SPRINGDALE — Rogers High coach Matt Melson can’t remember the last time a Mounties baseball player hit a grand slam in a conference game.
Melson and the Mounties will remember Konstantin Storkov’s slam for some time, however.
Storkov crushed a high fastball to break a 3-3 tie in the third inning, and the Mounties went on to defeat Springdale High 16-3 in the first game of a 7A/6A-West Conference match Thursday at the Tyson Complex. The win clinched a Class 7A State Tournament berth for the Mounties.
The Mounties completed the sweep with a 7-1 win in the nightcap.
Storkov finished with five RBIs after hitting a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
“That grand slam was huge,” Melson said. “It seemed like we came out lethargic, and that woke us up. Storkov has been swinging the bat well, and he made his mark on the game. He has had a lot of big hits, but none bigger than that one.”
Storkov said he went to the plate looking to make contact, and his first home run of the year sailed well over the left field fence.
“I knew I had to come through in that spot because the game was still close,” Storkov said. “I just wanted to do something for the team, and I got lucky.”
Storkov’s home run was the highlight of the Mounties’ 16-hit attack as eight of the nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit. Camdon Myers hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh and Austin Griffin followed with a solo shot for a 16-3 lead.
Myers, Timmy Seldomridge and Brett Gentz had three hits each for Rogers. Gentz had a two-run triple and a run-scoring single.
“The home runs were big, but we had a lot of quality at-bats,” Melson said. “I was real proud of the offense.”
Gentz overcame two walks and a hit batter in the first inning and gave up just a sixth inning single by Matt Sherry in six innings of work. Thanks to a defense that gunned down two Bulldogs baserunners. Gentz faced the minimum after the first inning before yielding to reliever Jason Cloe in the seventh.
“From the second inning on, Gentz just pounded the zone,” Melson said.
Game 2
Rogers 7, Springdale 1
Rogers (15-9, 8-4) jumped to a quick lead and never looked back in completing the sweep.
Nolan Farnan gave the Mounties a 1-0 lead with a RBI single in the second, and Rogers then scored four runs in the third for a 5-0 lead. Zach Arrick had an RBI single while three runs crossed on a wild pitch and a Springdale (6-14, 2-10) error.
Brett D’Amico added an RBI double in the fourth before scoring on a Bulldogs error as the Mounties took command. D’Amico picked up the win after scattering three hits with six strikeouts in four innings of work.
Matt Sherry had two singles for Springdale, while Gatlin Watson had a run-scoring single.
Game 1
ROGERS HIGH 16, SPRINGDALE HIGH 3
Rogers^205^041^4^—^16^16^2
Springdale^300^000^0^—^3^3^4
Gentz, Cloe (7) and Griffin; Sherry, Townley (5), Wilson (7) and McDonald. W — Gentz. L — Sherry. HRs — Rogers, Storkov (1), Myers (1), Griffin (3).
Game 2
ROGERS HIGH 7, SPRINGDALE HIGH 1
Rogers^014^20o^0^—^7^7^0
Springdale^000^001^0^—^1^6^4
D’Amico, Greear (5) and Griffin; McDonald, Watson (6) and Watson, McDonald (6). W — D’Amico. L — McDonald. HRs — None.