Rogers Heritage jumped out to an early lead and never looked back Thursday, crushing Little Rock Central 10-0 in the opening game of the Class 6A state softball tournament at Springdale Har-Ber’s Wildcat Softball Complex.
The Lady Patriots scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, setting the tone for a dominant performance. Heritage’s offense was sharp from the start, stringing together hits and capitalizing on early opportunities against Central’s pitching staff.
By the end of the third inning, Heritage had extended their lead to 8-0, effectively putting the game out of reach. The team’s aggressive base running and timely hitting kept the pressure on Central throughout the shortened five-inning contest.
Ellie Wild, one of Heritage’s key hitters, went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, including a bases-loaded double in the first that gave the Lady Patriots an early cushion. Wild also scored twice in the victory.
Heritage head coach Kaci Johnson said the team’s mindset was to come out strong and avoid letting the moment get too big.
“We wanted to be aggressive early and not let the nerves take over,” Johnson said. “The girls executed our game plan really well today.”
In the nightcap, Rogers High School fell to Cabot 6-2. The Lady Mountaineers battled hard but couldn’t overcome Cabot’s timely hitting and solid defensive plays. Rogers managed just four hits in the loss, with both runs coming in the sixth inning.
Rogers’ starting pitcher, senior Callie Mauk, struck out seven over six innings but took the loss after allowing five earned runs. Cabot broke through with three runs in the fourth and added another in the fifth before tacking on two insurance runs in the sixth.
Rogers head coach Misty Mayfield said her team fought until the end but was ultimately undone by missed opportunities.
“We had our chances, especially in the middle innings,” Mayfield said. “But credit to Cabot — they made the plays when they needed to.”
Thursday’s results leave Rogers Heritage (24-10) moving on to face the winner of Friday’s Central versus Bentonville game. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. Rogers (18-13) will play Cabot again in an elimination game Friday at 4 p.m.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
