Marion's baseball staff has long believed in the potential of their 2025 team, even during dips in play at times this spring. Tuesday night inside the friendly confines of First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium, their faith was paid off in full display. Needing a conference sweep to separate themselves in a crowded 5A East race, the Pats did sweep a twinbill from Paragould, winning 12-2 in a five-inning first contest, and 7-0 in the nightcap. Marion (10-8 overall, 4-4 5A East) exploded out of the gates in the lid-lifter, scoring six times in the first, once in the second, four more times in the fourth, and capping the scoring with a single tally in the fifth inning to trigger the Arkansas Sportsmanship Rule as the Pats led by 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Pats recorded their first shutout of the 2025 season in the second contest as Coleman Barnett and Max Molloy combined to allow just three hits with eight strikeouts, and MHS played error-free ball in the field. Marion moved into the final playoff spot from the 5A East with the victory, with six league games left, including conference doubleheaders at West Memphis and Batesville, culminating with the regular-season finale at home against Greene County Tech on May 6. The top four teams in the 5A East qualify for this year's state baseball tournament at Benton. The Patriot offense came up with 11 hits and zero strikeouts in the first contest against Paragould, as Brody Byrd (2-3 with three runs scored and a walk), Hudson McKewen (2-3 with two runs and a walk), Robert Hall (3-4 with five RBI and two runs) and Myles Holt (2-3 with two RBI and a run) each finished with multiple hits. The red, white, and blue machine attack started in the bottom of the first when Max Molloy led off with a double and scored on a Cohen Bumbaugh base hit for a 1-0 Patriot lead. Marion's advantage hit 4-0 when Hall ripped a double that delivered McKewen, Tyler Mann, and Ben Bateman, and the Pats added on when Holt singled home Hall, and it was 6-0 after Carson Catt accepted a bases-loaded walk to deliver Barnett. Marion led 7-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Hall doubled home Byrd, Barnett struck a sacrifice fly that plated McKewen, Holt again brought Hall down with a hit, and when Catt reached on an error to bring Holt down, Marion's lead had swelled to 11-2. Hall capped the scoring in the fifth when he doubled home Byrd. Bumbaugh earned the victory for Marion in the opener, spinning five strong innings, striking out eight Rams and surrendering just two hits and two runs apiece. The nightcap featured Molloy going 2-4 at the plate with a run scored, and Hall finishing 2-3 with a run and an RBI, while Catt, Byrd, and McKewen also had hits. Marion led 1-0 entering the fifth inning when the Pats' bats got going. The uprising began when Hall struck a one-out single and scored when Barnett reached on an error, followed by Barnett coming around on an error caused by Holt. A Catt double delivered Holt, and the Marion rally culminated when Bumbaugh grounded out to first, which allowed Molloy to score for a 5-0 Marion lead. Hall tripled home McKewen and scored on an error to cap the scoring at 7-0 in favor of the Pats. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion continues its 5A East schedule on Tuesday, April 22, at West Memphis with first pitch scheduled for 4:30. You can watch the Marion-West Memphis doubleheader for free on the MPAN YouTube channel, at MarionPatriots.com, or on the MPAN mobile app. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM 4/15 Marion 12, Paragould 2 (five innings) Marion 7, Paragould 0 Valley View 13, Nettleton 2 Valley View 10, Nettleton 0 Searcy 12, W. Memphis 2 Searcy 7, W. Memphis 7 Greene Co. Tech 5, Batesville 3 Greene Co. Tech 8, Batesville 0 5A EAST STANDINGS ON 4/16 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Valley View 8-0 Greene Co. Tech 7-1 Searcy 6-2 Marion 4-4 Batesville 3-5 Paragould 3-5 Nettleton 1-7 W. Memphis 0-8 Top four teams make state tournament in Benton. 5A EAST DOUBLEHEADERS ON 4/22 Marion at West Memphis Valley View at Greene Co. Tech Batesville at Searcy Paragould at Nettleton