TATE HITS HOME RUN IN WIN IN GENTRY

Joleigh Tate hit a three run home run in a seven inning assault of Gentry yesterday and the Lady Bearcats went on to an 8-5 win.

The game was originally set as a home game on Monday but was moved to Gentry and yesterday to accommodate Gentry activities and because a Tuesday game against Mansfield was cancelled by the Lady Tigers.

Lexi Franklin and Brooke Turner singeld starting the second and Tate (shown behind the plate) sent an 0-2 pitch out of the park in center for a 3-0 lead.

Back-to-back doubles by Hayley Lunsford and Caroline Smithson made it 4-0 and a single by Karmen Kent scored another run. Roni Tillery would also record a hit before there was an out in the inning.

Leigh Swint singled in a pair to push the lead to 6-0 and, after two were down, Turner doubled her home and it was 7-0.

A two-out double by Franklin in the fourth scored Tillery, who had doubled leading off the inning and was still there with two away, and it was 8-0.

Gentry would then have its own big inning.

A Lady Bearcat error prevented a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth and the Lady Pioneers took advantage with six straight hitters reaching and five runs scoring before Franklin got one of her 12 strikeouts to finally end the inning.

The Lady Bearcats would load the bases in the fifth but a double play ended the threat.

Franklin (14-1) allowed just one hit and walked two the rest of the way.

The Lady Bearcats (17-1) are scheduled to make another trip to northwest Arkansas on Thursday to take on Pea Ridge then host Cedarville on Friday.

The Cedarville game will have no bearing on district tournament seeding -- the Lady Bearcats are the top seed from the South division and have qualified for the Class 3A Region 1 tournament.