Rogers High Cruises Past Alma 17-7
Staff Photo Michael Woods • @NWAMICHAELW Timmy Seldomridge, Rogers High short stop, tags Alma baserunner Adam Wilbanks on Wednesday as Wilbanks gets caught in a rundown between first and second base at Veterans Park in Rogers.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
ROGERS — The top of the Rogers High lineup delivered a potent one-two punch Wednesday.
Leadoff batter Timmy Seldomridge and No. 2 hitter Zach Arrick combined for seven of Rogers' 16 hits as the Mounties run-ruled Alma 17-7 in a first-round game at the Best Sports Classic.
HOW THEY SCORED
Best Sports Classic
Rogers High 17, Alma 7
Alma^301^21^7^15^1
Rogers^410^2^10^17^16^2
Montgomery, Ross (5), Burris (5) and Burris, Brown (5); Farnan and Ivey. W — Farnan, 1-0. L — Montgomery, 0-1. HR — Rogers, Arrick (1).
Seldomridge went 4-for-5 with three RBIs while Arrick had a chance to hit for the cycle on a 3-for-4 effort that also netted two RBIs. Arrick singled, hit a home run and doubled in his first three plate appearances but struck out in the Mounties' 10-run fifth inning, which ended the game early.
All nine Rogers (1-0) batters recorded at least one hit with Carter Forbis and Derek Sallee having two hits each.
"The top of the lineup was really a catalyst there," Rogers coach Matt Melson said. "Zach is a new guy in the lineup, basically. Zach has a good swing, and he can run pretty well."
Arrick hit the ball well down the stretch last season as Rogers was the Class 7A runner-up, and he said that confidence has carried over. Arrick's home run was a solo shot over the right-center fence in one of the deepest parts of Veterans Park
"I knew I had a chance to hit for the cycle, but when I went up to bat it was just about making contact and getting a hit," Arrick said. "The home run was a fastball in, and I got a hold of it. Being able to hit well against the good pitching I saw last year has really helped my confidence."
Rogers got off to a slow start as Alma used four singles and two Mounties errors to claim a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. But Sallee hit a two-run single in the bottom of the inning as the Mounties scored four runs.
"It was really a sloppy game, typical of the first game of the year," Melson said. "We kicked the ball around a little bit in the first inning. I was a little disappointed, defensively. But I thought the key was in the first when Alma scored three runs and we came back and answered. As bad as that inning was, we came out ahead. That gave us some confidence right there."
Rogers pitcher Nolan Farnan picked up the win after striking out two and walking none. Only four of Alma's seven runs were earned.
Rogers will host Greenwood at 4:30 p.m. today at Veterans Park and Conway on Friday to conclude the classic.
Sports on 03/13/2014