MOUNTAIN HOME - With the threat of more rain in the forecast, the American Legion Senior State Tournament managed to get one game in Friday before weather forced the postponement of the other three games scheduled at Cooper Park.
Bentonville Nunnally Chevrolet overcame a 2-1 deficit by scoring five runs in the third and fourth innings en route to an 8-6 victory over Russellville Post 20 in Friday’s only game before state and local American Legion officials covered the field with a tarp and suspended play.
After watching it rain for nearly three hours, state commissioners postponed the rest of Friday’s action until today. Jonesboro and Texarkana will play at 10 a.m. today, with Blytheville taking on Bryant at 2 p.m. Opening ceremonies will take place around 5:15 p.m., with North Little Rock taking on host Mountain Home at 6 p.m.
The first losers’ bracket game between Rogers and Russellville will start around 9 p.m.
Kory Keithley, who walked five times in Friday’s game, reached on a walk to start the game and scored on a sacrifice fly by Trent Hill to give Bentonville a 1-0 lead.
Russellville answered with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take its only lead. Both runs scored off errors by Bentonville, which had five in the game.
Bentonville regained the lead in the top of the third when the first three batters reached base before Hill’s second sacrifice fly of the game brought in the tying run. Bentonville went up 4-2 when a run scored on Chad Musteen’s ground out, and another scored on a single by Jimmy Short.
Russellville got two of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Jordan Hass led off with a single and Corey Hottinger walked. An errant throw to third on a double steal attempt allowed Haas to score, and an error in left field on the same play allowed Hottinger to come home and tie the score at 4-4.
Bentonville took the lead for good in the top of the fourth when Ben Nordin led off with a double and Tony Dutton followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Dutton stole second, which allowed Nordin to steal home. Dutton scored later on a ground out by Kane Koeingseder to make it 6-4.
Dutton reached on an error in the top of the eighth, and after two walks loaded the bases, Koeingseder singled home one run and a sacrifice bunt by Musteen brought in another for an 8-4 lead.
Russellville scored the game’s final runs when Haas hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning before Bentonville reliever Payton Fitch retired the final three batters to pick up the save.
Starter Preston Rosales picked up the victory, giving up 6 hits and striking out 4 over 7 innings.
Koeingseder, Nordin and Brian Gloeckler each had two hits for Bentonville.
Haas and Luke Price had two hits each for Russellville.
At a glance - All times Central
AAA STATE TOURNAMENT
THURSDAY’S GAME Blytheville 7 Rogers 1
FRIDAY’S GAME Bentonville 8 Russellville 6
TODAY’S GAMES
Game 3 Texarkana vs. Jonesboro Ricemen, 10 a.m.
Game 5 Bryant vs. Blytheville, 1 p.m.
Game 4 North Little Rock vs.
Mountain Home, 6 p.m.
Game 6 Rogers vs. Russellville, 9 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAMES
Game 7 Loser game 4 vs. Loser game 5, noon
Game 8 Winner game 6 vs. Loser game 3, 3 p.m.
Game 9 Bentonville vs. Winnergame 3, 6 p.m.
Game 10 Winner game 5 vs. Winner game 4, 9 p.m.
MONDAY’S GAMES
Game 11 Winner game 7 vs. Loser
game 9, noon Game 12 Loser game 10 vs. Winner game 8, 3:30 p.m.
Game 13 Winner game 9 vs. Winner game 10, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Game 14 Winner game 12 vs.
Winner game 11, 4 p.m.
Game 15 Loser game 13 vs. Winner game 14, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Game 16 Winner game 13 vs.
Winner game 15, 4 p.m.
Game 17 If necessary game, 7 p.m.
Sports, Pages 21 on 07/27/2013