Mathews keys win for Rogers
Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/Sports/60180/
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.