After dropping four of their first five games following spring break, the Greenwood Lady Bulldogs have since regrouped to win five of six contests, including their home conference doubleheader sweep of Siloam Springs this past Tuesday. With Tuesday’s results, the GHS girls improved to 10-7 overall and 5-3 in 5A West league play.
To be fair, all four of their earlier losses were to much larger schools – Van Buren, Benton, and Bentonville. The Benton Lady Panthers are also the reigning 5A state champions and return virtually everyone from last season when they defeated Greenwood for the state crown. The two traditional softball powers were also slated to do battle again this past Thursday at Greenwood. However, results were not yet available at the time of this writing.
Vilonia Lady Eagles
A pair of defensive mistakes cost the Lady Bulldogs in the opener of their twinbill at Vilonia on Tuesday, April 5th, resulting in a 5-3 conference loss to the Lady Eagles. Hurler Tori Howard went the distance for Greenwood, taking the loss despite giving up just two earned runs over six innings. All three Vilonia runs in the decisive fourth inning were unearned. Howard fanned two Vilonia hitters and walked just one, though she was touched for 11 hits.
Her teammates gave Howard an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, getting base hits from leadoff hitter Macey Cutsinger and 3-hole hitter Charlize Taylor. In-between, 2-hole batter Mady Cartwright reached on a fielder’s choice. Taylor then drove home both runs after a passed ball moved Cutsinger and Cartwright into scoring position.
That remained the score until Vilonia plated a solo run in the bottom of the third on a homerun. The Lady Bulldogs then fell behind, 4-2, after the Lady Panthers scored their three fourth inning runs. Greenwood added an error-aided run in the fifth to make the score, 4-3, giving them the chance for a late inning comeback.
But Vilonia pitching was too tough, stranding two GHS runners in the sixth and setting the visitors down in order in the seventh for the 5-3 win. Lady Panthers’ starter Elise Trautman pitched five frames before being relieved by Hope Johnson, who earned the save. Together they allowed the Lady Bulldogs eight hits and gave no walks.
Three GHS players combined to do most of the damage offensively. Macey Cutsinger, Charlize Talor, and Paige Pugh had two hits each, all singles. Taylor finished the game with all three team RBIs, while Cutsinger scored twice. Natalie Horn and Kylie Lawson also had solo hits in the contest.
In game two, the Lady Bulldogs rallied with five runs over the final two innings to erase a 4-2 deficit and gain a split in the doubleheader, winning the nightcap, 7-5. Greenwood won the game despite being outhit by Vilonia and committing three defensive errors. Haley McAdams pitched the last six innings to earn the win.
Tori Howard opened the game in the circle but pitched just one frame. Vilonia scored single runs in the first, third, and sixth innings and added two more in the fifth. Greenwood scored once in the second, again in the fourth, then four times in the sixth and once more in the seventh. McAdams gave up seven of Vilonia’s eight hits, issued three base-on-balls, struck out two enemy hitters, and yielded just two earned runs.
At the plate, Greenwood’s seven hits were scattered up and down the lineup. Only Paige Pugh had two hits, including a homerun and a pair of RBIs. The other hits included a double for Tori Howard, who also had three RBIs, and singles for Macey Cutsinger, Brilea Rofkahr, Taylor Nichols, and Charlize Taylor, who tripled and scored two runs. Horne also had an RBI. Howard’s sixth inning double came with the bases loaded.
Hackett Lady Hornets
After splitting on the road with conference foe Vilonia, the Lady Bulldogs returned home for a pair of non-conference games, starting with the Lady Hornets of nearby Hackett. The two Sebastian County squads squared off on Tuesday, April 7th, with the home team scoring single runs in each of the first three innings, enough for a 3-2 victory.
Hackett scored first on a homerun in the first inning, then added another run in the fourth on back-to-back hits, including a one-out double. However, the Lady Hornets were limited to just six hits and one walk in the game by GHS pitching. Tori Howard started for Greenwood and went four innings, enough to qualify for the win. Haley McAdams cruised through the last three frames, allowing just two hits in the sixth inning, earning the save.
