Heritage sweeps, in tourney hunt

ROGERS HERITAGE 4, BENTONVILLE WEST 2

CENTERTON — What a difference a pair of 6A-West Conference victories has made for Rogers Heritage this week.

The War Eagles have entrenched themselves in the middle of the league standings, thanks to a 4-2 victory Tuesday over Bentonville West to complete a series sweep of the Wolverines.

If the Class 6A state tournament had started before this week’s series began, Heritage would have been out of postseason contention. The sweep over West, however, now has the War Eagles (12-10, 4-6) in a tie with Bentonville for fourth place, one-half game behind Fort Smith Southside and a half-game ahead of Springdale and Fayetteville.

“It just goes to show you how good the conference is,” Heritage coach Brian Walker said. “It’s deep. I knew that, and they knew that. We’ve lost four one-run games, and if we split those we’re in third place.

“We talked about this, and we’re in the state tournament now. We can’t afford another loss, so we have to hook up and play like it’s our last chance. They’ve done that the last two nights. It wasn’t the prettiest ever, but they found a way to win.”

Heritage, which needed a sixth-inning rally to defeat West during Monday’s game at Rogers, grabbed the early lead against West starter Cole Kitchens. Aidan Adair drew a bases-loaded walk and caused Bennett Crafton to come home with the first run, then Cole Richardson belted a tworun single and gave the War Eagles a 3-0 lead.

Crafton also scored what proved to be Heritage’s final run in the second when he walked and came home on Quentin Edwards’ single. Aden Almeida and Brady Laird then made the lead stand as they combined for a six-hitter against West (13-11, 3-7).

“We jump out to that early lead, and Aden Almeida gave us a chance,” Walker said. “Then Brady comes in and is able to shut the door.”

Ashton Yarbrough had a hand in both of the Wolverines’ runs. His double in the second drove in Hunter Guill, who had drawn a walk, then he and Aaron Arnold hit back-to-back doubles in the fourth and made it a 4-2 game.

Heritage’s defense, however, kept West from getting fully back into the game. The Wolverines had the tying runs on in the sixth after Arnold and Dawson Price drew walks, but Landon Grigg low liner to second was ruled caught by War Eagles second baseman Michael Johannsen, who flipped to second for the third out to end the threat.

“It’s happened to us,” Walker said. “It’s baseball, and it’s not fair. We were just sure we were on the right side of it.

“It was one of those judgment calls. If it goes against you, you hate it. If it goes for you, you love it. It’s just one of those deals where it is baseball, and we don’t have computers running it. We have humans, and they try their very best.”

Arnold then gave the Wolverines another threat in the seventh with a leadoff double. Laird, however, retired the next three batters, including a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.