SPRINGDALE -- In normal times, Adam Scoggins would likely be unpacking his suitcases in another state in the home of a host family at this time.
The former Springdale Har-Ber left-handed pitcher who is now a junior at Oral Roberts would be preparing for a summer of almost non-stop baseball in a collegiate league.
Scoggins is still pitching, and he's still in a collegiate summer baseball league. The difference is, now he is living two blocks from Tyson Park at home, sleeping in his own bed.
"I had different options all over," said Scoggins after his scoreless seventh inning nailed down a 1-0 victory for Perfect Timing White on Tuesday in the Perfect Timing College League. "I live right across the street. This is a great experience.
"There were people out here today that haven't seen me pitch since I was in high school. So that was really cool to see them, and hug everybody's neck."
Scoggins was ready for a comeback season at Oral Roberts after Tommy John surgery kept him out all of the 2019 season. But 16 games into this season, covid-19 put an end to the comeback. He appeared in just six games.
His save Tuesday was the first time he's thrown a baseball in a game since March when Oral Roberts blanked Missouri State 2-0.
"That was tough. I was the first guy on the team to find out," Scoggins said. "We were practicing when we found out the NCAA was shutting it down. I was just getting over that hump from recovering from Tommy John and everything was feeling good. We were starting to groove as a team, everything was starting to click.
"But watching those seniors not knowing if that was going to be their last game or not, that was tough. It was emotional."
The Perfect Timing summer league has offered players like Scoggins a chance to get back between the lines after more than two months of being shut down. The league includes nine teams, six from Northwest Arkansas, and a 105-game schedule that will run through the first week of July.
Count Scoggins among the many players from the region who are excited to see a college league blossom in Northwest Arkansas where ordinarily they would be in places like the Cape Cod League or other leagues spread across the country.
"It's easier for guys to come here," he said. "Guys from Tulsa, it's two hours away. They can go back and forth and stay in their own beds. I have four teammates on the Sandlot [Tulsa] teams right now from ORU. It's a great experience. Not only that, but the guys who are out-of-towners can come here and see how beautiful Northwest Arkansas is."
Tuesday's game was again dominated by pitching for both teams. It was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when PT White's Cullen Smith, one of almost a dozen Arkansas Razorbacks in the league, drew a two-out walk and scored from first base on Mack McCrosky's RBI double.
PT White's defense was solid, turning a pair of double plays with Razorback infielder Robert Moore leading the way.
PT White had other scoring chances in the game before McCrosky's big hit into the right-center field gap. Nine-hole hitter Luke Benfield of Ecclesia College was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles.
"Luke is a high school graduate from Joplin," said PT White Coach Matt McCue, who is also the head coach at Ecclesia. "He's coming into his own. He's actually a catcher who is playing outfield for us and he's swinging it really well."
PT Grey's best chance to score came in the fourth inning when Clay Cross doubled and advanced to third on Ryan Garrett's single, but was left stranded. Four PT White pitchers combined on the shutout.
Perfect Timing Blue 3, Sandlot Gray 3
A two-out error in the sixth inning allowed Josh Cox to dash home and score the tying run as the game ended in a six-inning deadlock.
Cox led off the sixth with a triple, then came home on the two-out miscue. It was the only run that was scored after the first inning.
Blue scored its runs with one out in the first and do so without a hit. An error, a bases-loaded walk to Sage White and a fielder's choice by Vance Tobol accounted for the scoring.
Both teams finished with five hits apiece.
Sports on 06/03/2020