PREP SOFTBALL NOTEBOOK: Springdale Har-Ber Shows Progress At Plate

Springdale Har-Ber has displayed improvement at the plate after struggling to score runs last season.

Bethany Doty and Morgan Neal each had three hits when Har-Ber beat Siloam Springs 7-3 in a 7A/6A-West game last week. Doty had two doubles and three RBIs, while Neal had two singles, a double, and three runs scored.

Dody and Marissa Davis, who put Har-Ber ahead with a two-run single, each drove in runs with a 1-2 count on them.

“We’ve talked all year that when you get two strikes on you, it’s not over,” Har-Ber coach Lynn Lawson said. “It takes three strikes to strike you out, and you’ve got to be able to handle the pitch no matter the situation.

“We’re getting better at that and getting better at scoring runs with two outs. You can win a lot of games by getting runs with two outs.”

Har-Ber (6-4, 3-1) will get plenty of more opportunities at the plate in conference games tonight against Fayetteville and on Friday at Rogers. The game at Rogers is a makeup date from Tuesday’s game that was rained out.

— RICK FIRES

Fayetteville Makes Rallying A Habit

For the second conference game in a row, Fayetteville looked to be facing defeat, only to pull a big comeback when a 10-run fifth inning highlighted Monday’s 15-8 win at Heritage.

The Lady Bulldogs trailed 7-2 after two innings, but got a home run from Aubrey Edie and three hits and four RBIs from Courtnye Pool to remain undefeated in 7A/6A-West play.

A week ago, Fayetteville pulled off another late rally when Brittany Hoskins delivered a three-run home run in the fifth to give the Lady’Dogs a 4-3 win at home against Rogers High.

Hoskins has provided a big bat for Fayetteville (11-5, 4-0 7A/6A-West) all season long, with a team-high five home runs and 26 RBIs this year.

The Lady Bulldogs are the only remaining undefeated team in the conference and will put the perfect mark on the line today at Har-Ber. Fayetteville then closes out the week at home against Farmington on Friday.

— VERNON TARVER

Kelley Setting Tone For Springdale

Springdale High softball coach Ashlee Friend hopes her players follow the lead of first baseman Maegan Kelley and find their rhythm at the plate.

Kelley is batting .400 while giving the Lady Bulldogs (1-9, 0-4 7A/6A-West Conference) an offensive spark from the cleanup position. Friend said Kelley has appeared relaxed and confident, even as Springdale has struggled as a team to string together hits.

“I’m really proud of her, and I hope it’s infectious and the other girls will jump on the bandwagon,” Friend said.

Friend said the Lady Bulldogs have worked in practice on being more aggressive at the plate and having more confidence in their swing.

“We’re just hitting as much as we can and breaking down things and trying to fix it,” Friend said.

The Lady Bulldogs were scheduled to play Rogers Heritage on Tuesday, but the game was postponed until April 15 because of the rain.

Springdale is back in action today when it plays at Bentonville and then returns later this week for a two-day tournament hosted by the Tigers.

—ALEX ABRAMS

Lady War Eagles Still Work In Progress

Rogers Heritage has lost five of its last six games after a red-hot 6-0 start, but Lady War Eagles softball coach Tiffany Taylor said her team just has to learn to limit mistakes.

Taylor pointed out that Heritage (7-5, 2-2 7A/6A-West Conference) had a lead in four of the five recent losses, but couldn’t hold it.

That was the case again Tuesday when Heritage jumped out to a 7-2 lead after two innings against league-leading Fayetteville. However, the Lady War Eagles fell victim to a 10-run fifth inning and lost 15-8.

“Some of the teams like Bentonville and Fayetteville these kids haven’t ever beaten,” Taylor said. “They get anxious and make a couple mistakes here and there. Those teams are too good to give extra outs.”

Taylor said one mistake has resulted in another on several occasions.

“We don’t want one mistake to lead to four or five,” Taylor said. “We need to learn to finish or stop the bleeding so to speak.”

Heritage hosts Van Buren today in a conference game and will entertain rival Rogers High and Siloam Springs next week.

— PAUL BOYD

Bentonville Crams Games Into Schedule

Mother Nature has turned Bentonville’s softball schedule into a logjam for the next few days.

The Lady Tigers are scheduled to play four 7A/6A-West games over the next six days because of two rainouts earlier this week. If that wasn’t enough, Bentonville (6-1, 2-1) also has its tournament this weekend at Memorial Park and the Tiger Athletic Complex.

“It is what it is,” Bentonville coach Kent Early said. “We’re backed up to where we’ll have to play every day. It’s going to come down to see who can stay focused.”

The Lady Tigers will play its regularly scheduled game today at home against Springdale, then will host Van Buren in a makeup game at 4 p.m. Friday before starting play in its two-day tournament. Bentonville will then travel to Rogers for a Monday makeup game before hosting Tuesday’s game against Fayetteville.

“It keeps the girls in a routine,” Early said. “This is what they do. They’re athletes. They go to school, and they train all year. So when they don’t get to play, that’s more of a disappointment to them.

“Hopefully, you stay hot, but you don’t have any days of rest if you get a sore arm or some bumps or bruises. You have to pray for perfect health and for things to go right.”

— HENRY APPLE