CONWAY -- Concord's underclassmen came up with the big hits Tuesday.
Freshmen Kalaeh Davis and Macy Morgan each drove in two runs, leading Concord's Lady Pirates to a 5-1 victory over Viola in the Class 1A state semifinal game at the University of Central Arkansas softball field.
Softball at a glance
CLASS 7A
FRIDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP At Bogle Park, Fayetteville
North Little Rock vs. Cabot, 10 a.m.
CLASS 6A
SATURDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP At Bogle Park, Fayetteville
Sheridan vs. Greenwood, 10 a.m.
CLASS 5A
FRIDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP At Bogle Park, Fayetteville
Vilonia vs. Paragould, 12:30 p.m.
CLASS 4A
FRIDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP At Bogle Park, Fayetteville
Mena vs. Bauxite, 3 p.m.
CLASS 3A
FRIDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP At Bogle Park, Fayetteville
Harding Academy vs. Bald Knob, 5:30 p.m.
CLASS 2A
SATURDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP At Bogle Park, Fayetteville
Spring Hill vs. Buffalo Island Central, 3 p.m.
CLASS 1A
SATURDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP At Bogle Park, Fayetteville
Concord vs. Scranton, 12:30 p.m.
Concord (22-7) advances to play Scranton (23-7) in Saturday's championship game at Bogle Park in Fayetteville. Viola finished 25-5.
The Lady Pirates were held to no runs on three singles in the first four innings, popping out seven times. In the last three innings, Concord rapped out eight hits, four of which went for extra bases.
"We were hitting it, but we weren't hitting it solid," Concord Coach Michael Strother said of the Lady Pirates' early-innings effort. "We were going to try to bunt, but we couldn't get on top of the ball. Finally, we just decided to go ripping."
Trailing 1-0, Erin Hendricks doubled to start Concord's fifth inning. With one out, the Lady Pirates took the lead on back-to-back doubles by Davis and sophomore Rachel Mote.
In the sixth after a two-out walk to Maghn England and a hit batter, Morgan tripled to right to increase Concord's lead to 4-0. Davis capped the Lady Pirates' scoring with a single.
Winning pitcher sophomore Mallory Benton allowed only 3 hits, struck out 4 and walked 3.
"Mallory has good late movement on her [pitches]," Strother said. "It's hard to stay on her. Her fastball stays down. ... She is just so hard on herself that's the toughest job is to keep her composed. ... But she's matured and she's doing a great job."
Viola pitcher Destiney Crawford struck out 7, walked 1 and hit 1 batter.
Taylor Batterton collected two of Viola's three hits and drove in the Lady Longhorns' only run.
SCRANTON 4,
NEMO VISTA 3
Kennady Kremes laced a single to left in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Lady Rockets a come-from-behind victory over the Lady Red Hawks.
Becca Williams started the game-winning rally with a walk and moved to third on Shelby Forst's single off the fence in center field.
Scranton, which trailed 3-0 after three innings, tied the game at 3-3 on a two-run double by Forst in the fourth inning.
Maggie Mahan scored on a fielder's choice to give Nemo Vista a 1-0 lead. Chase Paladino added a two-run double in the third.
-- Jeff Reed
Sports on 05/20/2015