Freshmen lead Har-Ber to win
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 6, CABOT 1
FAYETTEVILLE — Springdale Har-Ber used power and pitching from two freshmen to take down Cabot on Friday.
Freshman Xiomara Sanchez slammed a two-run home run and freshman pitcher Cyarah Dotts struck out 12 to lead Har-Ber to a 6-1 victory over Cabot in the Class 6A state softball tournament at the Fayetteville Softball Complex.
Har-Ber will play Rogers at noon Saturday followed by Bentonville and Bryant at 2:30 p.m. in semifinal games.
Har-Ber broke on top in the fourth inning when Ryli Wolfe hit a double and scored on a two-run home run by Sanchez.
“Ryli Wolfe hits one off the wall then Xiomara Sanchez hits a line drive home run down the left field fence,” Har-Ber Coach Randy Osnes said. “She got all of it, and that is what she does in BP at practice. She just brought it to the park.”
Cabot got to 2-1 on an RBI single from Payton Nicholson before Har-Ber rallied for four runs in the sixth to increase its lead to 6-1.
The Lady Wildcats (228) had four hits in the sixth inning, including a two-run double by Savannah Woods.
Cabot (23-7) missed a scoring opportunity in the third inning when the Panthers loaded the bases with one out against Dotts. But the hard-throwing right-hander worked out of the jam by striking out Addison Fulbright and Cassie Baugh, the No. 4 and No. 5 hitters in the Cabot lineup.
“If you at least score one run right there, you at least got some momentum going into the next inning,” Cabot Coach Chris Cope said. “That makes your defense play a bit better and your heads don’t get down. But against a good team like that you can’t make mistakes and we did that today.”
The two strikeouts on high fastballs seemed to energize Dotts, who struck six consecutive batters between the third and fifth innings.
“[Dotts] stepped in and did an outstanding job in the circle,” Osnes said. “We’re very proud of her for that.”
BENTONVILLE 3, CONWAY 0 (8)
Ryann Sanders pitched a perfect game and struck out 14 as Bentonville went to extra innings to eliminate Conway.
Amber Turner ended the scoreless deadlock with a three-run home run to center field in the eighth inning.
It was a tough season-ending loss for Conway (15-10-1) and pitcher Sylvia King, who allowed only four hits. Kylee Wyman led off the game with a triple for Bentonville (21-5), but the Tigers did not score.
King also worked out of a jam in the third inning after Bentonville loaded the bases with one out.
BRYANT 6, BENTONVILLE WEST 4
Makaila Easterwood and Leah Hicks each hit home runs for Bryant, which grabbed an early five-run lead and held on.
Easterwood hit a two-run home run in the second inning to help stake Bryant to a 5-0 lead. West got to within 5-4 after a bases-clearing double by Payeton Dilday in the fourth inning.
Hicks homered to provide an insurance run in the sixth inning for the Hornets (28-2).
Bryant starter Aly White then returned to the circle in the seventh inning to record the final two outs after West (17-15) put the tying run in scoring position at second base.
ROGERS 10, ROGERS HERITAGE 0 (6)
Kadence Janney struck out 14 and allowed one hit in Rogers’ run-rule win.
Dahana Tuomala went 2 for 4 for 3 RBI for the Lady Mounties (29-2), which took a 4-0 lead in the first inning.