HAR-BER POLISHES OFF FAYETTEVILLE

SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 8, FAYETTEVILLE 1 Springdale Har-Ber is headed to the 7A state championship game for the first time under third-year Coach Ron Bradley after an 8-1 victory Saturday night over Fayetteville. The Wildcats, who have lost the previous two seasons in the semifinals, won the state championship in 2008. "That's what we talked about as a staff, we said, 'Third time's a charm,' " said Bradley. "You're trying to build tradition and, with Fayetteville, that's what we were up against today, the tradition that Fayetteville has established over the years. "Har-Ber is coming along and trying to take that tradition away. And this is a good start." Har-Ber led 2-0 before Blake Benson (3-1), a junior left-hander, even threw a pitch. His shutout bid ended when Fayetteville's Hayes Cox hit an RBI single in the sixth inning. By then, the outcome was well in hand as the Wildcats scored in four of the first five innings to build an 8-0 cushion. Benson finished off the complete-game victory with his fourth strikeout on his 110th pitch. "Last week, when we knew we would have to win three games, we penciled in Blake Benson to start Game 3," Bradley said. "And he didn't disappoint us. He did a great job. He makes you beat him. He does a quality job of putting pressure on the hitter and that's all you can ask for in Game 3." Sophomore Blake Adams was 2 for 3 and drove in a run in each of his first three at-bats for the Wildcats. Caleb Kimbel, who was hit by a pitch twice, drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly. Colin Kozak was 2 of 4 with 2 RBI, while Mac McCroskey and Jacob Williams each added two hits for the Wildcats. Fayetteville had eight hits, including two apiece by Jackson Sloan and Logan Carr, but couldn't string enough together against Benson to make a difference, as the Bulldogs left nine runners on base. "Everything that we hit hard found somebody and everything they hit hard found a hole," Fayetteville Coach Scott Gallagher. "We hit the ball hard off [Benson], but it was mainly they played really good defense behind him and he didn't give up any free bags."

HAR-BER POLISHES OFF FAYETTEVILLE

Photo Credit: J.T. Wampler

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