Parker hits three HRs, throws gem in Pocola’s sweep
Pocola’s softball team started slowly before cruising to a seasonopening doubleheader sweep of Colcord, lighting up the scoreboard that was among items that improved the field through a school bond.
“Allyssa [Parker] had trouble early [in Game 1], but once we got the bats going, things opened up,” Pocola head coach Eddie Combs said.
Parker walked three batters in the second inning, but Kylee Merritt tagged out a runner at second base to end the inning.
While Parker landed only 20 of her first 39 pitches for strikes, she hit the zone on 40 of her last 54 to finish with a two-hitter, striking out six batters and walking four. She hit 60 of her 93 pitches as strikes (64.5 percent).
Kylee Smith hit a two-run double as part of a three-run fourth inning that put Pocola’s lead at 4-0.
Bailey Lairamore led off the fifth inning with a home run. Smith and Parker hit back-to-back home runs to start a four-run sixth. Lairamore went 3-for-4. Smith, Merritt and Lety Parga each had two hits, with Parga also drawing a walk.
Pocola scored five runs in the first two innings before burying Colcord with six in each of the last two for a 17-2 Game 2 win.
After Maci Maxwell threw 61 of her 87 pitches (70.1 percent) as strikes through five innings, Kyleigh Combs struck out the last six Colcord batters across two relief innings.
“It was good that we got her experience as a freshman,” Combs said of his daughter. “She pounded the strike zone.”
Pocola took advantage of three walks for a three-run first inning. Parker hit a two-run home run off the scoreboard behind the right-field wall in the second inning.
After the first three batters walked in the sixth inning, Parker hit a tworun double. Kail Chitwood and Elliot Alexander hit run-scoring singles. In the seventh inning, Parker hit a two-run shot over the wall in right-center field.
Parker finished 3-for-3 with two walks and six runs batted in. Smith had a hit and two walks. Alexander was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Maxwell had a hit, a walk and two RBIs.
Pocola continues District 2A-6 play today with a home doubleheader against Hulbert at 4:30 p.m.
While the scoreboard was the most noticeable addition, a more significant improvement to the field through the bond was the regrading of the infield to raise its level eight inches. The higher level enabled draining after rain to make it easier to play. Also, new dirt on the warning track in the outfield was added through the bond.
Other sports-related items in the bond include football stadium renovation to switch the home and away sides (which football head coach Jason Parker said will get the setting sun out of the home team’s eyes) and building a new concession stand; and a expanding the visitors dugout, installing a new scoreboard and adding backstop padding at the baseball field.