Lady Wolves Bounced Out By One Run

LINCOLN EDGED 6-5 BY EVENTUAL STATE SOFTBALL CHAMPS

— Eventual state champion Ashdown edged Lincoln, 6-5, in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A State softball tournament at Harrison on Friday, May 13, ending an outstanding season by the Lady Wolves.

The Lady Wolves under firstyear head coach Brittany Engel finished 29-7 overall with an undefeated 12- 0 regular season 3A-1 Conference championship to go with a district tournament title and regional runner-up showing.

“It was definitely heartbreaking to lose in the bottom of the seventh with two outs,” Engel said. “A lot of it had to do with the girls never having been in the state tournament before. I’m proud of how we fought back but none of us are happy with the result. We all want more.”

Ashdown got a walkoff double to score the winning run, breaking a 5-5 tie with two outs in the seventh.

The Lady Wolves played Ashdown tougher than the Lady Panthers’ remaining opponents in the Class 3A State tournament. Ashdown won a close game over CAC, 2-1, in the first-round, then blanked Hackett, 5-0, and Atkins, 6-0, to win the state tournament.

“That made it sting a little more knowing that had we beat them we would have probably won it all,” Engel said.

Ashdown scored twice on passed balls against Lincoln. Catcher Lily Riherd was hampered by a hand injury that forced her to play a different position in the regional tournament

“She was still in a lot of pain. It affected her a little bit but we needed her back there,” Engel said.

Ashdown jumped ahead 3-0 in the first inning. The Lady Panthers began with a leadoff double, then had a player bunt and reach on an error that scored a run. Another double drove in a second run but Lincoln starter Brinkley Moreton struck out the next two batters with a runner at second. A passed ball allowed the runner to move to third, then she scored on another passed ball.

“That first inning for us set the tone. We struggled to get going,” Engel said. “They came out smoking, hitting like we hadn’t seen all year.”

Moreton’s two- run homer in the top of the fourth drew Lincoln within 3-2 but on defense the Lady Wolves froze while Ashdown stayed in motion.

“It was a crazy play,” Engel said.

Two Lady Wolves, Saylor Stidham and Paige Beeks, converged on a pop- up behind first base, but neither could make a play.

“They dove to try to get it, then we just kind of froze, staring at the ball wondering what to do,” Engel said.

The batter didn’t stop running, rounding second and going all the way to third. From there, she scored on a passed ball to put Ashdown ahead 4-2.

The Lady Wolves pushed all those miscues out of their minds and went to work in the top of fifth.

Addie Pershall and Alexandra Torres drew backto- back walks, then Zella Pomeroy executed what Engel called “the most beautiful bunt she’s ever seen,” loading the bases for Lincoln. Ryleigh Landrum drove in a run with a line drive to shortstop. With the bases still loaded Moreton walked, pushing the tying run across.

Amber Bryant’s groundout to shortstop scored a run, giving Lincoln a 5-4 lead.

Lincoln appeared poised to potentially add more runs with two on and one out but Ashdown’s pitcher induced a pop-up to shortstop for the second out and then struck out Riherd, ending the threat.

“The pain affected Lily. She couldn’t fully wrap her hand around the bat,” Engel said.

Ashdown tied the game 5- 5 in the bottom of the fifth, cashing in on a leadoff double followed by consecutive groundouts, the second of which scored a run.

Lincoln couldn’t score in the sixth or seventh, giving Ashdown a chance to win in the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Wolves got the first two batters out. The next batter hit a single. Landrum made a diving stop but couldn’t get an out. A double into center field brought the winning run across the plate and Lincoln lost 6-5.

“We had a rough start, but we’ve shown fight all year long where people counted us out. Sometimes we came up on the wrong side but we always showed fight,” Engel said.

The loss fuels motivation for the Lady Wolves, who lose only two players to graduation, Katie Jones and Alexandra Torres.

“I’m looking forward to next year. The girls are too. We’re hungry to win the whole thing. We know we’re capable of it,” Engel said.

CHRISTINA MORETON SPECIAL TO THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER Lincoln's softball team finished as 3A Region 1 Runner-up with a 13-11 loss to Booneville in the championship game played at Greenland on Monday, May 9. The Lady Wolves took a No. 2 seed into the Class 3A State tournament at Harrison and reached the quarterfinals.