Edie Caps Rally

ROGERS - Rogers Heritage put up a big number early in its 7A/6A-West Conference softball game against Fayetteville and led 7-2 after two innings at Veterans Park.

But the Lady Purple’ Dogs bounced off the ropes and delivered the knockout blow in the form of a 10-run top of the fifth en route to a 15-8 win Monday afternoon.

Fayetteville coach Jason Shirey said his team’s big inning definitely turned the game, but their ability to answer with three runs in the top of the third was also key.

“The big thing for us we came back in the top of the next inning and scratched away and made it look more manageable,” Shirey said. “I was happy with the way we swung the bats. We did a good job competing.”

Fayetteville (11-4, 4-0 7A/6A-West) scored 15 runs, but exploded in the fifth with 10 runs on six hits, including a huge three-run homer by Aubrey Edie to cap the spree.

“That was the killer blow I think,” Shirey said.

Sophomore Cortnye Pool led the Fayetteville hit parade, going 3-for-4 with a walk, four RBIs and a run scored to help back her sister, Ashlye, in the circle. She hammered a two run double in the third and added a run-scoring single in the big fifth ahead of Edie’s homer.

Ashlye Pool also went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs.

“As bad as she threw the first three innings, the last four I think we were one over the minimum,” Shirey said. “We settled down defensively and made the routine plays. We had contributions one way or another from everybody. It was a good win.”

Heritage coach Tiffany Taylor said a team like Fayetteville will almost always make a team pay for mistakes and that’s what happened in the big fifth inning. The Lady War Eagles (7-5, 2-2) also struggled to rebound after the big inning.

“You can’t make errors,” Taylor said. “You just can’t give a team like Fayetteville that many outs. I think we got a little bit deflated. We’ve got some growing up to do in that area.”