Arkansas 1A-6A softball state tournament roundup: Details on Friday's quarterfinal games
By Kyle Sutherland
Here is a recap of the quarterfinals of Arkansas high school softball tournament games from Class 1A-6A from Friday. Be sure to follow the brackets to see the latest scores and matchups at https://scorebooklive.com/arkansas/softball/brackets.
1A
Wonderview 9, Calico Rock 0
Lydia Polk was dominant in the circle tossing a one-hit shutout and 15 strikeouts against a Calico Rock team that put up 16 runs in the first round but could not get rolling on Friday. It took three and a half innings, but the Lady Daredevils offense came alive in the fourth then just kept scoring. Polk was also 2-for-4 scoring two runs and had 2 RBI. Abbi Baker also added 3 RBI.
Greers Ferry West Side 7, MVE 4
West Side got off to another hot start scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning, to fend off a Mount Vernon-Enola comeback when the Lady Warhawks scored four runs in the top of the sixth. McKenna Bittle was not quite as dominant as she has been of late, but still struck out 12 batters. Kortnee Finch, Alyssa Smith, and Lollie Parker all recorded multiple hits for the Lady Eagles.
Guy-Perkins 3, Armorel 0
Alyson Rooney had another big day in the circle throwing a two-hit shutout and struck out 13 batters. The Lady Thunderbirds were led at the plate by Alexis Passmore and Analee Baker who went 3-3 while Baker also added two RBI.
Taylor 15, Mammoth Spring 0
Mammoth Spring put up more runs than any team in all classifications in the first round but was no match for Taylor as the Lady Tigers scored 10 runs in the first inning then put it away after two and a half. Four Lady Tigers had multiple hits.
2A
Melbourne 10, Mansfield 0
Natalie Brightwell threw her second shutout in a row Friday but had much more help from her offense than this time as the Lady Bearkatz scored 10 runs to close the game out after the fifth inning. Grace Cross hit five runs in for Melbourne.
Tuckerman 11, McCrory 0
Tuckerman has now shut out four of the past seven opponents and will now play conference foe Melbourne, a team the Lady Bulldogs have beaten three times this season. Kenzie Soden had three hits while MaKaylie Gist struck out seven batters and hit a home run.
Quitman 8, Lavaca 5
Down 8-0 at the top of the seventh inning, Lavaca made a relentless effort to get back into the game scoring five runs and had the bases loaded with two outs but could not complete the comeback. Madi Thompson, Riley Drake, Chloe Liles, and Gracie Tyler all compiled multiple hits for Quitman.
East Poinsett County 3, Fordyce 0
When you’re in a low-scoring game, you always feel confident with Keegan McCorkle in the circle, and she came through once again striking out 11 batters in a shutout win. Kelly Ann Lucas, Jaycee Davis, and Zoe Constant all had hits with Constant batting two runners in. Davis scored two of the Lady Warriors’ runs while Mercedes Reel added another.
3A
Mayflower 16, Bald Knob 9
Both offenses got rolling quick with each putting up six runs through two innings. Bald Knob added two in the fourth to take the lead and the Lady Eagles countered back with one in the fifth, but after that it was all Mayflower scoring nine runs in the sixth and seventh. Five Lady Eagles had multiple hits with Hannah Duvall leading the way going 4-4 scoring 4 runs.
Atkins 7, Booneville 2
A Booneville error and a home run by Lexxie Gooden helped Atkins get a comfortable 5-0 lead at the top of the second inning and the Lady Red Devils did what they had to do to close the game out while adding more runs in the sixth and seventh. Gooden scored two runs and Addison Flory went 2-4.
Ashdown 6, Lincoln 5
Ashdown scored three quick runs in the bottom of the first inning and Lincoln countered with two in the top of the fifth. Despite a valiant effort to steal the lead, the Lady Wolves fell after Ashdown walked it off in the bottom of the seventh when Kylie Erwin doubled to score Jeana Paredes. Erwin and Paredes led the Lady Panthers at the plate going a combined 5-7.
Hackett 3, Baptist Prep 2
In the biggest upset of this season and possibly the biggest upset in the history of Hackett athletics, the Lady Hornets did the right things at the right time to take down defending state champion and No. 1 Baptist Prep in extra innings. Hackett took an early 1-0 lead and was up 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth before Prep tied it. Hackett ended the game on a double play when Lilly Oxford caught a fly out, then threw to third baseman Madeline Freeman who tagged out a Prep runner. Makenzie Freeman was solid in the circle allowing just 4 hits and striking out 10 batters.
