Arkansas 6A softball semifinals: Bentonville advances to sixth consecutive title game

By Steve Andrews

ROGERS – Bentonville scored in all five innings Saturday and played stellar defense behind starting pitcher Ryann Sanders to claim a 13-3 run-rule victory over Bryant to secure its spot in next week’s 6A state championship game.

The Lady Tigers (20-3) are making their sixth straight trip to the championship game – winning four of the past five titles – and will face Cabot in next Saturday’s final at the Benton Sports Complex.

“The kids were pretty confident and focused coming into the game,” Bentonville coach Kent Early said. “I’ve got a really good group of girls and the credit goes to them. They work so stinking hard and do everything you ask them to do, and you just saw what they showed up to do.

“Big-time players make big-time plays, and they did today.”

Ironically, Bentonville defeated the Lady Hornets by the same score, 13-3, in last year’s semifinal.

“We have had some great battles with Bryant through the years,” Early said. “They always have a really good team; they are feisty and play hard. So we know we have to play our best when we face them.”

Bentonville got things going early, when leadoff batter Kasey Wood was hit by a pitch, then advanced to third on a bunt single by Alleyna Rushing. Sara Watson’s double to right field scored both runners to put the Lady Tigers in front, 2-0.

Sanders kept the Bryant bats quiet through the first two innings, as the Tigers extended the lead in the bottom of the second. The first five Lady Tiger hitters reach based, including an RBI single by Watson and a bases-loaded walk to Sanders that forced in Wood.

Trista Petersen and Amber Turner each plated runs on consecutive back-to-back sacrifice flies to make it 6-0.

“I thought we came out really strong at the plate, right from the beginning,” said Peterson, who finished with a pair of hits, including a three-run homer, and four RBIs. “We know we had to get ahead early to put pressure on the defense. I think we were just zoned in as hitters and waiting for balls we could hit hard.”

Bryant (22-7) finally did some damage in the third, when Abby Gentry slapped a two-out hit to left, followed by a walk to Macy Hoskins. Buddha Dillon then stepped up and drilled a double to right, knocking in both runners and cutting the lead to 6-2.

But it didn’t take Bentonville to respond in a big way, plating five runs in the bottom half of the third.

Kadence Stafford and Tallulah Pascucci led on the inning with consecutive doubles. After an intentional walk to Wood, Watson’s single to right knocked in as pair. Sanders brought home Wood on a sacrifice fly, setting the table for Peterson’s three-run homer to left to make it 11-2.

“It felt good, right off my bat,” Peterson said with a grin. “It just looked like a great pitch to swing at, so I just went for it.”

Bentonville extended the lead to 10 in the fourth, as Pascucci singled and came around on a double by Rushing, who made the final out trying to stretch it to a triple.

Sanders threw 91 pitches over the five innings, striking out five, to earn the win.

“I just tried to stay focused and not take any pitches off,” Sanders said. “I knew that they had some really good hitters and I had to give it my all. It also feels so good to get so many runs. That’s why I love playing for this team, because we are so consistent, offensively, as well.”

Early was please with the performance of his pitcher and catcher.

“Ryann did a really good job, but our catcher, Sara Watson, calls all of our pitches and does a really good job back there,” he said. “She has her own scouting report, we have a scouting report, and we compare notes. She does an outstanding job and it is like a second coach on the field.”

Bryant tacked on a leadoff solo homer by Gentry in the fifth to cut the lead to nine, forcing Bentonville to bat in the bottom of the inning.

But the Lady Tigers finished it with a two-out single by Savanna Schenkel that scored Sydney Rhuda with the final, walk-off run.

Cabot 2, Rogers 1

Senior Brianna Garriga lined a one-out double to left field Saturday to knock in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Cabot held on to defeat the host the Rogers Lady Mounties in the semifinals of the 6A state softball tournament.

The win advances the Lady Panthers (21-5) into next Saturday’s championship game against Bentonville at the Benton Sports Complex.

The teams combined for just five hits in what turned out to be a classic pitcher’s duel between Cabot’s junior Akayla Barnard and Rogers’ junior Ella Beeman.

Cabot got on the board in the first inning on a solo homer to left field by Garriga.

Rogers (19-5) answered right back in the top of the second. Sophomore Lauryn Heinle walked to lead things off, advancing to third on a single by Ava Johnson. With two outs, Heinle swiped home to tie the score at 1-1.

Neither team could muster much of a threat over the next four innings, as the pitchers stole the show. Barnard only gave up two hits to the Lady Mounties, striking out 13 in seven innings, while Beeman allowed just three Cabot hits and struck out 12 batters in six innings.

Barnard led off the sixth with a bunt single and was sent to second on a sacrifice bunt by Adreya Braddy. Garriga then hit the first pitch she saw for the run-scoring double.

Barnard sat the Lady Mounties down in order in the seventh, including the final two by strikeout, to get the win.