Rogers High proves too much for Van Buren in shutout

ROGERS HIGH 15, VAN BUREN 0

VAN BUREN — Rogers High flirted with big innings during the initial three frames of Monday’s games but didn’t break through early. That changed quickly in the fourth inning.

Rogers used a nine-hit, nine-run fourth inning to help pull away against Van Buren in a 15-0 victory in a 7A-West Conference matchup at the Field of Dreams.

“When you come here, you know it’s going to be a fight,” Rogers coach Matt Melson said. “But it kind of snowballed on them this time. I really respect what coach David Loyd does here with his program at Van Buren. This was just our day.”

Rogers was able to score a lone run in the first three innings of the game but left five runners on base. Van Buren starter Trevor Johnson was able to pitch out of the jams. But his pitch count was rising quickly, having 42 after two innings of work.

The Mounties were able to develop the big inning they were looking for in the critical fourth inning.

“We saw a lot of pitches early,” Melson said. “Even during the first three innings when we only scored one, we hit it well. We worked deep into counts and battled. I think the first three innings set up that big inning.”

Rogers (13-4, 6-1 7A-West) had all but one hitter in its batting order score during the fourth inning. The Mounties were able to put together five consecutive hits to open the frame, including two extra-base hits.

Jay Watson helped cap the scoring outburst with a tworun home run to give Rogers a 10-0 lead heading into the fifth inning against Van Buren (13-2, 4-1).

“We kind of ran into a buzzsaw there in the fourth inning,” Loyd said. “We had a good game going. You have to give them credit they lined up at the plate and competed.”

Rogers added to its lead in the fifth, using three hits to score five more runs to make it 15-0. Jaden Uecker came off the bench to plate the final runs of the inning with a three-run double to clear the bases.

The Mounties were able to get offensive production from each of their batting order, as all nine scored at least a run in the game. Brandon Husted and Colin McWhorter led the team with three hits each. McKayden Templeton and Uecker each finished with a team-high three RBIs.

Van Buren had its scoring chances against Templeton while he was on the mound, but he was able to escape without allowing a run in his four innings of work. Templeton was able to strand six runners in the game.

The loss for Van Buren snapped a 10-game winning streak and an undefeated start to conference play.

The series between two of the top teams in the 7A-West standings continues today when Van Buren travels to Rogers looking to bounce back on the road.

Rogers High ... 001 95 x — 15 16 1 Van Buren...... 000 000 0 — 0 4 0 Templeton, Griffen (5) and Seldomridge; T. Johnson, C. Johnson (4), Johns (5) and Rauser. W - Templeton, 5-1. L—T. Johnson, 6-1. Sv.—None. HRs— Rogers, J. Watson (1).

SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 8, BENTONVILLE WEST 5

Blake Adams’ fourth-inning single drove in the go-ahead run and started a five-run outburst as Har-Ber knocked off West at Tyson Park.

Adams drove in Clay Burturm, who began the inning with a single. The Wildcats (16-2, 6-1) added to that with three consecutive RBI hits as Lucas McCain had a tworun single, while Kirby Jenkins had an RBI double and Trevor Brown added an RBI single.

West (12-7, 2-5), which tied the game at 3 on an RBI single

by Zach Trammell and a two-run single by Jaron Jenkins in the fourth, closed the gap to 8-4 in the fifth when Marcus Thornton grounded into a fielder’s choice, then added a run in the seventh when Thornton scored on a passed ball.

BENTONVILLE HIGH 8, SPRINGDALE HIGH 7 (9 INNINGS)

Nathan Lyons raced home from third on a passed ball with the decisive run as Bentonville outlasted Springdale for an extra-inning victory at Tyson Park.

Lyons started the inning with a single, went to second on Ryan Kneeshaw’s sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on Tyler Johnson’s infield single before scoring. Lyons picked up the win allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning, but a pinch-runner was thrown out while trying to steal second to end the game.

Will Mueller and Cooper Combs each hit solo home runs in the fourth to help Springdale (9-10, 2-5) build a 4-0 lead. Bentonville (87, 2-3) responded with two runs in the fourth and four in the fifth for a 6-4 lead, only to have the Bulldogs tie it with two in the bottom of the sixth and eventually force extra innings. Both teams added a solo tally in the eighth.

“When you come here, you know it’s going to be a fight. But it kind of snowballed on them this time. I really respect what coach David Loyd does here with his program at Van Buren. This was just our day.”

— Rogers coach Matt Melson

FAYETTEVILLE 11, ROGERS HERITAGE 1 (6 INNINGS)

Matthew Magre went 2-for-3 on two doubles and drove in five runs to lead the Purple Bulldogs to the runrule win Monday.

Emory Kincaid, Miller Pleimann and Jackson Down also had two hits each for Fayetteville (11-7-1, 4-3 7A-West). Pleimann also picked up the win, allowing a run on five hits over six innings. He struck out eight and walked one.