(February 25, 2023) Mena, Arkansas - After picking up a pair of wins in the doubleheader on Tuesday against Arkansas State, the Bucks returned to action after a damp week at home. This time their opponent was a familiar one, former Region II foe Eastern Oklahoma State College. Eastern Oklahoma State plays in the Division I league in Region II. Last season, the Bucks took three of four games from the Mountaineers. Eastern entered the doubleheader today perfect on the season at 5-0, while the Bucks were 5-5 on the season.

Game Two

The Bucks fell 8-0 in six innings in the initial game of the day. Tabry Jordan (Little Rock, AR) broke up the Mountaineers perfect game in the bottom of the sixth inning with a single. The Bucks wanted to get back on track and back to even on the season in Game Two. Both teams went toe to toe in the first two inning until the Bucks broke it open with a big bottom of the third. The ladies scored all 8 of their runs in the inning. 

The highlight of the inning were three ladies with 2 RBIs. Blaire Gentry (Lockesburg, AR) made it 3-0 on a 2-RBI single to right centerfield. Next at-bat, Madie Rohre (Whitewright, TX) would hit a 2-RBI single to centerfield. Then with 2 outs and the score 6-0, Marli Huddleston (Bee Branch, AR) made it 8-0 with a line drive 2-RBI double to the left centerfield gap to round out the Bucks scoring for the game. JJ Bass (Joaquin, TX) and Kirsten Sudderth (Forney, TX) also picked up RBIs in the inning. 

Maddie Muller (Little Elm, TX) got the start in the contest and went to work keeping the Mountaineers scoreless through three innings. She would give up a pair of runs in the fourth before throwing a scoreless fifth inning. In the sixth, she ran into some trouble, giving up 3 runs and being chased from the contest. Muller (3-2) lasted 5.1 innings, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits. She would strikeout 9 hitters in the outing. Caitlyn Mayo (Bigelow, AR) entered the game and got an out, but she would give up a run to make it 8-6. 

McKenna Bittle (Greer's Ferry, AR) inherited a runner on third base and the tying run at the plate in the top of the sixth. She would get a ground ball that hit the runner to end the Eastern threat. After a scoreless bottom of the sixth. She would came back out and find herself in a bases loaded jam with no outs in the top of the seventh, but the freshmen would get a strikeout, pop up, and a strikeout to leave the bases loaded to give the Bucks the 8-6 win. Bittle picked up her first save of the season after being cleared by the doctor this morning after being on concussion protocol for over the past week. 

The Bucks are now 6-6 on the young season. The ladies return to action on the road at Bossier Parrish Community College on Tuesday, February 28th. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm at Centenary College in Shreveport, LA. 

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