Beeman pitches, hits Rogers to win

ROGERS 4, BENTONVILLE WEST 1

CENTERTON — Ella Beeman had an ice pack wrapped around her leg when Tuesday’s game ended, but it would have taken a lot more than that to cool off her performance in the circle and at the plate for Rogers.

Beeman struck out 9 and belted a pair of doubles to lead the Lady Mounties to a 4-1 win against Bentonville West in 6A-West Conference softball at Wolverine Yard.

The win kept Rogers (6-0, 3-0) undefeated and tied with Bentonville atop the 6A-West standings. The loss was the first league setback for West (8-2, 2-1).

“I’m really proud of how we came out today,” said Beeman, who allowed 3 hits and did not walk a batter. “We came out and got 3 runs in the first inning and that gave me the energy, so that makes me more calm and relaxed.”

The Lady Mounties got to West starter Olivia Nickson early. Nickson got Rogers lead-off batter Mak Fithian down 0-2 to start the game, but Fithian was able to draw a walk and then stole second. Kylee Ward plated Fithian with a double into the left-centerfield gap and a 1-0 lead. The Lady Mounties added 2 more runs as Beeman blasted an RBI double to score Ward, and Talyn Jackson added an RBI single for the 3-0 lead.

Rogers coach Mike Harper said the early runs were big for his team.

“The part of the line-up that should be hitting the ball hit the ball really well,” said Harper. “Then later in the game, the lower part of the order hit the ball really well. But early in the game, that was big. They did a great job.”

Beeman was dominant in the circle, allowing just a first-inning single by West’s Caroline Wilhelm until the bottom of the sixth when pinch-hitter Haley Edgemon laced an opposite-field single.

Ciera Cravens replaced Nickson in the circle in the second and pitched masterfully, keeping Rogers off the scoreboard with 7 strikeouts. Cravens also some stellar defense behind her, particularly in the fifth with the Lady Mounties got two on with no outs. Cravens got out of the jam by inducing three groundouts.

Rogers finally got a run in the sixth inning when catcher Sydney Smith singled and scored on a RBI single by Lauryn Heinle who flipped an opposite-field blooper into left field for a 4-0 lead.

West ended the shutout in the seventh on Mary Frannie Van Es’ RBI single that scored Cravens from third base. Beeman ended the threat with a strikeout to end the game.

“It was great to see today who we really are,” said Harper. “We’d only played five games, so I wasn’t really sure who we were. Beating West, that tells us we have a chance to be really good. We have to continue to improve, obviously and clean up some things on the defensive side, but I was proud of us overall.”

Rogers will be on the road Thursday at Springdale, and West will host Springdale HarBer. Both Rogers and West will be in the Rumble on the River Tournament in Van Buren this weekend.