Van Buren stay perfect with win over rival

The Van Buren Pointers played their third game in four days on Friday, and the pitching staff turned in its third solid performance during that time. Trevor Johnson had his first starting assignment and made good use of his pitches in Van Buren's 6-3 win against rival Alma in a nonconference game. Van Buren (7-0) will spend three days in Memphis during spring break and play four games, beginning on Tuesday. Alma (1-6) also makes a spring break road trip, traveling to central Arkansas to also play four games in three days, starting on Thursday. Friday, Johnson went the distance, marking the third solid pitching performance by a third pitcher. Earlier in the week, Dalton Reeves and Ethan Holmes won one-run games with stellar outings. Johnson walked only two and fanned seven, needing just 85 pitches in the complete-game victory. High School Baseball Non-Conference Van Buren 6, Alma 3 Alma 001 000 2 - 3 7 3 Van Buren 112 011 x - 6 10 0 B.Johnson, Caldwell (5) and Henson; T.Johnson and Rauser. W – T.Johnson, 2-0. L – B.Johnson, 0-2. HRs – none. "His pitch count was really low going into the sixth and seventh innings," Van Buren head coach David Loyd said. "He had a little bit left to finish it up." Johnson was ultra-efficient, needing just seven pitches in the first inning, seven more in the second inning, five in the fifth and only four, yes, four pitches in the sixth. In Tuesday's 2-1 win against Bentonville West, Johnson earned the save. "He usually is our closer, but we stretched him out a little bit," Loyd said. "He's going to have to throw for us next week. He did a good job." He also received a pitcher's best friend in the third inning when his defense turned a double-play at a critical time. "Trevor threw well, and we played well behind him," Loyd said. "That was a big double-play. We held them to one run there. We got out of that jam, and after that they really didn't threaten until the seventh. We made some good plays and good pitches at the right time." Van Buren led 2-0 when Alma loaded the bases in the top of the third inning. Chris Fisher slapped a base hit to right to start the inning, Drake Pendergraft walked on four pitches, and left-handed Destin Smith beat out a bunt single to load the bases. Van Buren second baseman Evan Jones started the twin-killing, shortstop Chase Moore turned it and first sacker Jeremiah Douglas completed it. Fisher scored on the play, but Johnson got out of the inning by retiring the final batter. "We had the bases loaded, nobody out and the top of the order up, and only get one," Alma head coach Kevin Edwards said. "That's where we have to punch through and get three or four out of that. The lower part of the order did what they're supposed to do, got on base and set the stage for the top of the order. It's 2-0, bases loaded, nobody out and the top of the order up. Momentum is starting to get over in this dugout. Things are starting to look good, and we only got one." Johnson ran into some trouble in the seventh, giving up three hits, including a run-scoring single by Fisher. Alma added another run in inning on an error, but Johnson, who struck out three in the inning, finished off the win. Offensively, Van Buren was also efficient, rapping out 10 hits with four singles, four doubles and a pair of triples. "We couldn't get secondary pitches over on a consistent basis," Edwards said. "They made us pay for it. We had some chances to do some things and never could execute. They made some good plays on us." Ethan Holmes singled home Landry Wilkerson, who walked and stole second to lead off the home half of the first inning, for a 1-0 lead. Johnson tripled into the far depths of the right centerfield alley, and scored on Jones' ground out in the second inning for a 2-0 cushion. Wilkerson also tripled into the same gap to lead off the third inning, right after Alma had scored in the top half of the inning, and scored on Moore's ground ball out. Connor Catron reached on a hard-hit error and scored on Rauser's scorching double over the centerfielder for a 4-1 lead. "They turned right around and answered it with two of their own," Edwards said. "When you're struggling a little bit team-wise, everything we do has to be perfect. We've got to battle through it and keep going." Van Buren put the leadoff hitter on in all three innings to start the game, and all three scored. "It puts a little more pressure on the other guy," Loyd said. "We were able to get them around and get them in." Catron doubled off the wall in deep left center in the fifth inning and scored on Johnson's sharp single to left for a 5-1 lead. Holmes singled home Moore, who had doubled, for a 6-1 lead in the sixth. Catron had three of Van Buren's 10 hits with a pair of doubles, and Holmes and Johnson each had two hits.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

VAN BUREN STAY PERFECT WITH WIN OVER RIVAL

LELAND BARCLAY

Times Record | 3/18/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Van Buren Athletics