Booneville meeting its expectations

There was no way that Booneville softball Coach Ronnie Denton could be certain how good his Lady Bearcats would be this season, but he did have a pretty good idea.

He knew he’d lose only a couple of players from last year’s team that flashed potential early, he knew he’d have sluggers up and down his lineup and he knew he had an extremely talented ninthgrader coming in.

In his eyes, the pieces were in place. He just had to get them to gel.

Twenty-one games into the season, and one would be hardpressed to think the Lady Bearcats could be any more in sync than what they are now.

Booneville (19-2, 9-0 3A-4) has beaten every Class 3A team it’s played and is riding a 12-game winning streak. The Lady Bearcats’ last defeat was to Pottsville on March 18, but since then decisive victories have come in bunches. During its current run, nine of Booneville’s wins have been by at least four runs.

“We’ve got five or six girls hitting over .400, so that’s not too bad,” Denton said with a laugh. “The girls are just excited to be out there on the field every day. They come out there with the mindset to get better and push each other while expecting everyone to work hard.

“They put out max effort every time out.”

Lexi Franklin leads a long list of Lady Bearcats who’ve performed effectively this season. The freshman is batting .585 with 39 RBI and 5 home runs, all team highs. She’s also 18-1 as a pitcher and had 14 strikeouts in the Lady Bearcats’ 4-0 victory over Waldron on Thursday.

There are five addtional Booneville players, with at least 32 plate appearances, who are hitting .400 or better — junior Brooke Turner (.469), sophomore Layla Byrum (.464), sophomore Sara Ulmer (.435), sophomore Leigh Swint (.415) and junior Hayley Lunsford (.404). Two others, junior Joleigh Tate and senior Brooklyn Zarlingo, are batting .379 and .339, respectively.

It’s been five years since Booneville last made an appearance in the state tournament, but if the Lady Bearcats continue to play the way they have, that drought won’t reach six.

“We’re having a really good year right now,” Denton said. “Players are stepping up in key situations and making good plays. We just hope we can keep it up.”