TODAY’S SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP CAPSULES

CLASS 3A

ASHDOWN LADY PANTHERS (255) VS. ATKINS LADY RED DEVILS

(20-8)

GAME TIME 10 a.m.

WHERE Everett Softball Field, Benton

ASHDOWN

CONFERENCE 3A-7 (12-2)

COACH Ashlyn Pelotte

RUNS FOR/AGAINST 268/98

HOW THEY GOT HERE def. Central Arkansas Christian 2-1 (state first round), def. Lincoln 6-5 (state quarterfinals), def. Hackett 5-0 (state semifinals)

NOTEWORTHY Ashdown hasn’t captured a state championship since 2008. … Karielle Forbes has a team-high 13 home runs this season. … The Lady Panthers, who’ve won seven consecutive games, have put together four winning streaks of at least four games. … Ashlyn Pelotte’s team started 8-1.

ATKINS

CONFERENCE 3A-5 (5-3) COACH Matt Porter RUNS FOR/AGAINST 209/93

HOW THEY GOT HERE def. Bismarck 7-5 (state first round), def. Booneville 7-2 (state quarterfinals), def. Mayflower 9-4 (state semifinals)

NOTEWORTHY Libby May has struck out nearly 150 batters this season. … Atkins’ last state title came in 2011. … The Lady Red Devils lost three times to Baptist Prep and finished third in the conference. … Matt Porter is also Atkins’ head football coach.

CLASS 5A

BENTON LADY PANTHERS (31-0) VS. GREENE COUNTY TECH LADY EAGLES (27-4-1)

GAME TIME 7 p.m.

WHERE Everett Softball Field, Benton

BENTON

CONFERENCE 5A Central (12-0) COACH Heidi Cox RUNS FOR/AGAINST 272/21

HOW THEY GOT HERE def. Mountain Home 3-0 (state first round), def. White Hall 4-0 (state quarterfinals), def. Van Buren 10-0 (state semifinals)

NOTEWORTHY Benton has captured four state titles and has been runner-up six times. The Lady Panthers have also won 11 conference titles since 2000. … The team’s current 63-game winning streak started at the end of the 2020 season when it beat Greenbrier 11-9 before the rest of the season was canceled because of covid-19.

GREENE COUNTY TECH

CONFERENCE 5A-East (13-1) COACH David Reynolds

RUNS FOR/AGAINST 288/86 HOW THEY GOT HERE def. Hot Springs Lakeside 10-0 (state first round), def. Greenwood 7-3 (state quarterfinals), def. Sheridan 9-1 (state semifinals) NOTEWORTHY Benton is one of only two teams from Arkansas to hand the Lady Eagles a defeat. Batesville also beat Greene County Tech 6-5 in April. The team’s other two setbacks were to teams from out of state.