Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Rogers edges Har-Ber, claims share of league title
ROGERS 2, SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 1
ROGERS — Matt Melson was willing to take the risk, and Rogers’ baseball team reaped the rewards.
Kade Seldomridge executed the perfect two- out bunt single in the bottom of the eighth inning, then raced home on JT Melson’s double to right field as the Mounties claimed a 2-1 victory over Springdale Har-Ber during Monday’s meeting of the top two 6A-West Conference teams at Mountie Field.
The win gives Rogers (20-6, 11-0) at least a share of the conference’s regular-season title with three games remaining, and the Mounties can clinch the outright championship with another league win over another HarBer loss.
“That was a called deal,” Melson said. “The thing about it is he hit a home run off the same kid in the state championship game last year, so I thought it might have caught them a little bit off-guard. I called it, but I think he would have bunted had I not called it.
“Kade laid down a great bunt, and I think the threat of a steal allowed JT to get a fastball there. So getting that runner on was huge. I was real proud of the guys.”
Seldomridge had ended Har-Ber’s bases-loaded threat in the top of the eighth when he raced a good distance to catch Cooper Dossett in shallow right-center field. HarBer pitcher Tyler Ridley, who retired the last two batters to end a Rogers threat in the seventh, then retired the first two batters before Seldomridge stepped to the plate.
The senior then took the second pitch from Ridley and dropped the bunt toward third base, then beat Ridley’s throw to first. JT Melson then jumped on the first pitch he saw from Ridley and belted a shot that rolled out of the reach of right fielder Clark Jenkins and to the wall, allowing Seldomridge to score and the celebration to begin.
“He did it, and I was right there with him,” Seldomridge said of his bunt. “I mean, I saw the third baseman playing back, and that doesn’t happen very often. Whenever it does, he gives me the sign, and I know what to do. It’s a base hit every time.
“When I went up to the plate, I wanted to be the guy. But when he gave me the sign, I just thought to pass the baton and give it to the next guy. It ended up working out.”
Har- Ber scored its only run in the second when Drue McClendon’s single to right drove in Austin Jones, who served as a courtesy runner after Cooper Dossett doubled off the center-field fence to start the inning. Seldomridge played a role in Rogers’ other run when was hit by a pitch and later came home on Eli Marcotte’s single to left.
The remainder of the game turned out to be a pitching duel, although neither starter was in the decision. Braxton Haywood went the first seven innings for Rogers and allowed the lone run on three hits, while Dossett went 6.1 innings for Har-Ber and gave up one run on three hits.
“I don’t know; it’s been seven, eight or nine in a row like this,” Matt Melson said. “I know they’ve been close the last couple of years. We knew it was going to be one of these deals. Braxton threw real well, and you have to throw well in order to match their guy because he’s super-talented and super-good.”
ROGERS HERITAGE 5, FAYETTEVILLE 4 (10)
Quentin Edwards’ 10th-inning single drove in Bennett Crafton with the winning run as Heritage defeated Fayetteville at War Eagle Field.
Crafton drew a leadoff walk, then Michael Johannsen moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt before Edwards singled on 2-1 pitch.
Heritage picked up the win despite being outhit by a 14-3 margin. The War Eagles scored four runs in the second inning with just one base hit — an RBI single by Crafton and held the lead until Fayetteville rallied with one in the fourth and three more in the seventh.
Jaison DeLamar had a bases-loaded single in the seventh for Fayetteville, while Isaac Cottle added a sacrifice fly before Landon Holzhauer tied the game with his RBI single.
SPRINGDALE 5, BENTONVILLE 4
Yadi Canales drove in three runs and pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning as Springdale held off Bentonville at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
Canales gave the Bulldogs an early 2-0 cushion with his two-run single in the first inning, then his single in the second inning drove in another run after Warren Langford had driven in two runs with his single.
Bentonville scored once in the second before Tony Woodie’s two-run single in the third made it a 5-3 game. The Tigers made it a one-run game on Luke Crumpler’s RBI single in the seventh and had the bases loaded, but a fly ball to left ended the comeback attempt and the game.
Springdale’s win, coupled with Heritage’s win, causes those two teams to be tied with Fayetteville and Bentonville for fourth place with 4- 7 records in league play with three games remaining.