SPRINGDALE -- Springdale Har-Ber's Blake Thompson received the bunt sign from coach Ron Bradley twice during his at-bat in the bottom of the fifth Tuesday. Bradley then turned him loose.
Thompson drove the ball into the left-centerfield gap for a two-run triple to knot the game, 2-2. The hit turned out to be a catalyst in Har-Ber's 9-2 comeback win against Springdale High at Arvest Ballpark.
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A. Roach, Turner (6) and B. Roach. Adams and Rasmussen. W- Adams, 4-0. L- Roach, 3-3. Sv-None. HR-None.
"Our kids responded well after falling behind," Bradley said. "(Thompson's hit) was a huge blow in the game."
Har-Ber (8-2, 3-0 7A-West) fell behind 2-0 after Springdale (8-6, 1-2) scratched a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on Ben Roberts' and Will Mueller's RBI basehits. Roberts' run-scoring single gives him a team-leading 13 RBI for the season. But that was all Har-Ber's Blake Adams would allow.
Adams returned to the mound in the fourth after grounding out on a hard-hit ball to third to end the third inning. Bradley says he thought Adams carried the frustration with him back to the mound the next inning, but largely dominated the remainder of his outing. Adams threw a complete game four-hitter, striking out nine and walking only one.
"He's been nails every time out this year," Bradley said. "We were lucky to escape with only two runs. That was huge in the game."
The Wildcats grabbed their first lead of the day on Blaze Brothers' sacrifice fly in the fifth. Three batters later, third baseman Caleb Grace tripled home Hunter Mueller. Grace later came around to score on Jacob Williams' double.
In the sixth, Grace plated two more with a double down the line in right, giving him 11 RBI in 10 games and five in three conference games. Caleb Kimbel preceded Grace's final hit with an RBI single of his own. Har-Ber plated five runs in the fifth and four insurance runs in the sixth to seal the win.
"It's one at a time," Bradley said of Har-Ber's 8-2, 3-0 start. "The key in this league is to not get swept, and anytime you can beat somebody you're gaining a game on somebody."
Andrew Roach got the start for Springdale Tuesday and threw admirably. Roach went five innings, gave up five runs -- two earned -- and struck out five. Roach allowed only two hits through four innings before errors kicked off Har-Ber's rally.
"(Both teams threw) quality pitchers," Bradley said. "Roach did a good job, we just happened to get a couple of good hits with guys on base."
Rogers Heritage 2-4, Rogers High 1-7
Ethan Gates' 2-out, run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh lifted the War Eagles to the win in game one, 2-1.
Gates finished 3-for-3 with three singles, but came up with the biggest hit of the game off reliever Mason Griffin to snap a 1-1 tie. Landen Clines also had two hits for Heritage.
Logan Easley picked up the win, allowing a run on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out three, walked one and hit a batter. McKaden Templeton took the hard-luck loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits over 6.2 innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Luke McFadden and Andrew McGlynn led Rogers with two hits each.
Heritage took the 1-0 lead in the third as Gates led off with a single. Courtesy runner Finian Doherty moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, went to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Alex Nowak.
Rogers tied the game in the fifth as McGlynn led off with a single, moved to third on Templeton's double and scored on Tim Howard's groundout. But Easley worked out of further damage.
The Mounties bounced back to take the nightcap to salvage a split with a 7-4 win. McFadden went 1-for-3 with a walk, drove in three runs and scored one. Rogers (5-6) scored four runs in the second inning and held on for the win.
Griffin allowed one unearned run over four innings to pick up the win. He struck out four and walked two. Heritage scored three runs in the top of the seventh, but freshman Matthew Watson got the final two outs with the tying run at the plate for the save.
Fayetteville 10-4, Bentonville West 0-2
Grant Southerland's grand slam highlighted a six-run outburst in the first inning as Fayetteville cruised past West in the first game of a 7A-West doubleheader in Centerton, 10-0.
The Purple'Dogs (6-8, 3-1 7A-West) already led 1-0 on Jeff Sinacore's RBI double before Southerland's blast. That was more than enough run support for Miller Pleimann, who only allowed a first-inning single by Hunter Mayes and struck out six through five innings.
Sinacore had a pair of RBI doubles in the second game to help Fayetteville sweep the doubleheader 4-2 and keep West winless in conference play. Southerland also had an RBI single, while Barrett Banister also drove in a run.
West (7-5, 0-4) did its scoring with an RBI groundout by Will Jarrett in the fourth and back-to-back doubles by Joey Aden and Hunter Mayes in the sixth.
Bentonville High 3-0, Van Buren 2-7
Cameron Duncan's seventh-inning single drove in Cade Lastovica with the go-ahead run as Bentonville edged previously unbeaten Van Buren 3-2 in the first game of Tuesday's 7A-West doubleheader at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
Lastovica belted a one-out double to left, then scored when Duncan singled to right. Austin Garrett then made the run stand, despite giving up a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh.
Garrett picked up the win with three innings of scoreless relief.
Van Buren (11-1, 3-1) salvaged a doubleheader split as Trevor Johnson threw a five-hit shutout and struck out four in a 96-pitch performance in a 7-0 win.
Evan Jones helped the Pointers pull away with a three-run double during a four-run sixth. Matthew Jackson pitched four innings and took the loss for Bentonville (5-7, 2-2).
OTHER GAMES
Shiloh Christian 17, Lincoln 1
The Saints made quick work in a five-inning, run-rule win at home Tuesday.
Shiloh Christian banged 14 hits. Luke Johnson was 3-for-4 with a double and five RBIs. Sawyer Duddleston was 2-for-3 with a double, Logan Kallesen was 2-for-4, Michael Connally was 2-for-3 and Connor Clark doubled and drove in two runs. Josh Goodsole also had a pair of RBIs for the Saints.
Landon Brown went just two innings and struck out all six batters he faced. Johnson went three innings and allowed three hits with five strikeouts.
Caleb Lloyd took the loss for Lincoln, allowing 10 hits. The Wolves committed eight errors in the game.
Prairie Grove 9, Greenland 1
Austin Jentzsch was 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles to lead the Tigers to a nonconference win Monday at Greenland.
Jentzsch also tripled and drove in three runs for Prairie Grove. Clay Fidler was 3-for-4, and Reed Orr and Couper Allen were both 2-for-4 for the Tigers.
Chase Wade earned the win, pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing just one hit with a pair of strikeouts. Reed Orr pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed two hits.
Chandler Alaniz was 2-for-4 with a double for the Pirates.
Farmington 13,
Shiloh Christian 12
The teams combined for 22 walks and six errors in the nonconference affair, which ended Shiloh Christian’s five-game winning streak.
Tyler Gregg was 3-for-5 with two doubles and 4 RBIs to lead Farmington (11-4). Blake Putnam was 4-for-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, Eric Hill was 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs and Ryan Larkin was 2-for-3 with 3 runs.
For Shiloh Christian (8-3), Beau German was 2-for-3 with a run and 3 RBIs, Jake Nelson was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI and Michael Connolly was 2-for-4 with 2 runs and an RBI.
Putnam, the Cardinals’ fifth pitcher of the game, picked up the win on the mound by not allowing a run over the final 1 1/3 innings.
Sports on 03/29/2017