Ladycats Remain a Perfect, 8-0

BY NORM BETZ –

The Mena Ladycats traveled down Highway 71 to do battle with the Lady Leopards of De Queen, and returned home with a 4-1 victory. The Ladycats remain perfect, improving to 8-0 on the season. Sophomore Lexi Brooks pitched the complete game, giving up one run on five hits through seven innings, while walking one and striking out 10 batters.

Senior Bailey Bunch led off the game with a double, followed by walks by junior Kenzi Spurgin and senior Lexi Hansard. The Ladycats were unable to capitalize in the top of the first.

Brooks sent the Lady Leopards back to the dugout in order, with a strike out and a pair of pop-ups. Ladycats and Lady Leopards were scoreless at the completion of the opening inning.

The Ladycats were able to put three runs on the board in the top of the second to take command of the game. Brooks reached on an error and sophomore Kensie Sawyer took over the running duties as a courtesy runner. Junior Madi Brotherton reached on a fielder choice, causing Sawyer to be thrown out at second base for the first out of the inning. Junior Kristen Kesterson singled to right and junior Jordan Ward picked up one run on a double. Bunch pushed Kesterson home on a groundout to third base. Spurgin reached on an error, while Ward scored the third run of the inning. Senior Daryan Torix ended the inning on a third strike bunt, but Mena took a 3-0 lead over De Queen.

Lady Leopard R. Bakenhus got the first hit off Brooks to start off the bottom of the second. Brooks followed with back-to-back strikeouts looking, and then got the third out on a grounder to Spurgin. Mena held onto a 3-0 lead at the end of the second inning.

Senior Lexi Hansard led off the third with a double to right field. Macy Brotherton followed with a single of her own to right field. Sophomore Reagan Sikes entered the game as a courtesy runner for Macy Brotherton. After Hansard was thrown out, Brooks doubled to right field, moving Sikes to third, but would later be picked off at second base. Madi Brotherton flew out to first to end the top of the inning.

Brooks struck out the leadoff batter, threw out the next batter and struck out the third batter looking. Mena led 3-0 after three innings.

Kesterson led off the fourth with a single to left field and was replaced with sophomore substitute runner Riley Schnell. Ward reached on a fielders’ choice, causing Schnell to be sacrificed at second. Bunch reached on an error, but Spurgin lined out to left field, while Torix grounded out to second to end the top of the inning.

Brooks issued a walk to start the bottom of the fourth, but responded by striking out the next batter. J. Vaught doubled to left for an RBI, for the Lady Leopards’ only run of the contest. De Queen flew out to Spurgin on the next play and ended the fourth with a groundout to Brooks. Mena led De Queen 3-1 at the end of the fourth.

Both Mena and De Queen went down in order in the fifth inning. Ladycats still led 3-1.

Mena went down in order again in the top of the sixth, on a line out, pop-up and a strike out.

De Queen started off the bottom of the inning with a bunt single, followed by a single to right field. The Ladycats shut the door after the first two batters reached with a line out to Brooks, a strike out by Brooks, and a fly out to Kesterson. Mena led 3-1 after six innings.

After a fly out and ground out, Torix reached on a hit by pitch to start a little two out rally for the Ladycats. Hansard singled to left field, pushing a hustling Torix across the dish. Macy Brotheron struck out for the final out, but the Ladycats increased their lead to 4-1.

Brooks finished the game, just like she started it, with a pair of strikeouts. The Lady Leopards went down in order with a groundout to Brooks. Mena won the contest over De Queen, 4-1.

About Author