Lady Miners fall to Apaches in quarters
BATESVILLE – In a pitchers’ duel all game, the Pottsville Lady Apaches would score five runs in the final two innings to claim a 5-1 victory over the Bauxite Lady Miners in the quarterfinals of the 4A State Tournament in Batesville Friday.
The usually potent Lady Miner offense just couldn’t get anything going against Pottsville starter Shannon Lasey as she gave up just an unearned run on four hits, striking out seven in her complete-game win.
A scoreless game after five innings, North No. 4 seed Pottsville (17-9) picked up two runs in the top of the sixth on Abbie Cain’s 2-run inside-thepark homer to take a 2-0 lead.
The South No. 1 seed Lady Miners (19-10) after winning the 4A South Regional would fight back in the bottom of the inning when senior Taylor Sledd hit a one-out double, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 2-1 game. But, the Lady Apaches picked up three insurance runs in the top of
the second.
Bauxite’s Bree Hardin reached on an error to start the bottom of the seventh and freshman Riley Larkin singled, but they would be stranded to end the Lady Miners’ season.
Sledd finished with 2 of Bauxite’s 4 hits, going 2 for 3 with the lone run, while Larkin and senior Cheyenne Harris added the other two. Junior Ruby Hause, who was huge in the South Regional for the Lady Miners, pitched five scoreless innings until Pottsville finally got to her late. Hause gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out three in seven innings.
A year after winning their first 4A state championship, the Lady Miners will say goodbye to seniors Sledd, Harris, Destiny Mcclain, Ashley Redmon and Karissa Edmondson, though will have many talented players coming back next season.