Schaefer shuts out Northside

6A-WEST BASEBALL FAYETTEVILLE 3, FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE 0

FORT SMITH — Fayetteville’s Landon Schaefer relished being locked in a pitcher’s duel through four innings on Monday.

The Bulldogs finally broke it up with a single run in the fifth and finished with a 3-0 win over Fort Smith Northside at Hunts Park in the opener of the home-andaway 6A-West series.

Northside’s Logan Matlock matched Schaefer through four innings with both pitchers quickly putting up zeros on the scoreboard.

“It motivates me really, being more efficient with all my pitches and making sure I’m driving off the mound throwing strikes and letting my defense work,” Schaefer said. “I don’t have to do it all by myself. I’ve got a great defense and a great catcher. I’ve just got to do my job and throw strikes.”

Schaefer tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout.

“He was able to throw all four of his pitches for strikes and mixed it up,” Fayetteville Coach Scott Gallagher said. “He’s been like that a lot. Even if he falls behind in the count, he’s not just able to throw the fastball in there but mix it up. He did a really good job.”

Schaefer needed just 71 pitches through six innings before throwing a game-high 22 in the seventh inning.

“I think all of my pitches were working real well against lefties and righties,” Schaefer said. “I had confidence in my backstop and my defense. I tried to pound the zone and see what happens.”

Schaefer struck out 14 and didn’t even notice he fanned eight in a row from the third inning through the fifth inning.

“I just tried to pound the zone and get my team in the dugout as quickly as possible,” Schaefer said. “We needed to put some runs up, and we put a few up.”

Schaefer allowed two infield hits in the first inning before he retired 17 in a row, but didn’t feel he had his best stuff prior to the game when he was warming up.

“Ironically, my bullpen wasn’t very good,” Schaefer said. “I couldn’t command anything. Once I got on the mound I just figured it out late in the first. I got a feel for the zone. I worked off that.”

Mason Kincannon legged out an infield single with one out in the home half of the first. After a pop out, Fayetteville shortstop Chayse Dutile made a diving stop of Max Howerton’s hard single up the middle. Schaefer escaped any damage with a grounder.

Fayetteville (9-2, 3-2) finally scored an unearned run in the top of fifth.

Charlie Graves drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a two-out walk to Schaefer. Graves got a little too far off second and looked to be picked off by Northside (4-9, 0-5) catcher Alex Martinez, but a throw to third hit Graves and went to Fayetteville’s dugout that allowed Graves to score for the 1-0 lead.

Matlock allowed just one hit and struck out six before departing after the fifth inning.

“Their pitcher did a heck of a job, mixing it up and spotting it up,” Gallagher said. “He kept us off balanced all night. It’s always going to be that type game in the 6A-West.”

Fayetteville added two runs in the seventh inning when Graves tripled into the right-field corner and scored Chayse Dutile, who had walked. Graves scored on a two-out single by Schaefer.