(March 28, 2023) Hot Springs, Arkansas - Coming off a split on Saturday, the Bucks were 5-1 in Region II play and were halfway through their first round robin of region games. For the third straight day, the ladies took to the road, but this time had a short trip to Majestic Park to take on National Park College. The Nighthawks entered the day 3-1 in region play after a split with Carl Albert on Sunday in Poteau.

Game One

Blaire Gentry (Lockesburg, AR) took the circle in the first game of the doubleheader and had herself a day. Before the game, she was announced as the Region II Player of the Week, and the sophomore continued her hot streak in the circle and at the plate. She pitched all 7.0 innings for the Bucks, giving up only 1 run on 3 hits. Gentry (5-3) struck out 4 and only walked a lone hitter on the day.

The Bucks took the early lead in the top of the third on a squeeze bunt by Marli Huddleston (Bee Branch, AR) with an out and two strikes. The lead was short lived as the Nighthawks tied it up in the bottom half of the inning, but the Bucks changed that in the top of the fourth. Blaire Gentry came to the plate leading off in the top of the fourth and hit a no doubt line drive over the 225' mark in centerfield to give herself a 2-1 lead, but the Bucks were not done in the inning. With 2 outs and a runner on third, Western Mussett (Garvan, OK) reached on an error to plate Kylee Ward (Rogers, AR). After Mussett stole second base and moved to third on an error, Kayleigh Anderson (Forrest City, AR) beat out a ground ball to the short stop to give the Bucks the 4-1 lead.

After gaining the lead, Gentry put the Nighthawks down in order in the final four innings of the contest to secure her fifth win of the season. 

Game Two

This sounds like a broken record, but once again, Maddie Muller (Little Elm, TX) found herself in a pitcher's dual and kept finding way to pitch out of jams. Like Gentry, Muller was named the Region II Pitcher of the Week before the doubleheader. The freshmen went the distance in the contest, pitching 7.0 innings. Muller (7-4) gave up 0 runs on 6 hits, while only striking out 3 on the day with no walks. Three times in the contest, the Nighthawks had runners in scoring position, but she pitched her way out of jams with pop ups and ground balls. 

The game was scoreless going into the fourth inning when the Bucks took the lead. Madie Rohre (Whitewright, TX) singled with an out. With 2 outs, she would steal second base before Kirsten Sudderth (Forney, TX) singled to plate Rohre to give the Bucks the 1-0 lead. Two innings later, Marli Huddleston gave the Bucks an insurance run on a solo blast to left field that gave the Bucks a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth, which was enough for Muller in the circle. 

The Nighthawks biggest threat came in the bottom of the sixth, moving a runner to third base, but Maddie Muller got a ground out to the short stop to keep the Nighthawks scoreless in the contest.

With the pair wins, the ladies have won 10 of their last 11 games. The Bucks are now 7-1 in Region II heading into a home region doubleheader against North Arkansas on Saturday. Game begins at 2 pm at Cummings-Cecil Field.

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