Formula on mound works for defending state champs

Vilonia is taking a little different path to this year’s Class 5A state softball tournament semifinals.

The Lady Eagles, the twotime defending state champions, are using a three-player pitching rotation that has them one game away from returning to the state championship game after knocking off Beebe, 6-1, in Friday’s quarterfinals at Sherwood Sports Complex.

Junior starter Tori Wilbanks worked the first three innings as Vilonia grabbed a 4-1 advantage. Senior Skylar Lee and freshman Paige Kelley then tossed two innings apiece in relief.

“I know people have done it in [the] past,’’ Vilonia Coach Kevin Sullivan said. “I did it a few years ago my first year as a head coach in 2014. A lot of people have a go-to that has some experience and we just happen to be in a situation this year where all the experience we had pitching graduated or is either hurt and done for the year.

“To throw one of our kids in and say we need seven innings out of you that is a lot to ask for someone with no experience. We are basically just limiting what they are doing and giving them 3, 2 and 2 and hopefully that gets you looking at someone different every at-bat.”

The formula is working well for the Eagles (21-9).

“We’ve seen all of their kids,’’ Beebe Coach Eric Chambers said. “So it was nothing new. We’ve played them twice. We just seem to play the same way every time against Vilonia.”

Vilonia led 4-1 after one inning with seniors Abby Hightower blasting a two-run double and Kortanie Ruhland adding a RBI single.

“We were aggressive early in the game,’’ Sullivan said. “We came out, struck it well. Even our outs were hardhit balls. … We played great defense behind our pitchers and our pitchers threw pretty well.”

Beebe’s lone run came on freshman Lexy Lochkart’s RBI double.