(April 13, 2024) Mena, Arkansas - Coming off a doubleheader loss on Thursday in Altus, the Bucks wanted to rebound with a region doubleheader at home against SAU Tech. Earlier this season, the Bucks took both games in Camden. The ladies enter the day 22-15 overall, 10-6 in region play.

Game One

McKenna Bittle (Greer's Ferry, AR) was back in the circle for the Bucks and went the distance, pitching all 7.0 innings. Bittle (12-5) gave up 0 runs on 1 hit, while striking out 6 on the day. 

It would take but one run for Bittle on the day, but the Bucks scored 4 runs on 7 hits. The ladies scored a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings. The first runs of the day came off the bat of Emma Reynolds (Cayuga, TX). She belted a 2-run home run over the right field wall to break open the score. In the next inning, Lilli Williams (Granbury, TX) hit a RBI triple after a lead off walk. The next run came on a safety squeeze by Layla Baker (Doyline, LA) to make it 4-0, which was the final score in the game.

The ladies secured the series win and were looking for the sweep in Game Two.

Game Two

The second game started a lot like the first game. The game was scoreless through four innings with Holly Raney (Mayflower, AR) pitching well for the Bucks. The ladies gave her some runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to lead 2-0. The ladies scored on an error and a Kyson Vap (Newkirk, OK) RBI single to take the early lead.

Things seemed to derail for the ladies, giving up 8 runs in the top of the seventh inning. Raney was chased from the game in the process and 2 more pitchers were brought into the game. The Bucks would answer, however, in the bottom half with 5 runs of their own to cut the SAU Tech lead to one, 8-7. All runs came with 2 outs in the inning that started on a Payton Hale (Fort Worth, TX) driving in a run on a fielder's choice. After a double, Riley Lowery (Hughes Springs, AR) hit a 2-RBI single. After reaching on a dropped third strike, Madison Heller (Hughes Springs, TX) banged a double off the left field fence to score a pair of runs to cut the lead to one.

Olivia Nickson (Bentonville, AR) returned for her second inning of work in the circle and held the Rockets scoreless in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half, the ladies reached on back-to-back 1 out walks. A ground out to the left side moved both runners into scoring position. After a walk, Bri Crowley (Rogers, AR) came to the plate and drove the 1-2 pitch into left field to walk it off for the Bucks, 9-7.

Nickson (4-4) evens her season record to get the win.

The win puts the Bucks at 24-15 overall with a 12-6 region record. The win also gave the ladies the series sweep over SAU Tech. 

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