NASHVILLE -- There'd be no early-inning struggles for Nashville's Maci McJunkins on Saturday.
Instead, it was the senior who made it hard for her opponents from the start.
The Scrapperettes' ace tossed a no-hitter while getting ample support from her teammates as Nashville punched its ticket to next week's championship game with an overpowering 10-0 victory over Stuttgart in the semifinals of the Class 4A softball state tournament at Futrell Field.
"Our main goal was just to play one more game than we did last year, and we're in that spot," said a beaming Nashville Coach Boomer Brown, whose team saw their season come to an end in the semifinals last year. "Now we're just going to let the cards fall where they fall. But I've said if from day one, we're going to be a tough out for somebody. If we play like we're capable of, we're going to be a tough out."
McJunkins had no problem recording outs in her team's biggest game of the season.
The Southern Arkansas University commit kept Stuttgart's hitters off target from the first pitch and finished with 11 strikeouts in seven innings. She retired the first 13 batters she faced until the fifth inning, when Stuttgart's Emma Banks reached base safely after a throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. The next batter, Erin Ludwig, also reached on a fielding error, but that would be all the Lady Ricebirds would get off McJunkins, who didn't allow a hit over the final four innings of Friday's quarterfinal win over Morrilton after giving up five hits in the first inning.
"Absolute warrior," Brown said of McJunkins. "To play in the heat that she played in yesterday and come back on short notice ... just a warrior. [Banks] is a great pitcher, can really throw it, too. But I think [McJunkins] maybe took it a little personal, and she wanted to prove her point.
"I think she's the most underrated pitcher in the state of Arkansas, but she made her case [Saturday]. She hit spots all day long, had total command."
McJunkins, who got key defensive plays from others that helped protect her no-hitter, also had two hits and two RBI for Nashville (27-4), which scored at least one run in each of the first five innings. Jasmine Wakefield and Ashley Chambers each had three hits for the Scrapperettes. Wakefield scored twice as well.
Nashville took a 1-0 lead in the first on Ellen Spigner's sacrifice fly. Mattison Steele drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning that made it 2-0 before the Scrapperettes doubled that output in the third.
Wakefield ripped an RBI double to score Emma Hutchison, and Emalea Bailey had a sacrifice fly two batters later.
McJunkins and Eva Reeder each had separate two-run hits in the fourth inning, and Hutchison contributed an RBI single in the fifth. Spigner gave Nashville its last run with another sacrifice fly in the seventh.
"Our seniors knew that this would be it on this field," Brown aid. "It's great tradition here, and to end it here and give us a chance to go play for a state title, I couldn't be more proud of them."
VALLEY VIEW 11, HARRISON 3
Lexi Davis hits two home runs and Anna Winkfield blasted one to power Valley View (23-5) to the title game.
The Lady Blazers put together 13 hits, including five during a five-run sixth inning. Davis finished with three hits and five RBI. Izzy Riba, Grace Butler and MacKenzie Whitlock also had two hits for Valley View.
Riley Smith picked up the win on the mound after allowing 3 runs on 7 hits while striking out 4.
Kayton Bell and Eliana Warner had a pair of hits each for Harrison (20-8), which had won five consecutive games and 11 of its past 12. But the Lady Goblins had difficulty slowing down Valley View.
Harrison trailed 6-3 before the Lady Blazers took off with their big sixth, highlighted by Davis' three-run home run.