(February 7, 2022) Mena, Arkansas – The long wait of the second season of Bucks Softball is finally over. Last season, the Bucks finished the season with a 21-40 record in their inaugural season that ended in the Region 2 Tournament. The Bucks began their 2022 campaign at home this afternoon against North Arkansas College.
Game One
Getting the nod in the circle was Blaire Gentry (Lockesburg, AR). Through the first two innings, she would record 5 strikeouts before the Bucks would produce 6 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. With 2 outs, Kristen McMillan (Winnsboro, TX) hit a double to right center field and would later score on an error allowing Ashlee Gurley (Logansport. LA) to reach base. After stealing second base, Gurley would score on a Shiley Cartinez (Many, LA) double. After a walk, Jah'Kaiya Woods (Little Rock, AR) would come to bat with two runners and made it count with a 2-RBI single. Next at-bat, Abi West (Ida, AR) would hit a RBI double that would bring last season's All-Region 2 Member, Madelynn Lacaze (Gladewater, TX) to the plate. Lacaze would trade places with West to cap the Bucks 6 run inning.
After three more strikeouts by Blaire Gentry, the Bucks return to the plate in the 3rd inning. With 1 out in the bottom half, McMillan singled before stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch. Shiley Cartinez would hit a line drive to left field to score McMillan. After Cartinez stole third, Avery Cotten (Longview, TX) would hit a screamer down the left field line to plate Cartinez to extend the Bucks lead to 8-0 after three innings.
After another scoreless top half, the Bucks produced 9 more runs in the bottom half of the fourth. West led off with a single before Madelynn Lacaze hit a triple to right center field to plate West from first base. After a Lady Pioneers' error, Ashton Daniel (Rockwall, TX) would come on to pinch run and stole second base before a groundout that allowed Lacaze to score on a throwing error. With Daniel on third, Kristen McMillan kept her perfect day going with a RBI single before scoring from first on an Ashlee Gurley double to right center. Sydney Smith (Siloam Springs, AR) would pinch hit and made it count. She hit a RBI single to centerfield before Cotten reached on single and advanced on a pass ball. Jah'Kaiya Woods would clear the bases with a 2-RBI single. She would then score from first on a RBI double by Abi West. Next at-bat, Presleigh Payne (Grapevine, TX) would hit a RBI triple to extend the Bucks lead to 17-0 after four innings.
Blaire Gentry (1-0) would come back out in the top of the fifth and close it out to pick up her first win of the season. She would finish the game with 11 strikeouts in the five-inning outing.
Game Two
Caitlyn Mayo (Bigelow, AR) got the start in the circle and had to shake off the rusty start after two hit by pitches and walking in a run before recording two strikeouts with the bases loaded to end the top of the 1st. Bucks trailed 1-0. In the bottom half, Jah'Kaiya Woods led off with a double before Lacaze reached on an error. After advancing on a pass ball, Abi West came to the plate with 2 outs and would hit a 2-RBI single to right field to take the lead. Next at-bat, Ashlee Gurley would single before stealing second and third in the next at-bat. She would then score on pass ball that walked Chloe Ray (Fort Smith, AR). Ray would then score from first on Western Mussett's (Garvin, OK) RBI double to left field. The run gave the Bucks a 5-1 lead after an inning.
Mayo would give up a run in the top of the second inning to cut the Bucks lead to 5-2, but the Bucks' offense got going again in the bottom half. With 1 out, Madelynn Lacaze singled on a line drive up the middle before Presleigh Payne would double to right field. Lacaze would then score on a wild pitch in the next at-bat. Blaire Gentry would pick up a RBI single before Abi West doubled to left field the to put two runners on second and third. With 2 outs, Chloe Ray would double down the left field line, plating two more runs for the Bucks. With a runner on second, Western Mussett would hit the first home run of the season, a 2 out, 2 RBI shot into the left field bullpen. The Bucks plated six and increased their lead to 11-2 after 2 innings.
In the third, Mayo would continue the trend by giving up a run in the top of the inning. After some defensive adjustments by the Bucks, the lineup looked different in the bottom half of the inning. Kayleigh Anderson (Forrest City, AR) would be hit by a pitch before stealing second base on the next pitch. She would then advance to third with 1 out and scored on a RBI by Shelbie Walker (Rose Bud, AR) to give the Bucks a 9-run lead after three innings.
In the top of the fourth, Brooke Detommaso (Las Vegas, NV) came on to pitch for the Bucks. The Lady Pioneers would score 3 runs to cut the Bucks lead to 12-6. With 1 out in the bottom half, Shiley Cartinez was hit by a pitch and then stole second on the next pitch. During that at-bat, Western Mussett went yard for the second time in the game to give the Bucks an 8-run lead going into the fifth inning.
Detommaso came back in the fifth and gave up 1 run as the Lady Pioneers kept the game alive. The Bucks would need a run in the bottom half to finish the game, but they would go down in order.
After a scoreless sixth inning, the Bucks would close it out in the top of the seventh and win 14-7.
Brooke Detommaso (1-0) picked up the win, pitching 4 innings. She gave up 4 runs (3 earned) and struck out three hitters. Caitlyn Mayo got the start, pitching 3 innings. She would give up 3 runs (1 earned), while striking out four and walking one.
The Bucks are home again on Thursday, February 10th, against SAU Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 12 pm.
#GOBUCKS