Tigers finish series sweep of rival

BENTONVILLE 10, BENTONVILLE WEST 3

BENTONVILLE — Bentonville’s baseball team has bounced back nicely after a tough start to the season.

The Tigers won their fifth consecutive game with a 10-3 victory Tuesday over Bentonville West at the Tiger Athletic Complex, finishing a 6A-West Conference sweep of the Wolverines. Bentonville defeated West 4-0 on Monday.

Finishing the sweep of the Wolverines was important for the Tigers, according to Bentonville Coach Todd Abbott.

“Absolutely, anytime you win a conference game it’s a good day. But yeah that put us in a good spot after a rough start,” Abbott said. “We were able to bounce back, and we’re playing some pretty good baseball.”

Left-hander Boyce Read helped the Tigers (5-3, 4-2) with his arm and his bat.

Read pitched 5 solid innings with 8 strikeouts and 2 runs on 2 hits. At the plate he had three hits from the leadoff spot, scoring a run and his courtesy runner Connor Adair scored another two runs.

“I thought [Read] did a great job,” Abbott said. “The tone was set on the mound out there. He came out throwing strikes. Getting outs for us. As a leadoff man he set the tone for us offensively. Boyce did a great job today. I’m really proud of him.”

Bentonville first baseman Brooks Hasenclever also had 3 hits, scored 4 runs and had 3 RBI.

Hasenclever reached on a wind-aided double that went over the head of West left fielder Alex Downing in the bottom of the first. He moved to third on a line drive off the bat of that hit West starter Nathan DeFries in the leg and scored on a delayed double steal for a 1-0 Bentonville lead.

West (4-2, 4-2) tied the game in the second when Will Anderson was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI triple by Laiten Hall.

Bentonville answered with three runs in the second. Bodi Gist — who had 2 hits, 3 stolen bases and scored 3 runs — reached on a walk, stole second, moved to third on a Read single and scored on an error. J.J. Spafford also walked to set up Hasenclever, who ripped a two-run double to make it 4-1.

West got a run back in the top of the fourth when Jonathan Viera hit a solo home run to left field to make it 4-2.

Bentonville came back with two more runs in the fourth. Gist singled, stole second and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch. Read reached on another single and scored on Hasenclever’s RBI triple off the center field fence.

“Brooks is starting to relax and kind of come into his own and just let the game come to him,” Abbott said. “He’s got a lot of potential.”

Bentonville added three more runs in the fifth. Carson Harrell had an RBI triple and Read added an RBI double.

The Tigers took advantage of two Wolverine errors to add a run in the sixth. West scored its final run in the top of the seventh.

Bentonville finished with 11 hits. McCall and Adair each worked an inning of relief of Read for the Tigers.

DeFries worked four innings for West, despite taking the line drive off his leg.

“He’s a battler,” West Coach Don Thomas said. “He threw a good game, but we didn’t play behind him. We dropped too many routine fly balls, ground ball. It boils down to our defense has to do a lot better than that.”

After a 4-0 start, West has now lost two straight.

“I think the big thing is we need to go back to the basics, making a routine play,” Thomas said. “That’s the bottom line. That’s been our Achilles’ heel actually the last two games is making the routine play. Take that out of the play then we’re in the ballgame. We told them it’s the simple things you’ve got to do more than anything else. That’s the bottom line today.”

ROGERS 9, FAYETTEVILLE 6

A wild pitch allowed Reese Bariola to score the the go-ahead run as Rogers went on to defeat Fayetteville and complete a series sweep at Mountie Field.

Rogers faced a 6-5 deficit to start the bottom of the sixth, but Bryson McIntosh was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and tied the game. Bariola scored moments later on the wild pitch, then Jake Taylor gave the Mounties some insurance with his two-run single.

The Mounties only had five hits but capitalized on eight walks and five hit batters. Jaison DeLamar had a tworun triple, while Jaison DeLamar had a home run for Fayetteville.

SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 15, FS NORTHSIDE 0

University of Arkansas signee Ross Felder had two hits and drove in five runs as Har-Ber completed its sweep of Northside with a win at Fort Smith.

Felder’s bases-clearing double capped a six-run second for the Wildcats (5-3, 3-3), then he added a two-run single in the third as Har-Ber added eight more runs.

That was more than offense for pitcher Luke Cornelison, who threw three no-hit innings and struck out six before Gavin Moore and Cole Ridley finished in relief.

Nine other Har-Ber players had a hit apiece, while Davis Dyer drove in three runs and Caleb Smith had two more RBI.

SPRINGDALE 12, FS SOUTHSIDE 2

Jack Pounders had two hits and drove in three runs during a nine-run first as Springdale claimed a victory at home over Southside.

Pounders’ double drove in A.J. Woods with the Bulldogs’ first run, then he capped the outburst with a two-run single. J.P. Scoggins also had an RBI innings as Springdale also took advantage of a hit batter with the bases loaded and two errors.

Pounders also had a sacrifice fly in the fifth, while Scroggins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Pounders was also the winning pitcher as he allowed seven hits and struck out eight.