Mady Cartwright doubled in the bottom of the first and later scored on a single by Kylie Lawson, tying the score at 1-1. A two-out RBI double by Ireland Cooper in the second inning put Greenwood on top, 2-1. Cartwright then led off the bottom of the third with her second hit, a single, moved to second on an error, then scored on back-to-back groundouts, the RBI going to Kylie Lawson. Hackett’s second and final run in the fourth inning made the score 3-2. Neither team scored again.
Southside Lady Mavericks
Staying within the confines of Sebastian County, the Lady Bulldogs traveled to the River City last weekend for a rematch with the Lady Mavericks of Fort Smith Southside. It was the second time the two teams played this season, with Greenwood winning both. Last Saturday’s contest was a pitcher’s duel, with each team getting just four hits in the 3-1 GHS victory.
Southside’s Reese Robinson and Greenwood’s Haley McAdams were the starters, with Robinson going the distance and taking the loss. McAdams pitched five frames, yielding just one run on three hits and no walks. Tori Howard relieved in the sixth inning and allowed just one baserunner, retiring six of the seven hitters she faced, earning the save.
Consecutive doubles by the Lady Mavs put Southside on top, 1-0, after one inning, a lead that held up until the sixth inning. Greenwood didn’t get its first hit until Ireland Cooper singled with two outs in the top of the fifth. But after leaving two runners stranded in the fifth, the Lady Bulldogs broke through in the sixth, scoring all three of their runs.
The rally started with two outs and the bases empty. Tori Howard reached base safely on a fielder’s choice then swiped second to put herself in scoring position, and it paid off. Paige Pugh singled to tie the score at 1-1. A walk and an error then plated another run before Taylor Nichols drove the ball into the left field corner for a double, scoring the third run.
Siloam Springs Lady Panthers
After being shut out by Benton and scoring only 20 runs in their six previous outings, seven of those in one game against Vilonia, the Lady Bulldogs broke out their bats this past Tuesday at home against the visiting Lady Panthers, winning both ends of the conference doubleheader in mercy rule fashion, 11-1 and 12-0. Both games ended in the fifth inning.
The GHS girls stroked 12 hits over five frames, starting with two in the bottom of the first and third innings. Leading 4-1 in the fourth, the Lady Bulldogs pushed across four more runs before adding three in the fifth to invoke the 10-run mercy rule. Siloam Springs’ only run came in the second inning with two hits off Greenwood starter and winner, Haley McAdams. She limited the Lady Panthers to just four hits and issued no walks with a pair of strikeouts.
At the dish, Greenwood was paced by Taylor Nichols (3), Charlize Taylor (2), and Briana Taylor (2), all with multiple hits. That Taylor trio was also responsible for driving home four runs, two by Taylor Nichols, who also had a double. Charlize Taylor added a triple, as did Mady Cartwright, who also drove home two runs. Briana Taylor had a double among her two hits. Macey Cutsinger added two hits and an RBI, while Rylee Cowart and Tori Howard also had singles. Cowart had an RBI and Howard drove home two.
In the nightcap, GHS Head Coach Ronnie Sockey was kept plenty busy at third base, waving runners home as his Lady Bulldogs continued to pound the ball to the tune of 17 hits in just four innings. Greenwood plated five runs in the first inning, one in the second, four more in the third, and two in the fourth for the 12-0 victory. Tori Howard started in the circle for Greenwood and went all five innings, allowing just two hits, no walks, and no runs for the pitching victory.
Five Lady Bulldogs had multiple hits in the contest, led by Mady Cartwright. The junior shortstop had three hits, including a double, scoring three runs and driving home two more. Macey Cutsinger, Taylor Nichols, Charlize Taylor, and Tori Howard all had two hits each. Charlize Taylor added three RBIs with Cutsinger driving home two. Taylor Nichols, Lani Coryell, Piper Pitts, Rylee Cowart, and Briana Taylor all had solo RBIs.