Teams endure ‘blast of winter’ at Bearcat Blast tournament
The Bearcat Blast softball tournament played last weekend at Jonesboro with teams playing from five different divisions was just that - a continuous blast of cold wind and rain from time to time. The teams, which included Palestine-Wheatley, held their own and prevailed despite the weather.
Palestine-Wheatley played three games in the tournament, winning one and losing two, all on Saturday and missing two of the team's regular starters.
Palestine-Wheatley lost to Jonesboro Westside in their first game at the Blast and claimed a 6-5 win over Potosi Mo. in the second game, with Anna French delivering the game-winning blow, a two-run shot to right field.
The Lady Patriots stay at the Blast ended with a 10-2 loss to Midland in their final game of the day.
The Lady Patriots, off this week for Spring Break, will be back on the field Monday when they play at McCrory.
At the Bearcat Blast, Valley View and Nettleton won their respective divisions Saturday at the Southside Softball Complex.
Valley View went 3-0 to win the Black Division, defeating Wynne 6-3 in the final. Nettleton prevailed in the Orange Division with a 7-0 victory over Mount Vernon-Enola in the championship game.
Other division champions included Newport, Red Division; Mayflower, Green Division; Harding Academy, White Division; and Memphis White Station, Gray Division.
Valley View (6-2) scored all six runs against Wynne in the second inning, which included Mackenzie Whitlock’s two-run home run. Ashlyn Beale also drove in two runs in the inning while Anna Winkfield also had a hit and an RBI.
Riley Smith pitched all three innings for Valley View, giving up three runs on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Caty Moore was 2-for-2 for Wynne (7-1). Laney Meadows had a hit and an RBI for the Lady Yellowjackets.
Mauren Mitchell had a hit and two RBIs in Valley View’s 3-2 semifinal victory over Riverside. Beale hit a double and Whitlock had an RBI. Smith limited Riverside to two hits and two runs over four innings striking out three with no walks.
Klaire Womack hit a solo home run for Riverside. Womack also pitched for the Lady Rebels, allowing three runs on three hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
Valley View scored three runs in the fourth and final inning to edge Woodlawn 3-2 in its opener. Amera Wright hit a double for one of the Lady Blazers’ two hits. Smith yielded a two-run home run in the first inning before keeping Woodlawn off the scoreboard the rest of the game, striking out nine batters with no walks.
EPC (10-1) defeated Riverside 6-5 in the thirdplace game. The Lady Warriors started the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Bauxite before losing 8-0 to Wynne in the semifinals. Riverside defeated Ste. Genevieve, Mo., 5-4 in its opener.
Nettleton’s Acelen Hart gave up three hits and no runs over three games as the Lady Raiders (4-6) swept through the Black Division bracket.
Hart threw a no-hitter with six strikeouts as Nettleton defeated Risco, Mo., 1-0 in the first round. She also drove in the game’s only run with a ground out in the first inning.
Nettleton rolled past Melbourne 6-0 in the semifinals. Kate Golden and Avery Sample had two hits each for the Lady Raiders, with Sample driving in one run. Eden White also had an RBI and Hart held Melbourne to two hits while striking out nine and walking one.
The Lady Raiders scored five runs in the first inning of their victory over Mount Vernon-Enola in the finals. Mekenzie Racy, Hannah Marsico and Emma Wolf all drove in runs in the first inning.
Jonesboro was third in the Orange Division. The Lady Hurricane defeated Holcomb, Mo., 4-2 in its opener before losing 15-0 to Mount VernonEnola in the semifinals and 11-0 to Melbourne in the third-place game.
Newport defeated Potosi, Mo., 9-1 in the first round and Westside 4-0 in the semifinals of the Red Division. The Lady Greyhounds were awarded their division title when North Little Rock left early because of the cold temperatures.
Southside Bee Branch defeated Westside 4-1 in the third-place game. Westside opened the tournament with a 9-2 victory over Palestine-Wheatley.
Brookland won both of its games in the Green Division, defeating Stuttgart 6-1 and Kennett, Mo., 5-1. Because one team opted out of the Green bracket, the Lady Bearcats only played two games to make sure others got in three.
Madison Wooldridge doubled and scored twice in Brookland’s victory over Kennett. Bella Byerly and Emery Booker had one hit and one RBI each, while Wooldridge pitched a nohitter, yielding one unearned run while striking out four and walking two.
Byerly and Booker had two hits and one RBI each as the Lady Bearcats (5-2) defeated Stuttgart. Willett had one hit and two RBIs; Laken Carr had two hits; Ashlyn McNeese doubled and drove in a run; and Wooldridge had a hit and an RBI.
Taylor Reed allowed three hits and an unearned run while pitching all three innings for Brookland, striking out three with no walks.
Walnut Ridge defeated Buffalo Island Central 9-3, West Memphis 11-3 and the Bauxite junior varsity 12-2 to reach the White Division finals.
BIC also lost 4-3 to Memphis ECS before defeating Trumann 10-0 in a consolation game.
Jaylyn Cagle was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple for BIC in its victory over Trumann. Kaydence Lambert was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs; Kendra Towell doubled and drove in two runs; Kinsley Hamilton had a double and an RBI; Sydney Bryeans had a hit and two RBIs; Chasney Griggry had a hit and an RBI; and Riley Parker had two hits for the Lady Mustangs.
Lindie Barnes doubled and drove in a run for Trumann in a 12-1 loss to Bartlett, Tenn. Barnes, Ellisabeth Holladay and Bell had hits for the Lady Wildcats in an 11-1 loss to Cedar Ridge.
Memphis White Station defeated Hoxie 8-7 in the Gray finals. Hoxie defeated Augusta and Sloan-Hendrix to reach the finals.
Manila claimed third place in the Gray Division. The Lady Lions defeated Blytheville 15-0 in the first round and lost 13-3 to White Station in the semifinals.
Forrest City will return to softball and baseball action on Monday as well.