(April 28, 2022) Mena, Arkansas – The Bucks have split their last 4 conference doubleheaders and continue to fight their way to the Region II Tournament in Piedmont, Oklahoma. The Bucks had a big match up this afternoon at Cummings-Cecil Field with NOC-Enid. The Bucks come into the game with a 1-game lead over the Lady Jets for seventh and eighth in the standings.

GAME ONE

Blaire Gentry (Lockesburg, AR) got the start in the circle for the Bucks. After a rough start in the first inning, giving up a pair of runs, she would settle in and only gave up a run for the rest of the game. Trailing 2-0, the Bucks tied the contest in the bottom of the third inning. After a lead off double, Jah'Kaiya Woods (Little Rock, AR) hit a RBI triple. After a walk and 2 outs, Chloe Ray (Fort Smith, AR) singled to centerfield that scored a run to make it 2-2.

The Lady Jets took the lead in the top half of the fifth inning, but the Bucks got the run back to keep the game tied. After Woods reached on an 1 out error, Abi West (Ida, AR) doubled to center field to plate Woods to keep the game knotted at 3-3.

With Gentry still in the circle, the game would go into extra innings and continue into the tenth inning. Blaire Gentry's day was done after nine innings, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 9 hits. She would strikeout 6 in the outing. Brookelyn Coffey (Sims, AR) came in to pitch the tenth inning and pitched a scoreless top half.

A pair of walks put runners on first and second base in the bottom half. Presleigh Payne (Grapevine, TX) came to the plate with 2 outs. The freshmen would hit a RBI double to right center field to walk it off to give the Bucks the 4-3 win.

Brookelyn Coffey (1-2) picked up her first win of the season in her one inning of relief.

GAME TWO

Caitlyn Mayo (Bigelow, AR) got the start in the circle for game two. She would give up a run in the top of the first inning on an inside the park homer. The Bucks would get the run back in the bottom of the first on a Presleigh Payne ground out. In the next inning, the Bucks took a 2-1 lead on a Caitlyn Mayo RBI single.

In the top of the third inning, the Lady Jets took the lead at 3-2, but it was short lived as the Bucks scored 3 runs in the bottom half. A single and a double led to a Kristen McMillan (Winnsboro, TX) RBI single with 1 out. Next at-bat, Western Mussett (Garvin, OK) picked up 2 RBIs with a double to center field to make it 5-2.

After a scoreless top of the fourth, the Bucks added 3 more runs in the bottom fourth. A pair of singles put runners on and 1 out for Madelynn Lacaze (Gladewater, TX). The sophomore would pick up a RBI on a single to center field. Next at-bat, Kristen McMillan hit a 2-RBI single to left field to make the score 8-3.

The Lady Jets answered with a 3-run inning of their own in the top of the fifth, but the Bucks held to a 8-6 lead. After a scoreless sixth inning, the Lady Jets would score a runoff Mayo before chasing her from the contest with 1 out in the top of the seventh inning. Brookelyn Coffey would make her second appearance of the day in the circle, and she would strike out the two hitters she saw to pick up the save. Bucks win 8-7.

Caitlyn Mayo (10-10) pitched 6.1 innings in the contest to get the win, giving up 7 runs on 7 hits. She would strike out and walk 3 hitters a piece.

The Bucks play again on Saturday at 2 & 4 pm against Connors State. It will be Sophomore Day for the Bucks. 

#GOBUCKS