Lady Wolves Face Traditional Powerhouses

FATIGUE BECOMES FACTOR IN TOURNEY

FARMINGTON — Lincoln’s softball team faced a pair of traditional powerhouses, losing to Class 5A Farmington (8-0) before beating Mena (4- 0) at the Farmington/ Fayetteville softball tournament last weekend.

Mena has played in threestraight title games, winning the 2016 state 4A championship, a tournament Lincoln also appeared in with the Lady Wolves (No. 3 North) defeating Bauxite ( No. 4 South) 1- 0 in the first- round, before losing, 8-2, to Pocahontas (No. 1 East) in the quarterfinals. Mena defeated Bauxite, 7-3, in the 2015 State 4A championship and lost 5-2 to Brookland in the 2014 finals.

Yet, second-year Lincoln coach Beau Collins led the Lady Wolves to a Saturday morning 4-0 victory over the Lady Cats after losing to tourney co-host Farmington, a 2016 state tournament team in 5A, the night before. Shyanna Holmes (4-1) earned the win for the Lady Cardinals. She threw five innings, allowing no runs, 3 hits, and issuing two walks. Ayden Massey took the loss for Lincoln. She tossed four innings, surrendering 8 runs on 11 hits with one strike-out and no walks. Juniors Madison Jones (1 for 2) and Hollie Webb (1 for 3) and freshman Kinley Webb (1 for 2) had the only hits for Lincoln.

Massey and another Lincoln starter missed a March 14 game against Prairie Grove and playing back-to-back games in the tournament loser-out bracket Saturday tested their endurance as they recently returned to action after having a bout with the flu. Winning the 9: 30 a. m. contest against Mena sent Lincoln into an 11 a.m. matchup against the other tournament co-host, 7A Fayetteville. Lincoln won that game 5-3, but was eliminated 8-0 by another 7A school, Bentonville West.