Bulldogs move into 7A state semifinals
Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008
NORTH LITTLE ROCK - Weston Harbaugh didn't want it to end.
Fayetteville's senior second baseman came up with two on, one out and his Fayetteville Purple Dogs down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Harbaugh squared to bunt on the first pitch for a called strike. Harbaugh went hacking on the second offering, tagging a 2-run single to help give Fayetteville a 3-2 win over Van Buren in the quarterfinals of the Class 7 A State Baseball Tournament at Burns Park Saturday.
"I knew they were going to pitch me away, because last time we played I hit a homer," Harbaugh said. "They pitched me away and I just went with the pitch. I wasn't nervous and I knew what I had to do but it a was a big relief to see that ball drop."
Fayetteville will face homestanding North Little Rock Monday at 4 p.m. in the state semifinals. The Wildcats blanked Fort Smith Southside 13-0 in five innings on Saturday.
Taylor Shaddy picked up the win with a complete game. Shaddy allowed two runs (one earned ) on 3 hits, struck out six and walk none to improve to 8-0 on the season.
Fayetteville (28-3 ) improves to 9-1 in 1-run games this season and has now won 13-straight contests over Van Buren (15-12 ).
"I think the kids are just waiting to see if I drop dead after all these close ones," Fayetteville skipper Vance Arnold said. "We got a hit from Weston in a situation where we were able to move some people over and he got a big hit. Taylor pitched well and their pitcher threw well. We were just able to come back and win it and showed a lot of poise in the end."
Van Buren right-hander Andy Loyd held Fayetteville scoreless through four frames and didn't allow a base hit until the fourth. Loyd allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked two and struck out three to fall to 4-5.
"They got a couple of timely hits late in the game," Van Buren coach David Loyd said. "It was a well-played game on both ends and you just have to give them credit. Andy pitched about as well as he could and [Denton ] Branson carried us at the plate. I've been on both sides of this and I'm proud of the way we competed."
Matters didn't look good for Fayetteville early.
Errors cost the Purple Dogs in the fourth. Van Buren's Brandon Przybysz reached on a booted ground ball at short. Brandon Moore stroked a single to left and both runners advanced on a Brandon Titsworth sacrifice bunt. Clint Johnson lofted a shallow fly to right that was dropped, allowing Przybysz to race home for a 1-0 Pointer edge.
Branson walloped a Shaddy offering for a solo homer to left in the fifth for a 2-0 lead.
Fayetteville reached the board in the fifth on a clutch RBI single by Alex Miller. Scott McFall reached on an infield single down the thirdbase line and Miller came through with two outs on a 1-2 Loyd offering to cut the gap in half, 2-1.
Fayetteville rallied in the sixth to set up Harbaugh's game-winning knock. Franco Broyles conked a single to shallow center and Shaddy sliced a looping single to left to bring up Harbaugh with one out.
Shaddy sat down the Pointers in order in the top of the seventh to close the door.
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