TILLERY WALKS IT OFF

Roni Tillery was clutch again.

The freshman lifted a fly ball to left to drive in the winning run in a 6-5 win over Mayflower Thursday at the Billy Kiersey Baseball/Softball Complex.

That completed a huge day for Tilley that included picking up the win in four innings of relief.

To set up Tillery for the heroics Caroline Smithson doubled leading off the bottom of the seventh of a 5-5 game and Karmen Kent put down a sacrifice bunt to advance Smithson to third.

Tillery hit the next pitch deep enough to score the winning run and complete a comeback from a 5-2 deficit.

Tillery (shown catching during the JV game) had started that too.

She singled leading off the sixth inning and with one down and was at second with one out when Leigh Swint singled to drive her home.

A Lexi Franklin line drive scored Swint and Franklin swiped second and third then scored the tying run on a two-out Joleigh Tate single to make it 5-5.

Tate and Tillery were the only Lady Bearcats to record multiple hit games.

The Lady Bearcats (15-1) had taken a 2-0 first inning lead when Tillery and Layla Byrum singled to open the game, Swint squeezed in Tillery and Byrum made it 2-0 scoring on a passed ball.

Mayflower tied it in a four error top of the second inning.

The Lady Eagles loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the third and took the lead on a two out, two-run single to make it 4-2.

Tillery took over in the circle to start the fourth and Mayflower used two singles and another Lady Bearcat error to push across another run before Tillery induced a ground ball to Franklin for a double play.

The game was originally planned for the Arkansas Tech University field in Russellville but was moved to the Kiersey Complex after a change of plans with the college.

The Lady Bearcats will be back in action again today, taking on Cossatot River in the Conference 3A-4 finale.