ROGERS — A little extra batting practice paid off big time for Fayetteville.
Grant Koch hit a tworun home run and Thomas Broyles and Andy Pagnozzi hit run-scoring triples as Fayetteville run-ruled Rogers High 14-0 in five innings in the first game of a 7A-West Conference doubleheader Tuesday.
Fayetteville f inished with 13 hits as eight different starters recorded at least one hit. Seven different Bulldogs had at least one RBI. The 14 runs was a conference high for the Bulldogs.
“We had been winning with low scores, but coach Gallagher threw BP, Tom Pagnozzi threw BP and I threw BP,” said Fayetteville coach Vance Arnold. “We came out and turned it on. We didn’t chase bad pitches, and that gave us a chance. We talked with the kids about being more patient, and it paid off for us.”
Koch hit his fourth home run of the year in the third inning as the Bulldogs scored three runs for a 4-0 lead. Fayetteville then sent 16 players to the plate in the fourth inning and the Bulldogs plated 10 runs for the 14-0 lead. Pagnozzi and Broyles both hit two-run triples in the fourth inning.
Rogers also committed two of its four errors in the fourth inning. The Mounties stayed close early by ending the the first and third innings with a pair of double plays.
Rogers loaded the bases in the first inning while trailing 1-0, but Bulldogs starter John Boushelle got Bradon Mabry to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. Grayson Lee had two of the Mounties four hits.
“We got out of the double play, and Boushelle went on from there,” Arnold said.
GAME 2
FAYETTEVILLE 2,
ROGERS HIGH 1
Fayetteville pinch runner Barrett Banister scored on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh to break a 1-1 tie as the Bulldogs (15-1, 6-0 7A-West) completed the sweep.
Pagnozzi picked up the win after giving up just three hits while striking out eight. He hit an RBI double in the sixth that gave Fayetteville a 1-0 lead.
Derek Sallee took the loss for Rogers (9-6, 3-3) after giving up five hits while striking out eight Fayetteville batters.
“Really proud how the guys battled back,” said Rogers coach Matt Melson. “Derek threw his guts out, and we had a couple of opportunities. The guys don’t have anything to hold their heads about. That first game just got away from us.”
7A-WEST
GAME 1
FAYETTEVILLE 14, ROGERS HIGH 0
Fayetteville ........103 (10)x — 14 13 1 Rogers ..............000 00 — 0 4 4 Boushelle, Savin (5) and Koch; Heffley, Dobler (3), Eason (4), Sanders (4), White (5) and Ivey. W - Boushelle, 4-0. L - Heffley. Sv - None. HRs - Fayetteville, Koch (4).
GAME 2
FAYETTEVILLE 1, ROGERS HIGH 3
Fayetteville ........000 001 1 — 2 5 1 Rogers ..............000 001 0 — 1 3 3 Pagnozzi and Koch; Sallee and Ivey. W - Pagnozzi. L - Sallee. Sv - None. HRs - None.
Paul Nielsen can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaul.
“We had been winning with low scores, but coach Gallagher threw BP, Tom Pagnozzi threw BP and I threw BP”
Fayetteville coach Vance Arnold