Lady Pioneers win their final conference game

— The Lady Pioneers took on the Huntsville Lady Eagles in Gentry Thursday afternoon for their last conference softball game of the season.

The Lady Pioneers got off to a good start in the bottom of the first inning with a single by Kelcey Jech, a base on error for Whitney Corter, followed by a triple by Eryan Beck to score Jech and Corter. Beck took advantage of a Lady Eagle overthrow to third and scored. JosieGraves-Long tripled and came in on a sacrifice by Courtney Folker to give the Lady Pioneers a 4-0 lead.

Huntsville came back up swinging, with two hits and two runs in the top of the second before being shut down on a strikeout and two beautiful plays by rightfielder Sarah Hogan.

The score remained 4-2 until the bottom of the sixth when Corter took one for the team and scored on a double by Graves-Long. Folker advanced Graves-Long witha sacrifice and Graves-Long scored on a hit by Rindy Hudson. Cloie Sikes doubled to bring in Hudson.

The Huntsville Lady Eagles left two runners standing in the seventh to end the game 7-2 in favor of Gentry.

Graves-Long went two for three, with a double and a triple. The Lady Pioneers ended conference play with four wins and two losses. District playoffs are scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Prairie Grove.

Sports, Pages 7 on 04/28/2010