(March 27, 2021) Mena, Arkansas – The Rich Mountain Bucks were coming off a split at Eastern Oklahoma in their second conference date. The Bucks come into today with 2-2 region record. After a postponed game Thursday, the Bucks hosted Northern Oklahoma College – Tonkawa in a twin bill on Saturday afternoon. After losing game 1 9-0, the Bucks and Lady Mavericks played 11 innings but fell 6-0. The Bucks record goes to 11-15 and 2-4 in region play.
Game 1
Hannah Hunter (Malvern, AR) got the start in the circle for the Bucks. In the top of the 1st, Tonkawa picked up 2 runs on 3 hits to take an early lead. The Bucks picked up a couple hits in the bottom half but stranded both runners. Tonkawa led 2-0 after 1 inning.
Hunter stranded a runner at 2nd in the top of the 2nd inning. After Madison Humphry (Murfreesboro, AR) bunted for a base hit, Hannah Hunter sac bunted to move Humphry to 2nd base. But, a fly out to left field would end the 2nd inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the 3rd inning. The Lady Mavericks added 5 runs, 3 on a line drive homer by the NOC pitcher in the top of the 4th. Hunter was chased in the inning after recording 2 outs. Brooke Detommaso (Las Vegas, NV) came on in relief. The Bucks went in order in the bottom half. Tonkawa led 7-0 after 4 innings.
Detommaso recorded 2 outs before the Lady Mavericks reached on a Bucks error. Tonkawa capitalized with a fly ball to right center to plate a run and a single to score another to increase their lead to 9-0. The Bucks needed to plate 2 runs to keep the game alive, but the Bucks stranded a runner to end the game.
Hannah Hunter (1-5) threw 3.2 innings, giving up 7 runs on 8 hits and walked 1. Brooke Detommaso pitched 1.1 innings, giving up 2 runs (none earned) on 2 hits.
Game 2
Offensive production was at a premium as both pitchers controlled the game. Gracie Kimbrell (North Little Rock, AR) got the start in the circle. She would strand a runner in each inning through 3 innings and held the Lady Mavericks without a base runner in the 4th inning. She loaded the bases in the 5th inning, but she got out of the jam with a strikeout and flyout to end the top of the 5th. In the 6th, she gave up a single, but a couple flyouts ended the top half. Once again, she stranded another runner in the 7th and gave the Bucks the chance to win the game in the 7th.
In the 7th, Madison Humphry singled to left field before Hannah Hunter sac bunted her to 2nd base. Leah Wilkins (Van Buren, AR) singled to left field to put runners on the corners. With 2 outs, the Lady Mavericks brought in game 1's winning pitcher. She was able to get a pop up to end the Bucks threat. The game headed to extra innings.
With Kimbrell still in the game, she got a pop up to end the top of the 8th with NOC threatening with runners on the corners. The Bucks went in order in the bottom half to head into the 9th inning, but both teams would go scoreless in the inning.
In the 10th, Kimbrell stranded 2 more runners on 2nd and 3rd to end send the Bucks to the bottom half. A flyout to the warning track in straight way center ended the 10th inning for the Bucks. In the top of the 10th, NOC scored 4 runs with 1 out before chasing Gracie Kimbrell from the game. Autumn Powell (Mena, AR) came on in relief. She recorded 2 outs and gave up 2 more runs. NOC led 6-0 into the bottom of the 11th. The Bucks went in order to end the game. Tonkawa wins 6-0.
In the loss, Gracie Kimbrell (5-8) threw 10.1 innings, giving up 6 runs (3 earned) on 12 hits. She struck out a pair while walking 6.
The Bucks play again on Monday, March 29th, at Carl Albert State College. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm in Poteau, OK.
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