(April 2, 2022) Miami, Oklahoma – The Bucks were entered the contest with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M losing their last six games, including five Region II contests. The Bucks lost both games at home earlier in the season to the Lady Norse, one in extra innings.
GAME ONE
Blaire Gentry (Lockesburg, AR) came back for her first game since sitting a week due to a back injury last week at NOC-Enid, and she would do so in a big way. She would settle in and was holding the Lady Norse scoreless through five innings. The Bucks gave her run support in the top half of the fourth inning, scoring 3 runs.
A walk and a single in the fourth put runners on first and second with 1 out for Gentry. An error advanced the runners, and Blaire Gentry hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate the first run of the day. Next at-bat, Tabry Jordan (Little Rock, AR) hit her first home run of the season, a 2-run shot over the centerfield fence to make it 3-0 in favor of the Bucks.
The Lady Norse tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with back-to-back homers off Gentry. A scoreless seventh inning sent the game into extra innings. The Bucks made the most of their extra opportunity with a 7-run top of the eighth.
With no outs and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Kristen McMillan (Winnsboro, TX) hit a RBI single before advancing to second on an error that allowed another run to score. Next at-bat, Blaire Gentry helped her own cause with a 3-run jack over the centerfield fence. After a double and a walk, runners advanced on a wild pitch before Tabry Jordan scored on another wild pitch. The Bucks last run of the contest came on a Madelynn Lacaze (Gladewater, TX) groundout to make it 10-3.
With a 7-run lead, Gentry made her way back to the circle and gave up a solo homer in the bottom half but held on to pick up her seventh win of the season, 10-4.
Blaire Gentry (7-5) gave up 4 runs on 12 hits, while striking out and walking a pair in the complete game (8.0 innings).
GAME TWO
Ending the 6-game skid, the Bucks looked to keep momentum going in the second half of the doubleheader. Caitlyn Mayo (Bigelow, AR) got the start in the circle. She would find herself down 1-0 after the first inning, but after a scoreless second, the Bucks gave her some run support.
After a lead off walk in the third, Kaylin McKee (Wickes, AR) hit a 2-run shot over the centerfield fence to make it 2-1 in favor of the Bucks. Tabry Jordan continued her day with a single and advanced to second on an error. With 2 outs, Presleigh Payne (Grapevine, TX) his a RBI single to left field. After a walk, Western Mussett (Garvin, OK) hit a RBI double to right field to make it 4-1, but the Lady Norse answered with 3-run bottom half to retake the lead.
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth before the Bucks plated 2 runs in the top of the fifth. A lead off double led to Blaire Gentry hitting her second homer of the game and fifth of the season to make it 6-4. Holding on to the lead, Mayo pitched a scoreless sixth as the game headed to the final inning. However, the Lady Norse would plate 3 runs in the bottom half to win 7-6 and took the series, winning three of four games.
Caitlyn Mayo (6-7) took the loss in her 6.2 innings of work, giving up 7 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits. She would strike out and walk 3 hitters apiece.
The Bucks are back in action on Tuesday, April 5th, at SAU Tech. The doubleheader is scheduled for 2 and 4 pm.
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