Lady Pioneers Pick Up First Home Win In Split With Dragons

Lady Pioneers Pick Up First Home Win In Split With Dragons-Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 4-4-23

Game One: 

Crowley's Ridge- 5

Lane College- 2

Paragould, Ark.- Pioneer Softball claimed their first win at home with a well-earned victory over NCAA DII Lane College. CRC scored 5 runs on 9 hits in the first contest of the day getting on the board quickly in the bottom of the first with 2 doubles from the Pioneers that scored 1. CRC's 2-hole Maddie Reed doubled to right field kicking things off and two batters later Hannah Burk also doubled to right field scoring Reed. The next run of the contest came from Lane College as they tied the game in the top of the third but CRC pulled ahead once more by adding two runs over the next two innings. Hannah Burk added to her resume at the plate by collecting her second RBI with a groundball to short that scored Shelby Elrod in the third inning, and Piper Farmer knocking in Maddie Erickson with a sac fly to center field in the 4th. As Shelby Elrod held the Dragons answerless from the circle, CRC scored their final two runs in the 5th inning as Maddie Reed took advantage of a Dragon error allowing her to cross the dish and Heather Conaway using her speed on the base pads, scoring on a passed ball from third. Elrod would give up one more run in the top of the 7th but quenched the spark Lane College tried to light by retiring the next three batters.   

Leaders: Hitting

Burk (2-4)(2RBI), Elrod (2-4), Reed (2-4)

Pitching:

Elrod: 7.0 innings, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Game Two:

Crowley's Ridge-0 

Lane College- 6

Paragould, Ark.- The Dragons bested the Pioneers in game two as they completed the shut-out holding CRC scoreless over 7 innings. The Lady Pioneers put the ball in play but struggled to find the gaps in Lane's defense. CRC did manage to manufacture four hits with Shelby Elrod claiming two and Dru Bryant along with Brooklynn Melson claiming the others. Halea Wells took the loss as she catapulted 3.0 innings giving up 5 hits and 3 runs. The Lady Pioneer defense did collect three errors in the matchup making only 1 of Wells's runs earned. Natalie Brightwell relieved Wells tossing the remaining 4 innings giving up 3 runs with none being earned in the 6-0 loss.

Leaders: Hitting

Elrod (2-4), Bryant (1-3), Melson (1-2)

Pitching:

Wells: 3.0 innings, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Brightwell:4.0 innings, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO