February 22, 2021 (Denison, TX) – After over a 2-week layoff due to weather and scheduling conflicts, Bucks Softball travelled to take on the #8 ranked Lady Vikings of Grayson College. The Bucks would fall in both games of the double header, 8-0 and 12-4. The Bucks evened their record at 4-4. The Bucks have a busy week ahead with 2 home dates on Tuesday (National Park College) and Thursday (Crowder College) before going on a road trip on Friday (Murray State College) and Saturday (North Central Texas College).
Game 1
The Bucks would go down 1, 2, 3 in the top of the 1st. Hannah Hunter (Malvern, AR) got the start in the circle and held the Lady Vikings at bay in the 1st inning, striking out 1. In the top of the 2nd, Emily Everitt (Royse City, TX) singled to lead it off and would advance on Madison Humphry's (Murfreesboro, AR) sac bunt. However, Everitt would be stranded at 2nd base. Hunter put the Lady Vikings down in order on just 7 pitches. It was tied 0-0 after 2 innings.
The Bucks went in order in the top of the 3rd inning before the Lady Vikings showed their offensive power scoring 6 runs before the Bucks could record an out. After an out, Brooke Detommaso (Las Vegas, NV) would replace Hunter in the circle to close out the inning, but Grayson tacked on a run to increase their lead to 7-0 after 3.
A scoreless 4th inning for the Bucks was highlighted by a Madelynn Lacaze (Union Grove, TX) single on a line drive to centerfield. She advanced on a groundout before Emily Everitt sacrificed Lacaze to 3rd. However, that is where she would stay. Detommaso would put Grayson down in order to close out the 4th inning.
In the 5th, the Lady Vikings sealed the game by scoring a run. Bucks would fall 8-0 in 5 innings.
Hannah Hunter (0-2) took the loss with 2.1 innings pitched with 2 strikeouts, walking 4, and giving up 7 earned runs. Brooke Detommaso would pitch 2.1 innings in relief with giving up 3 hits, 1 run, and walked 1 batter.
Game 2
The Bucks would take advantage of some Lady Vikings errors to lead 2-0 after the top of the 1st. Madelynn Lacaze would leadoff and reach on an error. She advanced to 3rd on a fly ball to right field by Megan Czinder (League City, TX). Lacaze would score on the same play during a fielding error, while Czinder advanced to 2nd. She advanced to 3rd on a dropped 3rd strike and would score on Gracie Kimbrell's (North Little Rock, AR) groundout. The lead, however, was short lived. The Lady Vikings hit a 3-run home run in the bottom half to take the lead 3-2 after 1 inning. Kimbrell got the start in the circle for the Bucks.
In the top of the 2nd, the Bucks tried to keep the offense going, but they would strand 2 runners. Sydney Smith (Siloam Springs, AR) would single to left field, and Kristen McMillan (Winnsboro, TX) would walk. But, a fielder's choice and groundout would end the top half. The Lady Vikings would add to their lead scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd and another run in the bottom of the 3rd to lead 6-2.
The Bucks would answer with a couple of runs of their own in the 4th inning. After three singles by Katie Fox (North Little Rock, AR), Hannah Hunter, and Kristen McMillan (Winnsboro, TX), a fielder's choice led to Madelynn Lacaze's 2 RBI single, scoring Hunter and McMillan. A base running error on the same play would ended the inning. The Lady Vikings were able to plate 2 runs to keep their lead at 4. After 4 innings, Bucks trailed 8-4.
The Bucks went in order in the top of the 5th. Autumn Powell (Mena, AR) came on in relief for Kimbrell to start the bottom of the 5th inning. Powell would retire the Lady Vikings on a 2 ground outs and a fly out to left field. In the 6th, Madison Humphry would walk and steal 2nd, but the Bucks couldn't get anything else going. The Lady Vikings capitalized on some Bucks errors and plate 4 runs to end the game, 12-4 in 6 innings.
Gracie Kimbrell (2-2) pitched 2 innings giving up 5 runs on 5 hits with 1 strikeout and 1 walk in the loss. Autumn Powell pitched 3 innings giving up 7 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, walking and striking out 1 apiece. Brooke Detommaso pitch 1/3 innings giving up a hit and a walk.
#GOBUCKS