CLASS 7A BASEBALL : Bunt sends Har-Ber to title game
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/225621/
No big hit was going to decide this one.
In fact, it took a bunt to decide who would be facing Fayetteville in Friday’s Class 7 A championship game. Which is only appropriate given the pitching duel that took place between Springdale Har-Ber and Little Rock Catholic.
Har-Ber’s 3-0 victory over Catholic came only after Har-Ber starter Gordon Miller and Catholic starter Dylan Owen held the game scoreless over five innings.
A bunt by senior Zack Hall ended up scoring both Gatlin York and Ryan Pongonis after Owen, hoping for a put-out at home plate, fielded the ball and threw it past Catholic catcher Aaron Chwalinski.
“Huge, huge play,” Har-Ber Coach Mike Reagan said. “Any kind of major hit at all, and the game is wide open. But we’ll take the little nubber any chance we can get.”
Har-Ber (23-9 ) scored another run later in the inning after a double from Corey Ford scored Hall.
Har-Ber’s victory ends the season for 7 A Central champion Catholic (19-9 ) and sets up an all-7 A-West final.
“We hit the ball hard all night, and we were hitting them right at people,” Catholic Coach Dustin Strube said. “Theirs were finding holes; we were finding gloves.” Har-Ber (23-9 ) 000 003 0 — 3 5 1 LR Catholic (19-9 ) 000 000 0 — 0 5 1 Miller and Thames; Owen and Chwalinski. W — Miller. L — Chwalinski.