Crowley’s Ridge Softball opened their season with an early morning drive to Hot Springs, Ark. With the early morning, it took the Pioneers a few innings to finally come alive and wake up but when they did, they left no doubt. The Lady Pioneers slugged out 12 hits in their first matchup of the season, pushing across 4 runs and allowing 1 error. CRC’s Shelby Elrod would take the bump in game one and enter into a pitchers dual as the game would remain scoreless until the 5th. In the bottom of the 5th the Buffolos would strike first by connecting with a 2 run homerun to take the lead over the Pioneers. Arkansas Baptist stood strong on the defensive side, taking away any momentum the Pioneers would muster, leaving runners stranded on base. The break the team in green needed would come at the very last out. The Lady Pioneers being down to their last out and still trailing 0-2, rallied. Designated Hitter Hannah Burk got things going for the Pioneers with a 2-out single in the top of the 7th. Shelby Elrod followed suit by knocking one through the infield and creating more pressure on the Buffalo Defense. Then stepped in to pinch hit, Natalie Brightwell. With a hitters count of 2-1, Brightwell smashed a 2 RBI single up the middle that scored Heather Conaway (P.R. for Burk) and Elrod making things even at 2 each. Junior Dru Bryant would then take her turn at the plate and after fouling a couple off down the thirdbase line, Bryant ripped one fair that stood as a RBI triple, scoring Maddie Reed (PR for Brightwell) from first. To cap off the 2-out rally, Kourtni Jagneaux would take her piece of the cake by ripping a single to center field, scoring Bryant and giving the Pioneers a 4-2 lead. When Arkansas Baptist finally got the third out, Elrod walked to the mound to go the distance for the Pioneers. She recorded the 1st out by collecting her 4th strikeout of the game. The junior then asked her defense for help as she drew a pop up to right field. The Kentucky native collected the final out and her first win of the season by striking out her 5th batter of the contest.
Original source can be found here.
