Pointers clinch state tourney berth

Van Buren’s seniors delivered on senior night. All four seniors in the Pointers’ lineup contributed and Van Buren wrapped up a berth in the Class 7A state tournament with a 5-2 win against Springdale on Monday in the final home game of the season at Iverson Riggs Field at the Field of Dreams Complex. Van Buren (18-9, 7-6) will try to complete the two-day home-and-away series at the Tyson Complex in Springdale, weather permitting, on Tuesday. “We’ve got to try to get them again at their place,” Van Buren head coach David Loyd said. “Hopefully, we can get a better seed in the state tournament. That’s our goal. We’re relieved that we’re in, but our goal now is to try to get as good a seed as we can get. We’re supposed to go up there on Tuesday, if that doesn’t work we’ll go on Wednesday and if that doesn’t work we’ll go on Thursday, just the next halfway decent day we’ll try to get it in.” Springdale (10-17, 4-9) came into the game needing two wins in the final two conference games to beat out Van Buren for the final state tournament berth. “We really wanted to get it done here,” Loyd said. “I know the weather is really iffy the rest of the week. We didn’t want to deal with all of that. We didn’t want to put the pressure on the kids, and just want them to relax and go play.” Springdale struck first with two runs, including an unearned run, in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Alex Bowers and a run-scoring single by Brock Pounders. “They’ve had a really good last couple of weeks, and they’re playing with confidence,” Loyd said. “They swept Fayetteville and beat Bentonville, and feeling good about themselves. Then they get the lead.” The Pointers responded quickly, though. Senior Landrey Wilkerson lined a single to right to drive in courtesy runner Hayden Roark after Tanner Callahan started the home half of the third inning with a sharp single. Senior Seth Humphrey tied the game at 2-2 with a deep sacrifice fly that plated Wilkerson after Dakota Peters doubled him to third. “That was probably the key to the game,” Loyd said. “It was huge for us to come back and immediately respond.” Van Buren batted around the order to take the lead in the next inning. Senior Noah Lipe reached to lead off the inning when he was plunked. Bryce Waters’ sacrifice bunt resulted in a two-base error when the throw to get Lipe went into centerfield, allowing Lipe to go all the way to third. “They made that mistake and that kind of set the tone for what happened later in the inning,” Loyd said. “We were very fortunate there. We’re just happy to get that one.” Callahan’s grounder scored Lipe, and Wilkerson and Peters walked to load the bases. Trevor Johnson walked on four pitches to force in Waters, and Humphrey followed with a single to deep short that scored Wilkerson for a 5-2 cushion. “I was really glad to see us respond when we got down 2-0 and then go ahead,” Loyd said. “It was a super effort by Trevor, and a nice job by everybody.” Johnson, Van Buren’s senior hurler and staff ace, more than answered the call for the Pointers in the tournament-clinching win. Johnson struck out a season-high 12 and needed just 90 pitches to throw his fourth straight complete game. “When he goes out there you always feel good,” Loyd said. “You know you have a chance, and the kids feel good. You know he’s going to give you a good effort, and you know you’re going to have a chance to win.” He struck out the side in the fifth inning and struck out three more in the seventh inning, needing just 10 pitches to slam the door shut on the win. He retired 10 of the final 12 batters he faced, working around a rare walk and an error in the seventh. Johnson allowed just two hits, both in the third inning, including a clean single by Austin Gill and a bunt single by Pounders. Other than that, Johnson was in complete control. Peters reached all four trips for Van Buren with two walks and a pair of doubles. Wilkerson scored twice with a walk and two singles, and Callahan had two base hits. Humphrey also had two hits, and Johnson walked three times with two intentional.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

POINTERS CLINCH STATE TOURNEY BERTH

LELAND BARCLAY

Times Record | 4/30/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Aaron Shaffer