Stearman Takes Control

LADY TIGERS BEAT FAYETTEVILLE 9-1

PRAIRIE GROVE — Sophomore pitcher Maddie Stearman turned in a strong performance, beating 7A Fayetteville, 9-1, on April 7.

The Prairie Grove pitcher threw all 7 innings and recorded a double play while limiting the Lady Bulldogs to a 5 of 26 showing in the batter’s box. She gave up 1 base on balls with 3 strikeouts, allowing 1 run on 5 hits. In the top of the fifth, Fayetteville had a runner on base after Maggie Mabry hit a leadoff single. Stearman prevailed in a battle with Katy Beth Ezell, inducing a line drive on a 3-2 pitch. Stearman fielded the ball, then turned on a dime and threw to second where a base-runner was tagged out. Stearman got the next batter to pop-up to first ending the inning. Stearman helped her cause at the plate, going 1 for 4, with 2 RBIs.

The Lady Tigers scored in every inning but the second while Stearman pitched a shutout beyond the first inning. Prairie Grove put the game out of reach by scoring 7 runs in their final three chances to bat. Anna Kidd was 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and 3 runs scored. Katharine McConnell (3 for 4, 3 RBIs), Ariana Pickett (2 for 4, 2 RBIs), Ali Edgar (2 for 4, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored), and Madison Vinson (2 for 3, 1 run scored) each contributed to the Prairie Grove offensive surge.

Emily Lyles fought back from an 0-2 count before blasting a leadoff triple for Fayetteville to start the game. Stearman calmly regained her composure to strikeout Morgan Stratton. Mabry drove in Fayetteville’s only run when a flyball wasn’t fielded. With one out and a runner at first, Stearman worked her way out of the inning, inducing a flyout and pop-up to second base.

Fayetteville’s 1-0 lead was short-lived. McConnell blasted a triple into left field and scored when Pickett found a hole in the defense between second and third for an RBI single tying the game at 1-1. Stearman began the second with a strike-out and ground-out. Kal’ llena Smith hit a single just over the shortstop’s outstretched glove, but Stearman remained solid in the circle, inducing another flyout to end the inning.

Anna Kidd’s two-out blooper over second base kept the Lady Tigers alive in the third inning and they capitalized. Edgar plated the go-ahead run with a single into center field and that’s all the Lady Tigers would need behind Stearman. Prairie Grove commited just one error in the contest, but they were persistent at the plate.

Reagan Rochier singled up the middle to get on in the fourth and Vinson joined her with a single into center field. Kylie Scott ground-out to first and moved the runners up. McConnell brought them both home with a 2 RBI smash, getting to second on the throw home. Prairie Grove led 4-1 at the end of the fourth inning and they were just getting started.

Anna Kidd led off with a single in the fifth. She scored easily on Edgar’s double into left field. Stearman then singled to drive in Edgar, but hesitated and was tagged out trying to reach second. The Lady Tigers added 3 more runs in the sixth. Scott hit a grounder towards shortstop, but got on her heels and outran a throw to first, she stole second and scored on McConnell’s double by sliding in across the plate. Pickett belted a standup double into deep center field to drive in the Lady Tigers’ eighth run. Fayetteville tagged a runner out at the plate on a fielder’s choice, only to have Stearman crunch their numbers with an RBI ground-out and Prairie Grove sailed to a 9-1 win.