FORT SMITH -- In only his second start, Tyrus Riley gave a commanding performance for Bentonville.
The senior allowed just two Fort Smith Northside baserunners in tossing a one-hit shutout Thursday and led the Tigers to a 4-0 victory in the first round of the Class 6A state tournament Thursday at Hunt's Park.
Riley also added three hits and scored a run to go with his pitching performance. He walked one to go along with the lone hit while striking out 11 in throwing just 90 pitches. With one of the Northside runners thrown out trying to steal, Riley just faced one batter over the minimum.
"He's been solid for us all year closing games out," Tiger Coach Todd Abbott said. "What you saw today is what we have seen from Ty Riley all year. I am very proud of him."
Bentonville (18-10), the 6A-West's fourth seed, will now take on 6A-Central champion Bryant in a noon quarterfinal matchup today.
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"Against Bryant, the only focus we need to have is on ourselves," Abbott said. "We need to play just like we did today – throwing strikes, get runners on base and bring them home, and make routine defensive plays on defense. The team that plays the best will win."
The only real struggles for Riley were in the first inning, getting a couple of two- and three-ball counts before getting the Grizzly batters out in order to start the game.
"I only had one start before this and the same thing happened (against Rogers)," Riley said. "I struggled in the first inning, then gave up four in the second inning and then I shut them out the rest of the way. I told myself in the dugout 'you can't do this again in the second inning' and I settle down after that."
Northside Coach Will Hankins said Riley just kept pounding the strike zone, getting the Grizzly batters behind in the count for most of the game.
"He was dominant today," Hankins said. "He was in the mid-80s and we just couldn't get to him. He kept getting in good pitcher counts against our batters. You have to tip your hat to him."
Though Bentonville did have 10 hits in the game, Northside starter Jett Frazier kept his team in the game, minimizing damage and getting out of jams until the two-run sixth put the game away. Frazier went 6 innings, walking 3 and striking out 5.
"The offense was OK ... it was good enough," Abbott said. "We had opportunities and we capitalized on a few of them. Fortunately, with the way Ty Riley was throwing, you don't need many runs."
LR CATHOLIC 6,
ROGERS HERITAGE 3
Reliever Reece McWilliams got Hunter Royal to fly out with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and the Rockets (19-13) held on to defeat the War Eagles.
After four innings, Catholic led 4-1 thanks to RBI hits by Grant Dodge and Camden Tanner while taking advantage of three Heritage errors.
Quentin Edwards slugged a two-run home run in the fifth to pull the War Eagles to within 4-3, but the Rockets responded with two runs in the sixth.
Heritage managed only three hits against three Catholic pitchers.
The Rockets will face Har-Ber today at 3 p.m. at Hunt's Park.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK 6,
FAYETTEVILLE 0
North Little Rock pitcher Brody Bunting struck out eight in six innings as the No. 6 seeded Charging Wildcats upset the No. 3 seeded Bulldogs at Forsgren Field.
Bunting allowed two hits and walked three. He did not allow a base hit until the fifth inning. Reliever Caleb Bryant got the final three outs to end the game.
North Little Rock (13-16) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Jordan Kelly came home on a bunt single by Brendan Bailey.
Jordan Kelly sparked a three-run third inning with a two-run double. Bunting also helped his own cause with an RBI single.
North Little Rock advances to face Cabot today at Forsgren Field.
CONWAY 2,
BENTONVILLE WEST 1
Conway pitcher Hugh Hill pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run and 4 walks while getting 4 strikeouts. Ben Weese pitched the seventh and picked up the save by striking out the side.
Zach Szuba's two-run double in the fourth inning gave Conway (23-9) a 2-1 lead.
West (17-14) scored in the first inning. Ty Durham reached on a lead-off bunt single, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch. Aaron Arnold's ground out scored Durham.
Bentonville West was able to get a run home in the top of the first inning. Conway's pitching settled in after that and didn't allow another run in a first-round matchup at Forsgren Field.
Conway advances to face Rogers at noon today at Forsgren Field.
Harold McIlvain contributed to this report.