Brothers’ four hits set table for victory

SPRINGDALE — Blaze Brothers was listed as the cleanup hitter for Perfect Timing White, but he turned out to be more of a table-setter Monday.

The former Springdale Har-Ber standout collected 3 doubles and finished with 4 hits and 4 runs scored to propel PT White to an 8-4 victory over Perfect Timing Grey at Tyson Park. Brothers’ four-hit outing raised his batting average from .353 to .476 in the collegiate league.

“I’m just seeing the ball well and having a great time playing baseball,” Brothers said. “There’s a place over here, D-Bat, that I’ve been going to every day. I’ve been working on making my timing consistent, and it’s working out for me.

“I’m probably more comfortable batting closer to the top of the order, like batting second. I like to see what the first guy does and see what the pitcher throws to him, but coach threw me in fourth. It worked out pretty well.”

PT White already had a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Brothers, who had just one double out of his six previous hits this season, matched that total with a shot down the left-field line against PT Grey starter Luke Davenport. He later scored on Lucas McCain’s single.

He then hit a single, stole second and scored again on his next trip to the plate.

Brothers said his best hit of the game may have been his third. He belted a shot off the right fielder’s glove and into the gap for his second double, and he scored moments later on another single by McCain.

“I barreled that one really well,” Brothers said. “It was an outside pitch, and I’ve been working on outside pitches and being able to get there. Seeing that ball and squaring up, it felt really good.”

He looked more like a cleanup hitter in his final plate appearance when he smacked another double off the left-field fence to drive in Curtis Washington, who had singled and stole second. Brothers then scored his team’s final run on a wild pitch.

After playing two years at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kan. — where he hit .318 with 7 doubles and 27 RBI in a shortened sophomore season — Brothers will make the jump to NCAA Division II after he signed with Northeastern (Okla.) State.

“I’m using this summer to get those at-bats and get better at seeing the ball,” Brothers said. “I want to get reps in the infield and working on my craft where I can carry it over to NSU and keep performing.”

Brothers is also using his time to work at a number of positions in the field, splitting time among second, third and shortstop as well as some in the outfield.

“I’ll probably split most of my time between second and third,” Brothers said. “I would probably prefer second or shortstop because that’s where I’m more comfortable playing.”

PT RED 3, PT CARDINAL 2

Cade Appleman went from second to home on back-to-back passed balls to score the winning run for PT Red, which rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh after PT Cardinal scored twice in the top half of the inning to take the lead.

Tyler Johnson belted a one-out double and went to third on Appleman’s infield single. He scored on J Brown’s grounder to third to tie the game. Appleman took second on the play, then scored on the passed balls.

PT Cardinal Grant Geren picked up the win in relief despite giving up both runs in the top of the seventh. Johnson finished with two of PT Red’s four hits.

SANDLOT BLACK 7, SANDLOT GRAY 4

Sandlot Black scored six runs in the third inning and went on to defeat Sandlot Gray in a game played at Tulsa.

Brody Gibson, Parker Rowland and James Dunlap each had RBI during the big third-inning for Sandlot Black. Boone Lassater also had a solo home run for Sandlot Black.