Pagnozzi, Fayetteville Shut Down Rogers High

 STAFF PHOTO ANDY SHUPE Fayetteville's Blake Power, right, comes in safely at the bag Tuesday as Rogers High shortstop Timmy Seldomridge applies the late tag during the Bulldogs'; six-run second inning at Fayetteville.
STAFF PHOTO ANDY SHUPE Fayetteville's Blake Power, right, comes in safely at the bag Tuesday as Rogers High shortstop Timmy Seldomridge applies the late tag during the Bulldogs'; six-run second inning at Fayetteville.

— Andy Pagnozzi made the home plate umpire's job an easy one Tuesday in the first game of a 7A/6A-West Conference doubleheader.

Pagnozzi struckout 12 Rogers High batters and gave up just four hits to lead Fayetteville to a 9-0 victory against the Mounties in the first game of a conference doubleheader. Pagnozzi (5-0) recorded at least one strikeout in each inning while tossing 70 strikes and just 26 balls. He also had 15 first-strike pitches against the 25 Mounties batters he faced.

7A/6A-West Conference

Game 1

Fayetteville 9, Rogers High 0

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Fayetteville^060^120^x —^9^9^1

Gentz, Sallee (2), Treacy (5) and Ivey; Pagnozzi and Koch. W - Pagnozzi, 5-0. L - Gentz. HRs - Fayetteville, Davenport (3), Pate (2), Koch (4).

Game 2

Fayetteville 5, Rogers High 0

Rogers^000^000^0 ^— ^0^1^1

Fayetteville^020^003^x^ —^ 5^8^2

D’Amico, Farnan (6) and Ivey; Pate and Koch. W - Pate, 4-1 . L - D’Amico. HRs - Fayetteville, Tyler (3), Pate (3).

"Andy is a smart pitcher, and he and catcher Grant Koch work well together," Fayetteville coach Vance Arnold said. "Andy was in the strike zone the whole time, and he was ahead of hitters. His change-up was working, and when it is working, he is tough to hit. "

Pagnozzi got lots of help from the Fayetteville offense as Cody Davenport, Kyle Pate and Koch all hit home runs in the Bulldogs six-run second inning. Davenport started things in the second with a solo home run while Pate and Koch followed with two-run home runs as the Bulldogs took a 6-0 lead.

"We hit the ball in Arizona over spring break, but before spring break we were chasing balls in the dirt and we were swinging at pitches above our shoulders," Arnold said. "We challenged the kids before we left for Arizona and they have responded."

Davenport finished a single short of hitting for the cycle after hitting a double in the third and a triple in fifth as the Bulldogs scored twice for a 9-0 lead. He grounded out to shortstop in the sixth.

"Davenport almost hit two out," Arnold said. "He is a great competitor, it was a great game for him."

Senior Brett Gentz and sophomore Sage White had two hits each for Rogers. White had a pair of singles while Gentz had a single and a double. But Mounties coach Matt Melson said Pagnozzi was too much for the Mounties bats.

"Pagnozzi was really impressive, and that is a talented young man," Melson said. "I have seen him for three years now, and he continues to get better. His control was there as he was throwing the baseball where ever he wanted. The only way to beat a kid like that is too keep it close, and we didn't do that."

Game 2

Fayetteville 5, Rogers 0

Kyle Pate tossed a one-hitter and he helped his own cause with a two-run home run as the Bulldogs (11-2, 4-0) completed the sweep with a shutout in the nightcap. Pate finished with 12 strikeouts and he walked two.

Pate's home run highlighted a three-run sixth inning for the Bulldogs, and he also had a RBI single in the second inning. Drew Tyler hit a solo home run in the second.

Brett D'Amico had the Mounties (6-6, 2-2) only hit with a double in the second inning.

Sports on 04/02/2014

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