The Van Buren Pointers continue to play close games, and they continue to win them.

Van Buren scored twice in the first inning, and that was enough to open 7A-West play with a 2-1 win against Bentonville West on Tuesday.

I'm proud of that," Van Buren head coach David Loyd said. "West is a young team, a scrappy team. They played hard. We're glad to get this one. We've got to go up there and get after them again."

Van Buren (5-0, 1-0) and West were supposed to open conference play on Monday in Bentonville, but wet grounds washed it out. The two teams will play their second conference game on Wednesday at Bentonville at 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Van Buren lefty Dalton Reeves made the two first-inning runs stand up.

Reeves scattered just five hits and allowed no runs when he departed with an out in the sixth inning after giving up an infield single and a walk.

"He's so competitive that even if he doesn't have his best stuff, which I don't think he did, he finds ways to get guys out," Loyd said. "He battles, and we played well behind him. He competes hard, and kept us in hit."

West (3-2, 0-1) touched Reeves for only a couple of hard-hit balls, including doubles by Will Jarrett in the third inning and Zack Trammall in the fourth inning, and Jaron Jenkins' infield single, which Pointer first baseman Jeremiah Douglas smothered down the first-base line to lead off the sixth inning.

Reeves gave way to Trevor Johnson, who gave up a soft run-scoring single by Marlin Keller into shallow left but put out the fire to earn his first save. Johnson struck out the final batter of the sixth inning and then slammed the door by fanning the final batter of the game.


"Trev came in there in the sixth and did a good job," Loyd said. "We threw strikes and made them swing the bat. We managed to hold on."

Van Buren had hits every inning and 11 for the game, but stranded 10 runners.

"I'm glad we got that one because we didn't do a very good job with runners in scoring position," Loyd said.

The Pointers left the bases jammed in the fifth and sixth inning.

"I'm frustrated we didn't knock in a few more runs," Loyd said. "We had guys in scoring position, had chances several times and didn't get it done. I'm proud we held on, competed hard and won the game."

While Van Buren got to West starter Jaron Jenkins, the junior southpaw routinely pitched out of the trouble.

"He's our top guy," West head coach Chip Durham said. "He was nervous. None of these guys had played a varsity inning coming into this season. Obviously, there were some nerves there. He hadn't pitched in a conference game."


Van Buren's first two batters scored the Pointers' only runs.

"We were a little nervous in the first inning," Durham said. "Jenkins did a great job. He gave up two runs in the first and settled in, and gave us a chance at the end of the game."

Landry Wilkerson singled sharply to center to open the home half of the first inning, and Chase Moore reached on an infield single. Ethan Holmes flied to deep left, allowing Wilkerson to tag up and take third. When the cutoff throw escaped West's shortstop, Moore alertly advanced to second. Connor Catron flied to center, scoring Wilkerson and moving Moore to third. Johnson then singled to left, sending Moore home for a 2-0 lead.

"Young kids, and we're learning," Durham said. "There were some things throughout the game that we have to learn and do a little better job. I'm pleased with our effort. That's the main thing."

Wilkerson, Moore and Holmes, Van Buren's top three hitters, had six hits in 12 at-bats. Douglas also had two hits for the Pointers.

Despite all of the hits, Van Buren was two-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

"That's something we've got to do a better job of," Loyd said. "We have been doing a better job of that. We just didn't get it done tonight. They'll get it done. They're competitive guys."


