Vilonia still alive in quest for a 3rd
CLASS 5A VILONIA 6, WYNNE 1
Vilonia is attemping to reach its fourth consecutive Class 5A state softball championship game and win its third title in a row.
Thursday was a good start for the Lady Eagles, who won their first-round Class 5A state tournament game at the Sherwood Sports Complex 6-1 over Wynne behind Abby Hightower’s three hits.
Vilonia (20-9), the No. 2 seed from the 5A-West Conference, overcame a 1-0 second-inning deficit and will play Beebe at 10 a.m. today in a second-round game.
Winning another state championship isn’t necessarily on Vilonia Coach Kevin Sullivan’s mind.
“We really try to not think about winning a state title,” Sullivan said. “Our focus this year was a little different. We’ve been blessed to be in the finals three straight years and win it twice. It was more about leaving a mark.
“We hope that people see a group that’s hard-nosed, loves each other and will go out and compete day in and day out.”
Tori Wilbanks started and earned the victory, allowing 1 run on 4 hits in 3 innings. Skylar Lee gave up two hits in three innings and Paige Kelley struck out two in one inning.
Peyton Lace gave Wynne (17-15), the No. 3 seed from the 5A-East, a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning with an RBI single to left field.
Vilona made it 3-1 in the bottom of the third. Callie Eary walked, Hightower doubled and Sydney Johnson drove them in with a two-run single. Later in the inning, Kenna Beaty scored on a wild pitch to make it a two-run lead.
Vilonia extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Kristen Wade was hit by a pitch and scored on Hightower’s bunt single.
The Lady Eagles stretched their lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth, scoring twice on passed balls.
Vilonia defeated Greenbrier in last season’s 5A championship with pitcher Sydney Wader, who graduated. Sullivan acknowledged that with the loss of Wade, the Lady Eagles don’t have a true No. 1 pitcher this season, but Wilbanks and Lee have helped fill the void.
“She was the kind of kid you turned it over to,” Sullivan said of Wader, who is now at Louisiana-Monroe. “But this [pitching] group had zero combined experience coming into the year. We don’t have anybody who’s overpowering, but we have kids who work hard and do what they’re coached to do.
“We’re minimizing what they have to do instead of saying, ‘Hey, we need you for a full seven innings.’ ”
Wynne Coach Ashley Busby led the Lady Yellowjackets to their first state tournament in four seasons, but she said the Lady Eagles’ experience was too much to overcome Thursday.
“None of my players have ever played in a state tournament game for softball,” Busby said. “We’ve got a really young group. I’m losing three seniors who we’ll miss dearly. But we’ve got some girls who are ready to step up.”
CLASS 2A HR wins it for Poyen
Kindi Puckett’s two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning proved to be all the runs Poyen needed in Thursday’s first-round matchup at the Class 2A state softball tournament in Lepanto.
Puckett’s home run gave the Lady Indians a 2-1 victory over Hazen, sending Poyen into a 12:30 p.m. game today
“It was a gritty win for us,” Poyen Coach Blue Kesterson said. “We have been in these game situations all season, been in close ball games and the girls have been through it and today they knew what they had to do. They tightened up defensively and pulled it out.”
Hazen broke on top 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning when junior Elizabeth Foote singled, stole second base and scored on Alex Sweeten’s RBI single.
Hazen held the 1-0 lead until Puckett delivered the home run after fouling off a pitch. She sent the next pitch over the fence in left-center field to score her sister Kyla Puckett who reached after being hit by a pitch.
Hazen finished with six hits off Kindi Puckett, who had six strikeouts.
In earlier games Thursday, Spring Hill defeated Lavaca 6-2 and Pangburn defeated Salem 6-5. The tournament continues through Saturday with the semifinal games.