SPRINGDALE -- Rogers High hit its first home run of the year Tuesday, and it set the tone for the Mounties' victory over Springdale High.
Brandon Mabry ripped a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, and the Rogers senior finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs as the Mounties defeated the Bulldogs 13-1 in the first game of a 7A-West Conference doubleheader at the Tyson Complex.
7A-West Conference
Prep Baseball
Rogers High 13, Springdale High 1
Rogers^460^03^—^13^14^0
Springdale^001^00^—^1^3^2
Sallee, Dobler (2) and Ivey; Parett, Davis (2) and Beadle. W - Dobler, 2-0. L - Parett, 0-1. Sv - None. HRs - Rogers, Mabry (1).
Game 2
Rogers High 4, Springdale High 3
Rogers^000^202^0—^4^8^1
Springdale^100^110^0—^3^7^3
Sallee, Treacy (2) and Ivey; Johnston, Solberg (5) and Beadle. W - Treacy. L - Solberg. Sv - None. HRs - None.
"Brandon came up with the big hit and that got us going," said Rogers coach Matt Melson. "Brandon hit the ball well and that was his best outing of the year."
Rogers finished with 14 hits in a game that ended on the 10-run rule after five innings. Seven different Mounties recorded at least one hit, while Sage White, Kyle Eason, Derek Sallee and Jackson Field had two hits each. Eason, Mabry, Field and Grayson Lee all hit doubles.
Sallee recorded three RBIs while Eason, Field and Jay Young had two RBIs each.
Evan Dobler (2-0) picked up the win after pitching the final four innings. Dobler struck out two, walked one and gave up three hits. Springdale scored its only run in the game when Carson Johnson hit an RBI single in the third and cut the Mounties lead to 10-1.
"It was a complete game," Melson said. "Dobler came in and threw strikes, and I was proud of the way we hit the ball up and down the lineup."
Rogers High 4, Springdale High 3
Rogers (9-3, 3-1 7A-West) took advantage of a key Springdale error and Billy Treacy pitched six strong innings of relief as the Mounties completed the sweep.
Treacy relieved Sallee in the first and struck out six while giving up six hits. He didn't walk a batter in a 82-pitch outing that included 54 strikes. Jacob Ivey and Young collected RBI for the Mounties while Will Sanders had two hits.
"Any time you can get a sweep, it is a big deal," Melson said.
Rogers trailed 3-2 after five innings but the Mounties scored two runs on an infield throwing error by Springdale with two outs. Springdale had three errors in the game. Trevor Beadle and Ryne Whitaker had two hits and one RBI each for the Bulldogs (4-6, 0-4).
"The formula for us is to play defense," said Springdale coach Shohn Doty. "When we don't play defense, we don't win. Our kids are trying and it is a process. We were a play away in the second game. I still believe in this team and I feel that our best baseball is ahead of us."
Paul Nielsen can be contacted by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaul.
Sports on 04/01/2015