Hitting spree keeps Taylor on throne

CLASS 1A SOFTBALL

TAYLOR 15, SACRED HEART 5 (6)

BENTON — It rained so much in southern Arkansas last week that Taylor’s softball team was limited in its preparation for its Class 1A state championship game with Sacred Heart.

“All we could do was hit,” Coach Adam Camp said. “We’ve been inside, and we’ve been hitting. Hitting every day.”

Taylor ( 24- 4) showed it can hit the ball inside and out Saturday night, racking up 17 hits in a 15-5 six-inning victory over Sacred Heart at the Benton Athletic Complex.

“The plan was just get in front of the box, and just tee off,” Camp said. “It worked.”

Taylor, winning its fourth consecutive state title, attacked Sacred Heart starting pitcher McKenzie Greeson from the start, piling up seven run on nine hits to take a 7-1 lead after two innings.

Sacred Heart Coach Kyle Duvall hit the pause button, momentarily, on Taylor’s offense when he turned to soft- tossing first baseman Baylee Sparks in relief of Greeson.

Sparks’ slow-speed pitching knocked Taylor out of its groove in the third and fourth innings, and Sacred Heart — with third baseman Halen Hoelzeman knocking in three runs — made it an 8-5 game with two runs in the third and fourth innings.

“We can’t hit slow pitching,” Camp said.

“We try to face good pitching all year long. Slow pitching we try to stay away from it. At the same time, we’ve got to be able to hit it. We’ve got to be patient and wait in the box. Second time around, we came and did that.”

Duvall said he thought switching up the pitching gave the Lady Rebels a chance.

“I tried to throw the timing off a little, and it worked there for a little bit,” he said.

Taylor’s offensive respite didn’t last, and Duvall decided to go back to his starter, Greeson, after Sparks loaded the bases with no outs and a run across in the top of the fifth.

“We never could get the momentum and keep it,” Duvall said. “Give Taylor credit.”

Camp said he was glad to see the harder- throwing Greeson return to the mound.

“I was smiling,” Camp said. “I was thanking Jesus for that one.”

Taylor rebuilt its lead with five runs in the fifth inning and two in the sixth.

Heidi May and Kendall McClendon each had tworun singles in the fifth. McClendon’s single to center made it 13-5, but the rally ended when she was thrown out stealing by Sacred Heart catcher Elizabeth Aquilar.

Taylor scored two more in the top of the sixth on a two-run single by May, and the Lady Tigers only needed to retire Sacred Heart (16-6) without scoring in the bottom of the sixth to end the game because of the 10-run rule.

“They just weren’t hitting it,” Duvall said. “They were hitting it over us.”

Taylor’s hit parade was led by shortstop Carly Downs (4 hits, 4 runs); winning pitcher Madison Morton (4 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI); May ( 2 hits, 5 RBI); and catcher Madison Lindsey (1 double, 1 triple and 2 RBI).

“We knew 1 through 9, we could manufacture runs at any time,” Camp said. “We just had to be disciplined at the plate, and do what we do.”