(March 10, 2022) Mena, Arkansas – Coming off a doubleheader win over Carl Albert on Tuesday, the Bucks returned to Cummings-Cecil Field this afternoon for a doubleheader with the NJCAA DII #11 team in the country, Murray State College.
GAME ONE
The Bucks struggled to get anything going offensively in the game and only scratched across a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, trailing 5-0. Murray State had scored their runs in the top of the third and fourth innings. The Bucks lone run came with 2 outs and two runners on for Jah'Kaiya Woods (Little Rock, AR). The centerfielder singled to right field to make it 5-1, which would be the final score of the contest.
Starting pitcher Presleigh Payne (Grapevine, TX) went the distance. In 7 innings of work, she gave up 5 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits. Payne (1-2) struck out 2 and walked 3 in the outing.
GAME TWO
The Bucks wanted to take control early and did. After a scoreless top of the first for starting pitcher Blaire Gentry (Lockesburg, AR), the Bucks got the bats going in the bottom half. In the 4-run inning, Chloe Ray (Fort Smith, AR) hit a 2-RBI double with 1 out to open the scoring. Two hitters later and 2 outs, Kristen McMillan (Winnsboro, TX) traded places with Ray. Then, she scored on a RBI single off the bat of Presleigh Payne to make it 4-0 after one.
Gentry held the Aggies at bay through 4 scoreless innings. She gave up 1 run on some Bucks mistakes in the top of the fifth inning. However, the Bucks got it going offensively in the bottom half with 2 outs. With a runner on second base, Presleigh Payne singled to right field to plate a run. After a single, Kaylin McKee (Wickes, AR) got in on the action with a 2-RBI single. She would advance to third on throwing errors. Next at-bat, Jah'Kaiya Woods reached on an error to score McKee. After a walk and with an 8-1 lead, the Bucks looked to end the game via run-rule and would off the bat of Madelynn Lacaze (Gladewater, TX). She would hit a RBI single to right field that ended the game. Bucks win 9-1 in five innings.
Blaire Gentry (3-3) pitched all 5 innings, giving up 1 earned run on 7 hits. She would strike out 7 in the outing.
#GOBUCKS