The Greenwood Lady Bulldogs, the defending 6A state softball champions, returned to the diamond last week with high hopes of repeating their 2015 title run. And ace pitcher Victoria Taylor quickly made her presence known, throwing three no-hitters in four days to open the season.
A senior, Taylor displayed her dominance last Tuesday with a no-hit perfect game against Rogers Heritage, winning 2-0. A day earlier on Monday, the Lady Bulldogs opened their season with an offensive explosion against Waldron, winning 12-0 in three innings.
Taylor was also perfect in that outing, retiring all nine hitters she faced. Both games were at home in Greenwood, helping the Lady Bulldogs get off to a fast start in pursuit of another state title. The team is led by Head Coach Ronnie Sockey, assisted by Jason Gill.
On the last day of February, playing in beautiful spring-like weather, the GHS girls opened the 2016 season by hosting their namesakes from Class 4A Waldron, also called the Lady Bulldogs. But the game was short-lived, lasting just three innings, with Greenwood scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning, four in the second, and two more in the third for the mercy rule victory.
There were only six hits in the game, all by Greenwood, and Waldron committed all five errors made in the contest. Sophomore Phoebe Ulmer led the team with three hits and four runs batted in, followed by freshman Mariah Hamilton's two hits for the Lady Bulldogs.
Hamilton also had two RBIs, and Sydney Parker added a hit and a pair of RBIs as well. Waldron pitching also issued several walks, allowing Greenwood batters to maximize their hits.
The following day, Taylor went the full seven innings against Rogers Heritage, retiring all 21 batters she faced. Greenwood managed to score single runs in the third and fourth innings as Taylor mowed down opposition batters for the 2-0 win.
Taylor began by striking out the first five hitters she faced. She finished with 13 strikeouts altogether, but only one over the final two innings as Heritage was finally able to put the ball in play. But the GHS defense came through to preserve the perfect effort for Taylor.
After the game, Taylor said of her performance, “It was a good way to start the season, and I’m liking the way it’s going. It was a great game. Everyone played well. [The defense] helped me out. They saved me tremendously.”
The contest nearly didn't happen due to rain and a change in the weather earlier in the day. “It was getting a little bit cold. I couldn’t really feel my fingertips, but I made it through," said the senior ace. "[Catcher] Sydney [Parker] was catching well, and the calls were great,” added Taylor.
Besides calling a good game, Parker also helped save Taylor’s perfect game when a third strike eluded her in the sixth inning. But Parker tracked down the ball and threw to first base to get the batter by an eyelash. Taylor then grabbed a pop-up on a bunt attempt to end the inning.
In the seventh, Heritage’s first batter hit a grounder near Taylor, cut off by third baseman Tatum Holland, who threw out the runner.
GHS shortstop Mikayleigh Davis fielded a ground ball and threw out the next hitter, helping Taylor after she fell behind in the count. Taylor then finished off the perfecto by getting the last batter to fly out to right fielder Mariah Hamilton.
“She was getting it in there, filling it up, and throwing strikes,” said Coach Sockey. “I don’t think she had one three-ball count. She was just throwing it in there and trusting her defense. We’ve got a new defense, and they’re looking good behind her.”
Greenwood scored its first run in the third after sophomore Ericka Calderon drew a lead-off walk. She advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Hannah Booker, then scored on a Mikayleigh Davis ground ball.
The Lady Bulldogs made it 2-0 an inning later. Hamilton led off the frame with a single, then reached third base after two sacrifice bunts by Tatum Holland and Darian Wilson, before she scored on a passed ball.
“Offensively, we executed the bunts and that produced two runs," said Sockey. "We found a way to get those two [runs] across, and just put it on the defense to go out and finish it off,” he added.
Last Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs steamrolled over Springdale Har-Ber, winning 16-0 in another abbreviated contest. Taylor completed her third straight no-hitter to start the season, though she lost a perfect game by hitting a batter. She fanned six hitters in the mercy rule win.
It was Greenwood's first road game, and the Lady Bulldogs definitely made a statement with their bats. Phoebe Ulmer had three hits, including a homerun and a pair of doubles. Mariah Hamilton went 3-for-3 with two doubles and Tatum Holland also had a pair of two-baggers among her three hits.
This past Tuesday's scheduled contest against Bentonville was washed out by this week's heavy rains. The Lady Bulldogs hope to return to the field on Friday for a home game against visiting Mena at 4:30 p.m. They begin conference play on March 17th with a varsity doubleheader at Mount St. Mary in Little Rock.
It was also learned this week that the Lady Bulldogs have cracked the MaxPreps top 25 national computer rankings for high school softball. Riding a 15-game winning streak dating back to last season, the GHS girls are ranked 25th in the latest nationwide poll.