CRC drops senior day contest to MUW

May 1, 2021

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

PARAGOULD, Ark. – Crowley's Ridge hosted their final regular season game of the 2021 season with a nine-inning contest against the Mississippi University for Women Owls. CRC celebrated the careers of seniors Ryan Camp (SR/Jonesboro, Ark.), Zach Duty (SR/Paragould, Ark.), and Nate Finney (SR/Oran, Mo.) before the Pioneers fell to the Owls 11-4.

Crowley's Ridge (21-26) found themselves in trouble early, when a pair of walks bookended a double and flyout to load the bases with one out. Corbett Seib (JR/Poplar Bluff, Mo.) managed to draw a one-out double play to end the inning without allowing a run.

The Mississippi University for Women (20-9) broke through with a run in the top of the second inning when a sacrifice fly plated the 1-0 lead. After adding a pair of runs in the top of the third, the Owls led 3-0.

MUW collected a trio of runs in the top of the fifth inning, sparked by a momentum shift after what was initially ruled the final out of the inning was appealed by the Owls and changed to an obstruction call, allowing a run to score. The W used the swing to their advantage smacking the next pitch for a two-run double to jump ahead to a 6-0 advantage.

Zach Duty led the home half of the fifth inning with a single, finally putting the Pioneers on the board by scoring on Noah Overshine (JR/Jonesboro, Ark.)'s double to deep left field. Overshine nearly legged out a triple; however, the speedy junior appeared to swim around a tag, but the Owl third baseman managed to apply the tag to end the inning leading 6-1.

CRC's best chance for runs came in the bottom of the sixth inning when the Pioneers loaded the bases with one out. Nate Finney legged out an infield single to score Jackson Imler (FR/Manila, Ark.), when the throw behind Finney was wild, allowing Kern Kline (FR/Lepanto, Ark.) (pinch running for Zach Duty after drawing a walk) and Garett Wilson (SO/Palestine, Ark.) (courtesy running for Phoenix Beal (JR/Advance, Mo.) after being hit by a pitch) to score. The Pioneers closed the gap to a 6-4 deficit after six innings.

The Owls put the contest out of reach with a five-run seventh inning, highlighted by Heath Ford's two-run triple was followed by Damain Benefield's two-run homer. CRC was unable to score in the final three innings, as senior day was spoiled with an 11-4 final in favor of MUW.

The Pioneers managed eight hits as a team with Trey Gossett (SO/Piggott, Ark.) being the lone multi-hit game with a pair of singles.

Senior Ryan Camp started the game, ceremonially pitching to the first batter before Corbett Seib tossed seven innings of work, striking out three in the losing effort.

UP NEXT

The Pioneer season will stretch into the postseason as CRC has earned an invitation to the A.I.I. Conference Championship for the first time in program history. The Pioneers will travel to Lawrenceville, Georgia where Georgia Gwinnett College hosts the double-elimination tournament. The fifth seeded Pioneers have drawn the four seeded Talladega (Ala.) College Tornados on Saturday, May 8 at 11 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. CDT).