scored on a groundout by Aubrey Ramsey.
Both teams had scoring opportunities in the final innings but couldn’t capitalize. Haughton left nine runners on base and Airline stranded eight.
Jack Henry Smith went 3-for-4 with a double. Austin Smith went 2-for-3.
Airline starter Silas Endris scattered seven hits, struck out six and walked three in 5 2/3 innings. Drew Robinson pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Plant went 3-for-3. Seth Breen went 2-for-3.
Haughton starter Jorstad struck out nine in five innings. Brady Bockhaus sat the Vikings down in order in the bottom of the sixth.
Airline closes the regular season Monday at home against Cedar Creek. Haughton (19-14, 7-8) visits Jena in its regular-season finale.
Benton, Airline and Haughton will all be in the playoffs.
Elsewhere Saturday, Parkway fell to Byrd 10-5 at Parkway, Providence Classical Academy lost to Weston 16-1 in the Weston tournament and Plain Dealing lost to Homer 13-2 at Homer.
At Parkway, the Panthers had 10 hits. Brady Prine went 2-for-3 with a double. Dallas Loche went 2-for-4 with a double. Jax Thomson hit a solo home run.
Parkway (14-18) closes its season Monday at home against Alexandria.
At the Weston tournament, Benton Axton and David Mobley had one double each for PCA (10-17).
