ROGERS -- Rogers High took advantage of some shoddy Alma defense early en route to an 11-1 run-rule win in six innings Thursday evening at Veterans Park.
The Mounties jumped in front thanks to a five-run first inning and never looked back to the season-opening win in the Best Sports Classic.
Rogers coach Matt Melson was especially pleased to see his team come away from the opener committing no errors and with his pitchers walking nobody.
"It was a typical first game," Melson said. "We made some outs on the bases, but I thought we played really clean defensively and we didn't walk anybody. Those are two things I was really proud of. You'll win a lot of baseball games with no walks and no errors.
"Jeb Sample set the tone a little offensively. This time of the year the pitching's always going to be ahead of the hitting. I thought the guys just kept pounding the strike zone."
The Mounties scored five runs in the bottom of the first aided by three Alma errors to take control. Matthew Watson had a two-run double. McKaden Templeton and Sal Jacobo added RBI-singles.
The duo of Mason Griffin and Jay Watson combined to allow a run on just four hits. Griffin allowed a run over three innings of work. Watson threw three superb hitless innings. The sophomore struck out seven of the nine batters he faced and did not allow a baserunner. He also added a double at the plate.
"He's got a little something, his two-seamer really runs away from that right-handed batter," Melson said of Watson.
Matthew Watson, Templeton and Hayden Seldomridge led the Rogers offense with two hits each. Watson drove in three with a pair of doubles. Jacobo went 3-for-4 out of the nine spot, drove in two and scored a run.
Jacobo's two-out single to right in the bottom of the sixth ended the game because of the 10-run rule.
Rogers High 11, Alma 1
Alma 001 000 1 4 6
Rogers 513 002 11 12 0
Smith, Montgomery (5) and Henson, Prestidge (5); Griffin, Watson (4) and Seldomridge. W-Griffin 1-0. L-Smith 0-1. HRs-None.
Rogers High 12, Fort Gibson, Okla. 2 (5 innings)
Matthew Watson went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple with two RBIs and also picked up the win on the mound.
Watson pitched four innings, allowing an unearned run three hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Rogers (2-0) took a 2-0 lead on Watson's two-run double in the first an never looked back. Tim Howard drove in three runs, while Andrew McClynn went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. McKaden Templeton added two hits.
Bentonville High 7, Mountain Home 4
Nathan Lyons' two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning snapped a 4-4 tie and helped the Tigers claim the season-opening win in the Best Sports Classic.
Bentonville had nobody on with two outs before the Tigers scored three times aided by a pair of Mountain Home errors.
Ryan Kneeshaw went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs for Bentonville, while Lyons was just 1-for-1, but drove in two and scored three times.
Kam'ron Mays Hunt struck out the side in the seventh to pick up the win for the Tigers.
Alma 13, Rogers Heritage 1 (6 innings)
Zac Henson went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and also pitched two scoreless innings to help the Airedales roll over the War Eagles.
Henson's two-run double in the first inning gave Alma (1-1) a 2-0 lead and the Airedales cruised from there. Trenton Christello and Destin Smith added two hits each. Smith drove in three and Christello drove in two.
Parker Edwards picked up the win for Alma, allowing a run (unearned) on two hits over four innings.
Bentonville West 7, Mountain Home 0
Dylan Carter and Jaron Jenkins combined on a three-hitter to lead the Wolverines to the season-opening win.
Will Jarrett went 2-for-3 and scored a run, while Maddox Thornton and Joey Aden drove in two runs for West in its season opener.
Carter picked up the win, allowing one hits and no runs over four innings. He struck out four and walked two. Jenkins pitched the final three innings, allowing two hits and striking out two.
Sports on 03/02/2018