The Woodlawn Bears, the 8-2A conference and Region 4 champions, have advanced to the Class 2A State Tournament semifinals after a 9-5 quarterfinals victory over the Bigelow Panthers Friday morning at Palestine-Wheatley High School. The Bears will face the Riverside/South Side-Bee Branch winner in the first semifinal game at noon Saturday, May 16, at Palestine-Wheatley High School.
Bigelow took a 2-0 on Woodlawn in the top of the second before the Bears answered with three runs in the second to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Woodlawn advanced to the quarterfinals with an 11-1 win over the Sloane-Hendrix Greyhounds in five innings to open the state tournament on Thursday at the Forrest City Sports Complex. Tyler French went 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs while Hollis Holderfield and Tyner Burris both had two hits apiece with two RBIs. Logan Clark started on the mound and got the win for the Bears, going three innings before giving way to French for the final two. It was Woodlawn’s fifth consecutive game to win by the 10-run rule.