Redbugs get best of Horatio, 4-2
GENOA, Ark.—Horatio’s hopes at a 3A state baseball championship were dashed by a familiar foe Saturday at Dragon Field.
Fordyce junior Ross Rogers handcuffed Horatio’s hot bats, and the Redbugs advanced to their third straight 3A state final.
Fordyce (22-3) will play Mayflower (18-11) at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 23 for the championship at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. The Eagles hammered Benton Harmony Grove, 15-2, in the earlier semifinal.
Rogers needed 101 pitches to go the distance, allowing just two runs on four hits. He struck out 11, walked one and hit two batters. The right-hander stranded six Horatiotio runners,
including leaving the bases loaded in the third.
The Lions’ Cole Boyd absorbed the loss, lasting 5 2/3 innings and throwing 120 pitches. He gave up four hits, fanned four but walked seven and hit one. He was charged with all four runs—three earned.
”Part of the walks is that he catches for us every day, and he’s really good for us; towards the end of the year that fatigue sets in a little,” Horatio coach Lance Spigner said. “That’s tough for anybody. Rogers was really sharp today; he was not at his best when we faced him in the regional tournament (last week). We’ve made our living all year long on the big inning—three runs or more—and and he would not allow us to do that.”
Down 3-0, the Lions (21-9) cut their deficit in the bottom of the fourth. Dante Jones grounded a single on the first pitch of the frame, and Hunter Lansdell lost the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence for a two-run home run.
The Redbugs stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the first inning, and Horatio got a leadoff single by Boyd in the bottom of the first. He was thrown out trying to steal second by Dane Kemp, and it was the third inning before another Lion reached base.
In the top of the third Fordyce broke through against Boyd. Rogers lined a single to center with one out and after a leadoff walk. Two wild pitches brought in the first run, and another wild pitch after a walk scored the second Redbug run.
Kemp singled in the third run on his two-out knock to left.
Horatio had a chance to answer in the bottom of the third.
An error was followed by a fielder’s choice for the second out. Boyd lined a single to center, and another error loaded the bases for the Lions. However, A ground ball to third thwarted a possible rally.
”We had our chances to push some runs across, were one swing away from having a big inning,” Spigner said. “We had one senior return from last year’s squad and two more come out, but we start one senior. Our struggles to start the season were just young guys being on a varsity field for the first time. They really grew up, and towards the end of the season we were a team that no one really want to play.”
Fordyce loaded the bases on a hit batsman, throwing error and walk with one out in the fourth. Boyd got an infield popup and strikeout to work out of the jam.
After Lansdell’s two-run homer in the fourth, Rogers fanned the next three in the inning, and he wouldn’t allow another hit the rest of the way. The Redbugs got an insurance run in the next inning on a pair of walks, a stolen base, throwing error and a balk.
Rogers and Boyd each had two hits at the plate to lead their respective teams.
They worked really hard all year long and had tremendous improvement.
“What I’m more proud of is how hard they worked and improved themselves from start to finish,” Horatio’s coach said. “With us being young and so close to the finals, I could tell in our huddle (after the game) they’re ready to go back to work tomorrow. I can see it in their eyes. They’re sad it’s over with, but they’re excited about next year. And they know good things are coming.”
In the early semifinal, Tyler Herrin drove in five runs and was one of three Eagles to hit home runs as Mayflower blasted Harmony Grove.
Mayflower banged out 14 hits and every Eagles starter had at least one hit. Herrin hit a two-run shot in the first inning, Drew Duncan belted a solo shot in the second and Tyler Godwin smacked a two-run home run in the fourth. Herrin finished 3 for 4 with a home run, two singles and a sacrifice fly. Duncan was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI.
Cody Icenhower hit a home run for Harmony Grove.