It was a tough day for two area baseball teams playing in postseason tournaments on Monday.
Bentonville was eliminated with a 10-8 loss to Blytheville in the loser’s bracket of the Senior American Legion state baseball tournament in Mountain Home.
Bentonville led early 5-4, but Blytheville scored six runs in the third inning and held off a late charge. Kory Keithley reached base four times, with two hits and two walks for Bentonville, the Zone I regular-season and tournament champions. Chad Musteen also added a single and a double.
Payton Fitch threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to allow Bentonville a chance to rally.
The Northwest Arkansas All-Stars, which includes players from several different area towns, was sent into the loser’s bracket of the Senior Babe Ruth Southwest Regional tournament in El Dorado with an 8-2 loss to Mid-County, Texas.
Austin Van Pouke accounted for NWA’s only runs with a two-run homer. The All-Stars were set to play an elimination game late Monday evening. The winner of that game would advance to the championship.
American Legion State Tournament
Bentonville was sent to the loser’s bracket with a 12-0 loss to Texarkana on Sunday, after defeating Russellville 8-6 in the first round.
Rogers Optimist Club, the Zone I runner-up, went two and out in the double-elimination tournament. Rogers lost 7-1 to Blytheville in the first round and was eliminated 7-4 Saturday by Russellville.
Rogers had two hits each from Tyler Greenhaw, Austin Griffin and Camdon Myers. Rogers pulled within 5-4 in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Nolan Farnan but got no closer. Derek Salee took the loss on the mound, but just two of the seven runs he allowed were earned.
Senior Babe Ruth Southwest Regional
The NWA All-Stars notched wins versus Madisonville, La, (7-0) and Tri-County of Texas (7-4) over the weekend.
Justin Cox earned the complete-game victory over the team from Welmer, Texas. Lead-off man Avery Miller went 3-for-4 with a stolen base, scored three runs and drove in one. Jeremy Rook and Van Pouke also drove in two runs each.
Cox allowed four earned runs on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out one and walked four.
Andrew Snodgrass and Ryan Duffy combined on a two-hitter in the win over the Louisiana state champions. Snodgrass pitched four hitless innings before a rain delay. He struck out eight and walked three. Duffy finished up with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits.
Rook and Cox each went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Rook drove in two, while Cox drove in one run. Van Pouke also added a solo home run leading off the game.