(March 3, 2021) Paris, Texas – Coming off a long week and only getting two wins, the Rich Mountain Bucks softball team travelled to face the Lady Dragons of Paris Junior College in a doubleheader. Both teams combined for 11 home runs in the split series.
Game 1
The Bucks were up to bat in the top of the first inning. Kristen McMillan (Winnsboro, TX) would go yard for a solo homerun (3rd of the season) to put the Bucks ahead 1-0. The Bucks left the bases loaded to end the inning. Gracie Kimbrell (North Little Rock, AR) got the start in the circle and shutout the Lady Dragons in the bottom half.
With 2 outs in the second inning, Madelynn Lacaze (Union Grove, TX) and McMillan got back-to-back singles to setup Gracie Kimbrell's 3-run shot (1st of the season). The 4-run lead was short lived as the Lady Dragon's hit a homerun of their own to cut the Bucks lead to 4-2 after 2 innings. PJC would add another homerun in the bottom of the 3rd. Bucks still held on to a 4-3 lead.
After a scoreless fourth and fifth innings, the Bucks picked up an insurance run in the top of the 6th. Megan Czinder (League City, TX) reached on an error, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved over to 3rd on a groundout. In her first at-bat of the season, Avery Cotten (Longview, TX) would plate Czinder on a sacrifice fly to right field. The extra run was all Kimbrell needed. She sat the Lady Dragons down in order in the bottom of the sixth, and struck out the winning run with runners on 1st and 2nd to end the game in the 7th. Bucks win 5-3.
In her fourth win of the season, Gracie Kimbrell (4-4) gave up 3 runs on 8 hits, while striking out 5 hitters.
Game 2
The top of the 1st inning went about like game 1. Madelynn Lacaze picked her 3rd homer of the season on a solo shot to lead off the game. After a Kristen McMillan walk, Gracie Kimbrell hit her 2nd bomb of the day and picked up 2 RBIs. In the bottom half, the Lady Dragons added 2 homers of their own and had the lead after 1, 4-3. Autumn Powell (Mena, AR) got the start in the circle for the Bucks.
After stranding 2 Bucks runners, the Lady Dragons would score 3 runs before chasing Powell from the game. Brooke Detommaso (Las Vegas, NV) would come on in relief. PJC would add 4 more runs and lead 10-3 after 2 innings.
The Bucks would get a run in the top of the third inning. Back-to-back singles by Kimbrell and Maddi Miles (Jonesboro, AR) setup of Sydney Smith's (Siloam Springs, AR) sacrifice fly to plate Kimbrell. But, the Bucks would strand Miles to end the inning. Hannah Hunter (Malvern, AR) was brought in to pitch the 3rd inning. The Lady Dragons put up a crooked number in the bottom of the frame to increase their lead, 15-4 after 3 innings. Hunter was relieved by Powell to record to last 2 outs of the inning.
The Bucks didn't go down without a fight. Leah Wilkins (Van Buren, AR) and Jasmine Cooks (Center, TX) both got a board on an error and a single, respectively. With runners on the corners, Madelynn Lacaze would hit her second dinger (4th of the year) of the game and plated 3 runs. But, the Bucks went in order after that. Powell was able to strand 2 PJC runners in the bottom half. Lady Dragons led 15-7 after 4.
The Bucks would strand a lead off single in the top of the 5th to end the game. Lady Dragon win 15-7.
In the loss, Autumn Powell (3-2) pitched 2.2 innings in split duty, giving up 7 runs (5 earned) on 6 hits.
The Bucks play their first Region 2 game on Saturday at Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma.
#GOBUCKS