Pioneer Softball trades wins with Bacone

March 12, 2021

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

PARAGOULD, Ark. - After splitting the Thursday series, Crowley's Ridge and Bacone (Okla.) dodged rain showers on Friday to win one game each. CRC would win the first game 4-1, with BC taking game two with an 8-5 win.

GAME ONE

Bacone - 1

Crowley's Ridge - 4

The Warriors (2-12) continued their streak of hot starts, leading off with a double. One out later, a second double would bring in a run to take a 1-0 lead before the Lady Pioneers touched the bats. Starter Summer Maxwell would then settle down and toss two hitless innings before exiting one inning shy of the minimum to be the pitcher of record.

Crowley's Ridge (4-5) would reward Maxwell's effort with a two-run bottom of the third. Kaitlyn Stebelton would grab an infield single with two outs. A stolen base later, Stebelton crossed the plate when Bre'Anna Warren lifted a double to left field. After advancing to third base on the throw, Warren would score the go-ahead run by speeding home after a passed ball to take a 2-1 lead.

in the fifth inning, Eden Hernandez recorded a run as she was pinch-running for Lacey Lambright who had drawn a walk. A Bacone error placed Hernandez in scoring position for Warren to drive in her second RBI. After a single, April Kennedy rounded the bases and touched the dish thanks to Sammi Henry's sac fly to end the scoring. Two scoreless innings later, CRC closed the book on a 4-1 victory.

Entering in relief, Madyson McDermott picked up the win by hurling two scoreless innings.

Five Lady 'Neers recorded hits, with Warren being the lead run producer by driving in two runs.

GAME TWO

Bacone - 8

Crowley's Ridge - 5

In the previous three games, one of the participating teams plated at least one run in the first inning. That trend was bucked in the final contest of the four-game set with Crowley's Ridge (4-6) keeping Bacone off of the scoreboard until the third.

The Warriors (3-12) started the third inning with two batters being hit by a pitch. Tayla Topaha avenged her teammates on CRC's Baily Carson by sending a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run home run.

The Lady 'Neers would answer back with Kaitlyn Stebelton leading off the bottom of the third with an infield single. With Stebelton's wheels making any position on the basepaths scoring position, Rachel Russell's single brought Stebelton home to plate CRC's first run. With the runners moving on contact with two outs, Russell was able to come around to score on a dropped fly in the outfield to cut the Bacone lead to 3-2.

Bacone went extra-base-hit crazy in the top of the fifth inning, with three different Warriors hitting two-baggers. Solid work on the basepaths allowed four runs to come across to score in the inning off of four hits.

Bre'Anna Warren would leg out her second triple of the young season, coming in to score on Sammi Henry's RBI grounder. After Bacone scoring one in the seventh, Crowley's Ridge had three outs to improve the 8-3 deficit.

Returning to the top of the order after April Kennedy's single, Stebelton recorded her second hit of the night. With one out, Sammi Henry blasted a hit to centerfield for a two-run single; however, Bacone forced two flyouts to win the nightcap 8-5.

Sammi Henry started with a no-decision, giving up two hits over two at-bats. Bailey Carson and Madyson McDermott would come on in relief before Adrienne Stucker threw the final three innings - striking out three.

Sammi Henry, Rachel Russell, and Kaitlyn Stebelton all had two hits in the final game of the series, with Henry being a powerhouse of run production, driving in three in the night game.

UP NEXT

Crowley's Ridge will face a tough road test, as they visit Conway to face #16 Central Baptist (Ark.) College. The doubleheader on March 16th is scheduled to have the first pitch at 3 p.m.