Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Rogers High run-rules rival Rogers Heritage
ROGERS HIGH 11, ROGERS HERITAGE 1 (5 INNINGS)
ROGERS — Rogers High has struggled to score runs consistently thus far this season, but the Lady Mounties’ bats warmed like the temperature Thursday afternoon in Veterans Park.
Senior Jadyn Heinle went 3-for3, drove in two runs and scored twice to lead Rogers’ hit parade in an 11-1 7A-West Conference softball win in five innings over crosstown rival Rogers Heritage.
Rogers coach Mike Harper loved what he saw offensively, but acknowledged it was a little surprising against Heritage (6-4, 1-1 7A-West).
“We have hit the ball hard in some losses, but people have made plays on them a lot of times,” Harper said. “Tonight it was nice to see. We found the grass a lot of times tonight. It was fun to watch the kids have fun and hit the ball hard.
“I was really proud of Jadyn tonight. She had had a good night at the plate and made a couple nice plays in right field. Great to see from her. We’re playing freshmen and sophomores and bringing people off the bench that are freshmen and sophomores and they are getting better. They are listening and getting better. We like what we’re seeing from them.”
Rogers (5-4, 2-0 7A-West) broke the game open with a six-run bottom of the fourth highlighted by back- to- back home runs by Allyn Hensley and Courtney Storey. Hensley’s two-run shot was her second of the season, while Storey’s solo blast was her third to give the Lady Mounties command with a 9-1 lead.
The Lady Mounties finished with 12 hits and got production throughout the lineup as eight of the nine hitters had at least one hit. Hensley and Journee Zito had two hits each, while Hensley and Madison Heinle drove in two runs each.
Lora Brown accounted for two of Heritage’s three hits, both doubles, and drove in the Lady War Eagles’ lone run.
Lefthander Sadie Beeman picked up the win, allowing a run on three hits over five innings for Rogers. She struck out seven, walked one and hit a batter.
Heritage coach Tiffany Taylor said her team will bounce back.
“We’ve done some good things and I don’t think this game is at all representative of our team or how we play, it just kinda happened,” Taylor said. “Unfortunately, it happened against the Mounties. So we’ll let that leave a little bitter taste in our mouths over spring break and come back hungry hopefully.” Heritage 001 00 — 1 3 4 Rogers 300 62 — 11 12 1
Pollock, Fultz (4) and James; Beeman and W. Storey. W-Beeman. L-Pollock. HRs-Rogers, Hensley (2), C. Storey (3).
BENTONVILLE HIGH 15, VAN BUREN 1
Tymber Riley hit two home runs, while McKenzie Vaughan and Hailey Cornell belted one apiece as Bentonville scored 10 runs in the last two innings to pull away from host Van Buren.
Cornell belted a three-run shot and Riley made her first home run a solo blast as part of the five-run sixth. Riley then added a three-run home run to cap a five-run seventh.
Vaughan put Bentonville (7-1, 2-0) on the board with a two-run shot in the first. Morgan Nelson had four of the Lady Tigers’ 15 hits, including a two-run shot in the first, while Cornell added three hits and drove in four runs.
Cailey Cochran (6-1) allowed just one unearned run on three hits and struck out a season-high 14 batters.
In other 7A-West action this week, Springdale Har-Ber defeated Springdale High 11-1 on Wednesday, and Bentonville West defeated Fayetteville 14-1 on Thursday. No information for those two games was made available at presstime.