Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lady Tigers Complete Rally
PRAIRIE GROVE SCOOTS PAST NORTHSIDE 8-6
PRAIRIE GROVE — The Lady Tigers mixed it up with 7A Fort Smith Northside in a fascinating softball duel that went down to the Grizzlies’ last at- bat before Prairie Grove prevailed, 8-6.
Starter Laney Layman allowed 5 runs, scattering 7 hits over 4 innings with 1 strike- out; and reliever Maddie Stearman yielded 1 run on 4 hits in 3 innings with 2 strike- outs. Senior Anna Kidd went 3 for 4 with 3 triples and 4 RBIs, and junior Ariana Pickett was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Fellow junior Katharine McConnell was also 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Yet another junior Madison Vinson was 2 for 2 with a double.
“Both pitchers threw well and our young girls came through with some big hits in some big spots,” said Prairie Grove coach Dustin Beck.
Northside junior pitcher Sydney Green showed flashes of her potential, recording two outs in two pitches to start the fourth. She needed only four pitches to get out of the inning, inducing the third Lady Tiger batter to hit a ground ball to third. Green, who threw a complete game for Northside, had a 5-4 lead at that juncture, but she wouldn’t get much more run support.
“This was her first time to pitch out of basketball, she (Green) has been playing basketball,” said Northside coach Kelly Nickell. “She probably got tired. She practiced for the first time on Sunday. Endurance had to be a factor.”
Green helped her cause by blasting a leadoff double off the wall on a 3-2 pitch to start the fourth. Diona Perkins drove her in with a RBI single past third base putting the Grizzlies up, 6-4. After giving up a run when she came in relief, Stearman shook the dust off her feet and went to work although the Lady Tiger infield missed an opportunity for a double play and let the next batter get on base with an error.
“It was not the best of outings for us defensively,” Beck said. “We gave up too many errors. We caused some of our own problems ourselves. A lot of times, it’s not the error that hurts you, it’s the next batter after the error lets somebody get on base.”
Stearman induced Meegan Jones into hitting an infield fly for the first out. Jaleyia Perry beat a throw to first to load the bases, yet Stearman remained undaunted. The Prairie Grove sophomore hurler got Maddy Worden to pop up on a 2-2 pitch. Lady Tiger infielder Anna Kidd caught the ball near third base and turned a double play by tagging a runner coming off second — keeping the damage under control.
Nickell felt that was a turning point in the game.
“We got cold towards the inn, but we were on fire for a long time,” Nickell said. “We left the bases loaded in one inning. I told the girls we have got to get those girls in if we can. That would have been the determining inning, right there.”
Prairie Grove’s Anna Kidd, who had three triples in the game, led off the fifth with another shot into center field. Pickett promptly drove her in by hitting the next pitch past third drawing the Lady Tigers within a run, at 6-5. The inning ended when pinch-runner Cheyenne Uher was tagged out at the plate trying to score from second on a single by Vinson.
Needing to hold the Grizzlies scoreless, Steerman was strong in the sixth. She fanned Olivia Williams on a called strike-three, then got Leah Hall to pop up to second and finished off Ashton Little with a strikeout in four pitches.
Prairie Grove capitalized on their next at-bat. Delaney Boyd knocked a single over third base, then gave way to a courtesy runner, who moved to second on Liberty Kidd’s ground- out. The Lady Tigers tied the game at 6- all when Scott made contact and the Grizzlies were unable to field the ball. McConnell then drove in the go-ahead run with a double. Anna Kidd drove in the final Lady Tiger run to push Prairie Grove out to an 8-6 advantage, but was tagged out trying to reach third for what would have been her fourth triple of the contest.
No problem, five pitches later Steerman had two fly-outs, then brought the game to an end by striking out McKesson, who swung and missed on a 1-2 pitch.
After yielding four runs in the bottom of the third inning, including an RBI double by Perkins; Prairie Grove starter Layman was involved in getting two straight outs. Scooping up a grounder by Taja McKesson, Layman threw to first for the second out as Perkins moved to third. Layman made sure she was stranded there by throwing a called strike and inducing a ground ball hit for the third out.
Prairie Grove got to Green to the tune of four runs in the third inning. Liberty Kidd started the rally from a 4-0 deficit with a leadoff single into center field. Scott dug in and beat a throw to first to get a second runner on board. McConnell did her part to load the bases for Anna Kidd, who took the first pitch from Green and smashed a 3 RBI triple. Pickett drove in Anna Kidd although she was thrown out at first. With runners at the corners, Green escaped by inducing a ground out to third.
With the win, Prairie Grove improved to 3-1 on the season. After visiting Lincoln Tuesday, the Lady Tigers play at Harding Academy on Friday.