Late scores help Rogers rout Springdale Har-Ber

6A-WEST SOFTBALL ROGERS 12, SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 1

SPRINGDALE — The Rogers offense exploded to the tune of 11 runs in the final two innings, overcoming a slow start to defeat Springdale Har- Ber 12-1 during a windy Thursday evening at Wildcat Softball Field.

After striking out in four of their initial five at-bats, the Lady Mounties found a groove at the plate, with every batter reaching base at least once.

“I was proud of the way we adjusted to their pitching,” Rogers Coach Mike Harper said. “We did a good job as the game went on, timing the pitches and hitting it in the gaps. We did a really good job on the base pads today, making a lot of wise decisions there too.”

A third-inning double by freshman Dahana Tuomala scored three runs, waking up the Mounties’ bats. The shot to deep right field gave Rogers a 4-0 lead, something it would never give up.

The shortstop reached base all four times she stepped to the plate, recording three hits and walking once. Harper was pleased with the way Tuomala and her teammates were seeing the ball.

“Dahana hit the ball really well out of the six-hole today,” he said. “Lauryn [Heinle] hit the ball well, too. Ava Johnson did a good job seeing the ball. Out of the two-hole [Kylee Ward] had a big hit that busted the game open. Really our whole team up and down the lineup did a good job today. We just had lots of different people contribute, which is really exciting.”

Rogers ( 8-2, 5-1), which suffered its first 6A-West loss on Tuesday to Bentonville, erupted in the fifth, scoring seven runs off five hits. Ward brought home two runs off a double, and in the next atbat sophomore Sydney Smith sent a two-run triple down the third-base line. The hit capped a 3-for-4 day behind the plate for Smith.

“When everyone’s hitting, it gives us confidence,” Harper said. “We’re preparing for the state tournament all the time. That’s what our job is. We’re always trying to get better so we’re ready at that moment in time. It really builds momentum for that more than anything, gaining confidence out of it which is exactly what we want. We talk about that quite a bit.”

Sophomore Kadence Janney got the win for Rogers in the circle. She allowed one run off three hits, throwing a complete game.

After allowing one run off a throwing error in the third, Janney and the Lady Mounties didn’t allow a Har-Ber batter to get past first base. She struck out six Lady Wildcats, retiring the last seven batters.

“I thought Kadence pitched pretty well,” Harper said. “She was solid for us the whole game and got stronger as it went on. We made a few errors that we typically don’t make, but we’ll get better and learn from that.”