4A
Stuttgart 1, Gravette 0
In a true old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, this one was scoreless through seven innings and that finally changed at the bottom of the eighth when Hagan Hord hit a sac fly to score Madison Neal and send the Lady Birds to the semifinals. Emma Banks was dominant allowing just three hits and striking out 16 batters.
Nashville 16, Morrilton 6
Nashville ace Maci McJunkins gave up five runs, including a grand slam, at the top of the first inning but did not allow it to phase her, nor her team, as the Scrapperettes responded with 13 unanswered runs over the next three innings. They only allowed Morrilton to score one more run, putting this one on ice after five. McJunkins hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and went 2-for-3 at the plate. Ellen Spigner and Eva Reeder also had multiple hits for the Scrapperettes.
Harrison 2, Bauxite 1
Harrison has gotten better and better as the season has gone on and will live to see another day after walking off the Lady Miners in the bottom of the seventh on a Shelby Eddington double off of a full count that scored a run. Ryleigh Keele did a nice job in the circle, as did the defense behind her, as she allowed just three hits and struck out six batters.
Valley View 11, Malvern 1
The score makes this one seem more out of hand than it was as Valley View led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth before the Lady Blazers got red hot and scored seven unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth before the game ended after five. Izzy Riba, Anna Winkfield, Amera Wright, and Grace Butler all had multiple hits while Wright and Lexi Davis each had a home run.
5A
Van Buren, 10 Marion 5
After walking off a low-scoring game on Thursday, the Lady Pointers’ offense was on fire putting up double-digit runs to advance to the Final Four. Thursday’s hero Kyleigh Kuykendall had another solid performance going 2-4 with 2 runs batted in and scored 2 runs. Ashlyn Michael, Emberlin Caldwell, and Madelyn Mills also recorded multiple hits for Van Buren.
Sheridan 4, Vilonia 0
Cooper Terry threw five scoreless innings striking out five batters and Callie Kilburn came in for the final two to close it out as Sheridan blanked the Lady Eagles in a matchup, that could happen a few more times in the postseason with these two young and very talented squads. Hanna Gilbert led Sheridan at the plate going 2-for-3 with a RBI and also scored a run.
Benton 4, White Hall 0
Benton is now 30-0 this season, 61-0 dating back to the beginning of the 2021 season, after a joint effort in the circle from Alyssa Houston and Elana Scott, who led the Lady Panthers to a one-hit shutout with those two combining for 15 strikeouts. Scott was also 3-3 at the plate and Riley Gilmore smacked a home run for Benton.
GCT 7, Greenwood 3
Greenwood led 2-1 after the first inning before GCT tied it in the third. Greenwood eventually took the lead back in the top of the sixth before the Lady Eagles got the bats rolling to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Ava Carter led GCT offensively going 3-3 with one run scored and one batted in. Kylie Stokes, Carleigh Hollis, and Hannah Stallings also had multiple hits for the Lady Eagles.
6A
Bentonville 11, NLR 4
North Little Rock struck first on a two-run jack by Josie Golden, but it did not take long for Bentonville to respond as Kasey Wood hit one out herself moments later and the Lady Tigers tied it at two after one. Bentonville then scored at least a run for the next four innings, including four in the fifth. Alleyna Rushing and Tallulah Pascucci both went 2-4 and combined for 5 runs batted in.
Cabot 9, Rogers Heritage 0
Cabot is back in the semifinals once again after putting together huge innings in the third and fifth to shut out Rogers Heritage. Emma Scales went 3-4, batted three runs in, and hit a home run while Akayla Barnard allowed just one hit and struck out 12 batters.
Bryant 7, Bentonville West 2
Regan Dillon batted in a run to get the Bryant bats warmed up in the first inning, then Abby Gentry and Kallee Nichols led the charge scoring three more in the third to take a comfortable 4-0 lead. West was able to put two on the board in the top of the fifth, but the consistency of the Lady Hornets, plus five errors committed, were too much for the Lady Wolverines to overcome.
Rogers 2, Conway 0
Rogers got some payback on Conway in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals in which the Lady Wampus Cats emerged victorious. This time it was the Lady Mounties who got the last laugh as Ava Johnson threw a two-hit shutout and struck out 13 batters to advance to the semifinals.
