GENTRY — The Lady Pioneers softball team hosted the Pea Ridge Lady Blackhawks April 5 to score another conference win.

The defense was tight on both sides, but three walks in the bottom of the second inning, followed by a sacrifice fly hit by Mataya Snell scored Eryan Beck to get the Lady Pioneers on the board.

Lady Hawk defense held tough again until the sixth inning when the Lady Pioneers opened up with singles by Kelcey Jech and Whitney Corter, followed by a two-run double by Beck.

Bats remained hot as Cloie Sikes and Josie Graves-Long both singled, with Sikes scoring on a Rindy Hudson double.

A well-played game, errorless for both teams, resulted in a 5-0 win for the Lady Pioneers.

The junior varsity team lost 12-9.

The Lady Pioneers went to Lincoln April 6 to take on the Lady Wolves and win.

Gentry went down 1-2-3 in the first inning, with Lincoln’s lead-off Villinesreaching and then scoring on Pioneer errors, to end the first inning with a score of 1-0 Lincoln.

The second inning showed a nice turnaround as Eryan Beck doubled, to be brought home on another hardhit double by Cloie Sikes. A sacrifice by Josie Graves-Long advanced Sikes, and Rindy Hudson reached base on a fielder’s choice. Sikes and Hudson both scored on a single by Snell.

In the fourth, Courtney Folker singled, Marly Pierce walked and Jech reached base on a fielder’s choice. Pierce scored on a passed ball, and Jech scored on a single hit by Corter.

In the fifth, Lincoln answered with a hardhit triple by R. Goldman, who scored on a sacrifice by Cummings.

But Gentry scored two more in the seventh when Folker drew a walk and Pierce singled. A fielder’s choice again for Jech put her in position to score on a two-run double by Corter.

The final score was 7-2, Gentry.

The junior varsity suffered a 3-1 loss.

On Thursday, the LadyPioneers faced the Elkins Lady Elks at home in Gentry. The Lady Elks gave the Lady Pioneers defense a workout, with 11 hits scoring 6 runs.

With bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning, Courtney Folker made an awesome catch in far left field to retire the sides. Folker also went three for three, with two singles, a double and one run batted in.

The Lady Pioneers were unable to score until the fifth inning, when Rindy Hudson drew a walk and scored on Folker’s double. Folker scored on a sacrifice by Pierce. Jech followed with a single, to be left on base.

Two more runs crossed the plate in the sixth as Cloie Sikes and Josie Graves-Long each singled and scored on sacrifices by Hudson and Sarah Hogan.

Gentry’s hopes for a come back were high in the bottom of the seventh, behind by a score of 6-4. Jech hit a single but was thrown out at second. The game ended with a double play by the Lady Elks.

The final was Gentry 4, Elkins 6.

The junior varsity team also lost to Elkins, 4-1.

Sports, Pages 8 on 04/14/2010