Mathews keys win for Rogers
Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008
NORTH LITTLE ROCK - It took Rogers senior pitcher McKenzie Mathews a little while to get comfortable in his first-ever start at the Class 7 A State Baseball Tournament.
His firstever home run certainly helped that cause.
Mathews broke a 2-all game with a three-run shot in the fifth inning at Burns Park and then finished strong in a 6-2, complete-game victory against Pine Bluff.
"McKenzie put in a gutsy performance on the mound," Mounties coach Dr. Tom Woodruff said. "He was up around 100 pitches and it's hot and humid and we weren't sure how much longer we were going to stay with him."
Mathews (7-1 ), who threw 110 pitches, finished with 5 strikeouts and walked just 2 in the win as he and defense shut down the Zebras.
After giving up 2 hits - including a two-run homer - in the first, McKenzie allowed just 5 hits in the next six scoreless innings to lead the Mounties (15-9 ) to the next round.
Rogers will play 7 A-Central champion Little Rock Catholic at noon today. The Rockets (18-8 ) had a first-round bye.
The Mounties, who rallied past the Zebras to win their season opener 7-5, tied Friday's game at 2 in the fourth inning after a fruitless start.
Rogers put the leadoff batter on base the first four innings but didn't score until Seth White's bases-loaded fielder's choice.
Junior catcher Jared Hall's leadoff double was followed by senior shortstop Grant Wise's single and a walk to Mathews.
White's grounder up the middle scored a run but the attempt to get him at first was wild, allowing Wise to score to tie it.
The Rogers bats stayed hot in the fifth. Hall was hit by a pitch and Wise followed with a two-out single to put two aboard for Mathews' homer.
He sent the first pitch from Kenny Marshall to right field for his first career home run.
"That was the first one of my life," Mathews said. "It was a shocked. I was pumped."
Mathews finished the game 2 for 2 to lead the Mounties' eighthit attack. Wise also had 2 hits and junior Austin Reid added a solo home run - his sixth of the year - to left in the sixth.
The Zebras (12-14 ) scored quickly as catcher Jesse Blackstock ripped a two-run shot to left field in the first inning.
"I just left (the pitch ) high," Mathews said. "It was a bad pitch. But I worked hard and got back and kept them low. As the innings went by, I got better."
Woodruff was impressed at how Mathews bounced back from the bad first inning.
"He got mad at himself," Woodruff said. "He knew he made the mistake. This was the first time he had been in a state tournament game so we felt like that first inning was critical for the rest of the game.
"It just shows you, he came right back and battled."
Pine Bluff had a runner on second base twice but couldn't advance them. Mathews and the Mounties retired Pine Bluff in order in the third and sixth innings and Hall caught a baserunner trying to steal to shorten the fourth. Wise made a diving catch to start the game and ended it by starting a double play.
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