SPRINGDALE — Many teams end up losing to Fort Smith Southside after falling behind to Rebels’ ace Ty Harpenau in the late innings.
Springdale Har-Ber was an exception Tuesday.
Har-Ber rallied from a two-run deficit and defeated Southside 4-3 in 7A-West Conference action at Arvest Ballpark. Caleb Gray drove in the winning run with a single in the seventh inning after hitting a leadoff double to start a two-run rally in the sixth.
Josh Stephens pitched one inning to earn the victory over Southside reliever Hunter Pouge.
Har-Ber and Southside batters were overmatched for much of the afternoon by two Division I signees. Ty Harpenau (Texas Tech) allowed four hits and struck out 12 in six innings while Weston Rogers (Arkansas) issued five hits and struck out nine in six innings for the Wildcats. Har-Ber coach Ron Bradley said his team began connecting against Harpenau after the Wildcats changed their approach at the plate.
“Early in the game we pull, pull, pull, and it was K, K, K” Bradley said. “In the last two innings, our hits were to the opposite field. Both pitchers threw a heck of a game, but we changed our approach at the plate and that was the difference.”
Harpenau even overpowered his catcher in the first inning when Har-Ber pushed across a run despite striking out four times. Two of the runners reached first base when third strikes eluded Daniel Demondesert and one scored on a sacrifice bunt by Stephens.
The game stayed tied until Southside took a 3-1 lead in the sixth.
“I don’t think Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez could have blocked those, but that run in the first cost us,” Southside coach Craig Jones said of the former major leaguer. “Harpenau was throwing a real hard slider and it was just nasty.”
Har-Ber tied it again with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Gray led off with a double and Brandon Still followed with an RBI single before Adam Scoggins delivered a tying single to right field. Scoggins’ opposite-field hit came after he swung and missed badly on two curve balls thrown by Harpenau.
GAME 2
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 2,
FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE 1
Kurt Phillips and Josh Stephens combined on a two-hitter as Har-Ber (13-4, 4-2) completed the doubleheader sweep over the Rebels (10-7, 2-4).
Phillips allowed a single run in the sixth after Southside put runners in scoring position with one out. Stephens picked up the save after winning the opener.
Reed Fell put Har-Ber ahead with an RBI single in the third inning. The Wildcats won despite making four errors.
7A-WEST
GAME 1
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 4, FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE 3
Southside ...... 100 002 0 — 3 5 2 Har-Ber ......... 100 002 1 — 4 6 0 Harpenau, Pouge (7) and Demondesert; Rogers, Stephens (7) and Lloyd. W - Stephens. L - Pouge. HRs – None.
GAME 2
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 2, FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE 1
Southside ...... 000 001 0 — 1 2 0 Har-Ber ......... 002 000 X — 2 6 4 Gilsinger and Demondesert; Phillips, Stephens and Pianalto. W - Phillips. L - Gilsinger. HRs - None.