Arkansas 6A baseball semifinals: Bentonville pulls out two-out rally to knock off Har-Ber en route to title game

By Steve Andrews

SPRINGDALE – Down to their final out and trailing by two runs in the seventh inning Saturday, Bentonville refused to go down, scoring six straight times for a 7-3 victory over host Springdale Har-Ber in the semifinals of the 6A state baseball tournament.

The win propels the Tigers (22-10), who came in as the fourth seed in the 6A-West, into next Saturday’s state championship game against Conway, a 10-0 winner over Rogers Heritage.

“We have run into some inconsistencies this year, but one thing this team has never failed to do is believe in each other,” Bentonville coach Todd Abbott said. “Even when we had those two outs, our dugout was still alive. And I’m so proud of these guys. They did a heck of a job.”

Jackson Hutchins got hit by a pitch to lead in the Tiger seventh. Har-Ber then recorded two quick outs on consecutive pop-ups that first-baseman Kade Ratcliff caught in foul territory.

Ethan Arnold then hit a sharp grounder to third that was misplayed, allowing him to reach on an error. Luke Crumpler singled to right, allowing Hutchins to score and cut the lead to one. Kieper Pate followed with a single to left, scoring a pair to put Bentonville in front, 4-3.

Tony Woodie, who had struck out three times earlier in the game, then redeemed himself with one ferocious swing, delivering the ball over the left field fence for a three-run homer – thus, sending the Tiger faithful into a frenzy.

“I was just trying to do something to get my guy in from second.,” Woodie said with a big grin. “Before I went to the plate, my hitting coach told me to wait for the hanging curve. So, I got a hanging curve and just ripped it.

“We’ve been down in many games before, but we know as a team we stick together and continue to play hard. The score doesn’t matter until the last out is called. We do whatever we have to do to push through and win, and that’s what we did today.”

Har-Ber (25-8) did start the bottom of the seventh with a single by Ross Felder, before the Tiger defense turned a double-play, then caught a fly ball for the final out.

“We knew heading into the seventh that it could be our last inning, and we knew there was only one way to keep that from happening,” senior Drew Wright said. “This team is just different, and we have come together so much this year – it really is like a family. We will battle until the last out and will fight as hard as we can.”

Cooper Dossett pitched the first two innings for Har-Ber, giving up just one single to Stephon Gryskiewicz and striking out five, including the side in the first inning. He was relieved by Austin Jones in the third, who continued to hold the Tigers at bay through the fourth inning.

Bentonville finally broke the scoreless tie in the fifth when Taylor walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Connor Kneeshaw. Arnold’s lined double to center scored Kneeshaw to put the Tigers in front, 1-0.

But Har-Ber quickly returned the favor, and some, in the bottom half of the inning.

Right-hander Connor Taylor was sharp for Bentonville from the mound through the first four innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out three. But then the Wildcat bats caught fire in the fifth and proceeded to chase Taylor from the game without recording another out.

Felder led off the Wildcat fifth with a double to left. Clark Jenkins hit the very next pitch over the left-field fence for a 2-1 Har-Ber lead. Drue McClendon then waited for the second pitch he saw to blast another bomb over the center-field fence to increase the lead to two.

Arnold came in to pitch the final three frames for the Tigers, shutting the Wildcats down on one hit over that span. Meanwhile, Bentonville was just heating up.

“Our guys didn’t change their approach when they stepped up to the plate and had quality at-bats,” Abbott said. “Up and down the lineup, we had guys just stepping up. What these guys do for each other, and how they play together, is something special. And it’s fun to be a part of.”

Conway 10, Rogers Heritage 0

After an emotional come-from-behind win over rival, and top seed, Rogers in Friday’s quarterfinals of the 6A state baseball tournament, Rogers Heritage fell behind early in Saturday’s semifinals and didn’t have enough magic left against Conway.

The Wampus Cats scored in three of the four innings they came to bat, unloading a 10-0 run-rule victory over the War Eagles in five innings.

They now advance to face Bentonville in next Saturday’s state championship game at Benton Athletic Complex.

Senior Austin Rainey was nearly flawless on the mound for Conway, going all five, allowing just three hits and striking out five.

The Wampus Cats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, getting a pair of two-out RBI singles Matthew Glover and Zach Szuba.

After Lake Satterfield led off the Conway third inning with a double, Szuba singled in his second run of the game. Later in the inning, The Wampus Cats scored two more runs on wild pitches, allowing Conner Cunningham and William Thompson to cross the plate for a 5-0 lead.

The bottom then fell out in the fifth as Conway plated five more runs.

Rainey singled to left, advancing to second when Satterfield was hit by a pitch. The four straight Wampus Cats walked, forcing in three to take a 8-0 advantage.

Szuba scored on a sacrifice fly by Preston Prock, before Samuel Gregg singled in Cunningham for the final nail in the coffin.