BENTONVILLE -- Bentonville is back in a familiar position in the 6A-West Conference.
Morgan Nelson and Cailey Cochran hit home runs to lead Bentonville to a 4-2 victory over Rogers Tuesday at the Tiger Athletic Conference. The game was tied 2-2 in the sixth inning when Emma Perry led off with a double and scored on a home run by Nelson that went high and over the fence in left field.
Cochran hit a home run to left field to give Bentonville a 2-0 lead. But Rogers tied the game with the help of a throwing error to first base by Cochran that allowed two runs to score.
"It's going to be a dog fight," Bentonville coach Kent Early said. "We always have hard games against Rogers, and (Madison) Heinle is an excellent pitcher. But we had a senior (Nelson) who stepped up and had the big hit for us."
Cochran got the win for Bentonville, the three-time defending state champions in Arkansas' largest classification. She allowed two hits and finished with 12 strikeouts after striking out six consecutive batters to open the game. Heinle struck out 10 and allowed seven hits for Rogers.
Rogers did not have a hit until Jenna Williams dropped a single into left field in front of a hard-charging Hallie Robinson. Courtney Storey led off the sixth inning with a double for Rogers' only other hit.
The Lady Mounties (6-2, 3-1) scored two in the inning when Cochran threw wide of first base on an infield chopper by Cassie Gonzalez. But Bentonville (6-3, 4-0) regained control in the bottom of the sixth with the double by Perry and home run by Nelson.
"We talked earlier about how it's probably going to come down to one swing," Early said. "They've got good hitters and our three, four, and five girls are swinging it well, too. We did make an error where we almost shot ourselves in the foot. But our kids battled and I'm just proud of them."
Bentonville took a 1-0 lead in the third inning with the help of a throwing error. Jenna Wildeman led off with a single, stole second base, and advance to third on an infield hit by Robinson. Wildeman then came home after Journee Zito caught a fly ball in left field and threw over the catcher's head at home plate.
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Heinle and Jones; Cochran and Seekington. W -- Cochran L - Heinle HR -- Cochran, Nelson.
Bentonville West 12, Rogers Heritage 1
Ryen Rassi belted two of West's four home runs and drove in five runs as the Lady Wolverines pounded Heritage in a game played at Veterans Park.
West (10-1, 3-1) already owned a 5-0 lead when Rassi belted a two-run shot in the third inning, then she added a three-run shot in the fourth. Elise Sokolsky had a three-run home run in the second, while Hallie Wacaser smashed a two-run blast in the seventh.
The Lady Wolverines banged out 20 hits, with Rassi and Alyssa Cordell getting three apiece. Emma Wood allowed just three Heritage hits and struck out seven in an 80-pitch outing.
West's home game with Van Buren, originally scheduled for Thursday, will be played at 5 p.m. today.
Van Buren 6, Springdale Har-Ber 5
Ashlyn Kinsey belted a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Pointers edged Har-Ber.
Van Buren grabbed the early 3-0 lead, but Har-Ber battled back to tie the game at 5-5 before Kinsey's game-winner.
Sports on 04/03/2019