ROGERS -- Springdale Har-Ber received a boost Thursday from its shortstop who had played most of the year in center field.
Heidi Bogle had three hits and started a key double play to help Springdale Har-Ber to a 7-6 victory over Conway in the 7A state tournament at Veterans Park. Winning pitcher Emily Stockalper added a home run and Morgan Neal a two-run triple for Har-Ber (15-9), which has won six of its last seven games.
Springdale Har-Ber 7, Conway 6
Conway^104^010^0^—^6^12^1
Har-Ber^111^310^X^—^7^11^2
Kirkemier and Canalichio; Stockalper and Ray. W - Stockalper L - Kirkemier. HRs - Stockalper.
The Lady Wildcats did it the hard way Thursday by rallying from a 5-2 deficit to take a 6-5 lead in the fourth.
Bogle contributed greatly to the comeback with three slaps singles and two RBI while batting leadoff for the Lady Wildcats. She also helped Har-Ber out of a jam in the sixth inning when she started a 6-4-3 double play after Conway put its first two runners on base.
Bogle played most of the season in center field, then moved to shortstop only a few weeks ago.
"Heidi is an athletic kid and she's played a lot of softball already at the age of 14," Har-Ber coach Lynn Lawson said. "We were making too many errors in the infield, so we pulled her in from the outfield during the Van Buren tournament. She's been there ever since."
Stockalper overcame a slow start in the circle earn the victory. She hit a home run in the first inning and got stronger with her pitching performance as the game progressed.
Conway put the potential tying run at second base in the seventh after a two-out throwing error. But Stockalper got the next batter on a groundout to end the game.
"(Stockalper) moved the ball well and we had a hard time putting it where we wanted," Conway coach Chata Hickey said. "We had some errors at the wrong time and, when it came to hitting, we didn't take care of business."
Neal tied the game with a two-run triple and scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Conway catcher Olivia Canalichio. Conway forced a 6-6 tie when No. 9 hitter Bailey Beckman hit a two-out double in the top of the fifth.
Lindsey Williams had three hits to lead Conway.
Rick Fires can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWARick.
Sports on 05/15/2015