Lady Trojans start season off with wins
Hot Springs kicked off its 2021 softball season Thursday at Pulaski Robinson, defeating the Lady Senators 23-14, before coming home to knock off the Lady Senators once again, 21-8, Monday.
In last week’s season opener on the road, junior Kai Griffith got the win on the mound for the Lady Trojans, pitching the entire game and recording three strikeouts. Sophomore Anasztazia Anderson, junior Whitnei Long and senior Darnesa Hudson each had a hit in the win.
In Monday’s home win, Griffith again picked up the win, going the entire game with 11 strikeouts. Hudson had an in-thepark home run while Long recorded a triple.
The Lady Trojans will host Cutter Morning Star today at 4:30 p.m.
Nighthawks softball splits with Carl Albert State
National Park’s softball team split its series with Carl Albert State Saturday, dropping the first game 11-2 before defeating the Lady Vikings 10-5 in the second game of the doubleheader.
Picking up three runs in the second inning, Carl Albert State took advantage of the Nighthawks’ slow offensive start to take an 11-0 advantage. NPC chipped away at the deficit in the fourth and fifth innings with Madeline Bruce stealing home in the fourth and Madalynn Thompson hitting a solo home run in the fifth, but the Nighthawk rally was not enough, ending the game in five innings.
Nighthawk pitcher Brooke Nalley took the loss, giving up five runs off three hits in two innings while striking out three. Ruby Hause threw two outs, and Sarah Todd went two innings. Thompson finished 3 for 3 at the plate with a solo home run.
The Nighthawks struck back in the second game, taking the lead with a sixrun second inning to move beyond the early 2-1 deficit. Lake Hamilton grad Jessye Rowland, Baley Williams and Kaylee Partee each hit home runs as the Nighthawks built a lead that would not be relinquished, sending the Nighthawks to their first NJCAA Region II Division II conference win of the season.
Todd grabbed the complete-game win for the Nighthawks, allowing five runs off seven hits while striking out two. Thompson finished 3 for 4 at the plate, while Williams added two hits, including a home run. Emily Cecil tallied two hits and two RBI in the win.
The Nighthawks host Eastern Oklahoma State today for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
GAC announces baseball awards
Arkansas Tech’s Mason Griffin and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Chase Hamilton shared the Great American Conference’s Pitcher of the Week honors while Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Seth Morrow got the player honor.
Griffin helped the Wonder Boys secure a series win against No. 10 Southern Arkansas. He entered in the top of the fifth inning with his team down two and with two runners on base and threw 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out nine and earning the win.
Hamilton dominated in his three relief appearances as he struck out nine and surrendered only two hits in five scoreless innings of work. Against No. 23 Central Oklahoma, he struck out three and earned a two-inning save and picked up his second in the series opener against Oklahoma Baptist, where he escaped a first-and-third, no out jam in the eighth inning.
Morrow raised his average to .593 after going 11 for 13 against Southern Nazarene. He collected a hit in six-straight atbats between games one and two, hitting two home runs and three doubles, scored 10 runs and drove in 11. For the week, he led the league in average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits, runs, doubles, RBI and total bases.
Others nominated included SWOSU outfielder Alex Bedard, SAU left fielder Tucker Burton, Arkansas Tech designated hitter Evan Hafley, East Central outfielder Garrett Lemons, Ouachita Baptist pitcher Tyler Riebock of Ouachita, Henderson State first baseman Greyson Stevens, SAU pitcher James Janco, SEOSU pitcher Jacob Potter, OBU pitcher Luke Scaggs, and East Central pitcher Gage Wall.
GAC announces softball awards
OBU’s Sloane Precure was named the GAC’s fourth softball Player of the Week, and Oklahoma Baptist’s Kayleigh Jones earned the pitching honor.
Precure went 7 for 10 in a three-game series at Harding as the Tigers won a series against the Bisons for the first time ever, collecting three-hit games and scoring two runs in each of the first two games. She raised her average from .286 to a team-leading .419.
Jones improved to 5-2 as she picked up a pair of wins as part of the Bison’s sweep against SWOSU. She recorded her second shutout of the season — a four-hit effort — in Saturday’s 4-0 win, and she entered in relief in Sunday’s finale and stuck out the two batters she faced.
Others nominated included Harding second baseman Jordan Cabana, Arkansas-Monticello infielder Bailey Camp, Oklahoma Baptist infielder Asia Henry, SEOSU designated player Cheyenne Mahy, East Central catcher Rachelle Mengwasser, East Central pitcher Taia Harris, OBU pitcher Madison Miller, and Harding pitcher Lily Tanski.