The opening day of the Indian Classic at Poyen delivered a pair of decisive victories as both Rison and host Poyen rolled to commanding wins Friday afternoon.
Rison opened the tournament with an emphatic 8-0 shutout over Magnet Cove, powered by early offense and dominant pitching. The Wildcats jumped ahead with four runs in the first inning, capitalizing on an error, a bases-loaded walk, and a two-run double by Brody Howard.
Rison starter Noah Matheson set the tone on the mound, tossing 5⅔ scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Howard led the offense, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Matheson, Howard, and Trent Southerland each recorded two hits.
The Wildcats stayed aggressive on the bases, swiping five bags—two each from Matheson and Brayden Terry. Calvin McKinney collected both Magnet Cove hits.
In the nightcap, host Poyen overwhelmed Hampton 13-2, erupting for 10 runs in a dominant first inning.
Layton Russell’s RBI triple started the scoring, followed by bases-loaded walks from Hayden Murray and Jackson Ellis. Kaden Rushing scored on a tag-up, and Korbin Rushing blew the game open with a three-run double. Errors and an RBI single by Russell capped the huge inning.
Poyen tacked on another run in the second via Ethan Parrault’s sacrifice. On the mound, Murray earned the win with three innings of two-hit, two-run ball, striking out seven. Korbin Rushing paced the offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, while Russell added two hits and the team drew 11 walks.
Poyen’s defense was flawless, committing no errors.
By the Numbers:
- 8: Runs scored by Rison
- 0: Runs allowed by Rison pitchers
- 8: Strikeouts by Rison’s Noah Matheson
- 5: Stolen bases by Rison
- 13: Runs scored by Poyen
- 10: First-inning runs by Poyen
- 3: RBIs by Korbin Rushing
- 7: Strikeouts by Poyen’s Hayden Murray
- 11: Walks by Poyen hitters
- 9: Hits by Poyen
The Indian Classic continues Saturday at Poyen with three more games:
Saturday Schedule:
- 10 a.m. — Magnet Cove vs. Conway St. Joseph
- 12:20 p.m. — Hampton vs. Cutter Morning Star
- 2:40 p.m. — Poyen vs. Rison
